Brow Lift & Hairline Lowering Sydney

Brow Lift & Hairline Lowering

A brow lift, also called a forehead lift, raises and reshapes the eyebrows and smooths the forehead. Hairline lowering, sometimes called forehead reduction surgery, is a related procedure that shortens the distance between the eyebrows and the hairline by advancing the hair-bearing scalp forward. The two can be performed separately or together, depending on the height of your forehead and the position of your brows.

As the brows descend with age they tend to flatten and sit lower, which can make the eyes look heavy and create the impression of excess upper eyelid skin. Signs of brow ptosis include long horizontal folds at the outer corners of the eyes and hooding of the upper lids. A brow lift addresses the heaviness at its source rather than only removing eyelid skin, so it is often planned alongside upper eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty. Where vision is genuinely affected, a visual field test helps document how much.

Hairline lowering answers a different concern: a forehead that is long in proportion to the rest of the face. It is used in facial feminisation and for patients with a naturally high hairline, good hair density and no progressive hair loss. Both procedures are personalised, with technique and scar position varying, and Dr Maryam will set out the options at your consultation in Paddington, Sydney.

Who it may suit

• Your eyebrows sit low or have flattened, and the outer brow feels heavy.
• Upper eyelid hooding remains a concern even though the eyelid skin is not the main cause.
• Deep horizontal forehead lines or frown lines are present and no longer respond well to non-surgical treatment.
• Your forehead is long in proportion to your face and you would prefer a lower hairline.
• You have a stable hairline with reasonable hair density, if hairline lowering is being considered.
• You are in reasonable general health and accept the scars involved.

What brow lift and hairline lowering surgery involves

Both procedures are generally performed under general anaesthetic. Technique and duration depend on the plan agreed at your consultation.

1. Incisions are planned to suit your goals: within the hairline for an endoscopic or coronal approach, directly at the hairline for a pretrichial incision, in the temporal scalp, or in the upper eyelid crease for an internal brow lift.
2. Tissue is released from the underlying bone so the brow can be repositioned, and the muscles that pull the brow down may be adjusted.
3. For hairline lowering, the scalp is advanced forward, the strip of forehead skin between the old and new hairline is removed, and the scalp is secured in its new position.
4. The brows are set at the planned height and the incisions are closed. Where a brow lift and hairline lowering are combined, a single hairline incision often serves both.

Recovery

Recovery varies with the technique used and between individuals.

• Swelling around the forehead and eyes, and bruising that can extend into the eyelids, are usual in the first one to two weeks.
• Numbness, itching and tightness across the scalp are common and generally settle over weeks to months.
• Most people plan around one to two weeks away from work.
• Strenuous activity is usually restricted for about four weeks.
• Final brow position and scar appearance continue to settle over many months.

Risks and considerations

Risks include bleeding and haematoma, infection, altered or reduced sensation in the scalp and forehead which can be permanent, hair thinning or hair loss along the incision, widened or visible scars, brow asymmetry, over-correction or under-correction of brow height, difficulty closing the eyes fully or dry eye symptoms, injury to nerve branches affecting forehead movement, and anaesthetic risks including blood clots.

Hairline lowering has specific limitations. It is not appropriate if you have ongoing or pattern hair loss, because the hairline can recede again. How far the scalp can be advanced is limited by scalp laxity, and some patients need a staged approach or tissue expansion first. Ageing continues after either procedure and results are not permanent.

Your consultation with Dr Maryam

Cosmetic surgery in Australia requires a referral from a registered medical practitioner before your consultation, and a GP referral is preferred so your general health and any vision concerns are documented. A cooling-off period of at least seven days applies between consultation and booking surgery, and three months for patients under 18, who must also be assessed by an appropriate registered health practitioner.

Dr Maryam Seyedabadi, MBBS FRACS, AHPRA registration MED0001341746, consults at 2c Heeley Street, Paddington NSW 2021. She will examine your brows, eyelids, forehead height and hairline, take planning photographs, and go through the risks, the alternatives including eyelid surgery alone or non-surgical treatment, and what she considers achievable, before you decide anything. Fees are quoted after consultation. To arrange an appointment, call 1300 067 668.