Brow Lift (Browplasty) – Recovery Timeline and Tips
Is Brow Lift (Browplasty) Surgery Painful?
Happily, most of our patients experience very little pain from a brow lift (browplasty) — sometimes also known as a “forehead lift”. The initial recovery period is from 10-14 days depending on your age and/or health factors. Most patients go back to work within 2 weeks of surgery.
Day One and Two Post-op
We recommend that you take these first few days off to rest and recuperate.
Your brow lift will be performed as an outpatient procedure with general anesthetic or intravenous sedation with local anesthesia. If you have general anesthesia you may experience some nausea, if so please let your nurse know because there is medication you can take to feel better. Ideally, you should not be experiencing any pain or serious discomfort at all. But If you are, we recommend a mild over-the-counter non-opioid painkiller such as Tylenol.
Upon waking you’ll notice that there is a light dressing over your brow area, this will be removed within one or two days. You may also have a drain tube in place to remove any excess blood or fluid, this helps reduce any swelling.
You may be instructed to keep your head elevated when lying down and to avoid any strenuous activity — especially activity that involves lowering your head such as bending down and picking things up off the floor.
Recovery time of course will vary to a certain degree depending on the individual but for most people of good health any noticeable swelling or very minimal bruising will subside within the first few days.
The First Week
You may shower and wash your hair two to three days after surgery with a gentle soap that we will recommend. You may have some residual swelling or light bruising of the eye area. This should subside within the first week to 10 days.
Towards the end of the first week, you will return to your surgeon for your first post op appointment for removal of any sutures (stitches).
The Next Few Weeks…
Three weeks after surgery all swelling should have subsided. Any incision scars are typically not at all visible, but in any case they are easily disguised by the hair or with makeup until finally healing occurs.
At this stage, you should be able to resume nearly all of your normal activities such as exercising and work. The surgery will take another few weeks to ‘settle in’ with final results evident at about 6-8 weeks.
Learn More About Browplasty Surgery:
- What Is A Brow Or Forehead Lift (Browplasty)? Brow lifts are also ideal for reducing unwanted horizontal or vertical lines and wrinkles on the forehead, including frown lines or deep furrows between the eyebrows. Read more…
- Am I a good candidate for a Brow Lift (Browplasty)? Your decision to have a brow or forehead lift is a highly personal one, and ultimately your plastic surgeon should be able to give you the right advice and guidance based on your desired aesthetic outcomes.
