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Forehead Lift to Help Reduce or Eliminate Migraines?

I've heard of Botox being able to help Migraines and then this morning I heard that people who have had a Forehead Lift surgery have also reported less migraines. Have any of the doctors on this site received the same feedback from their Forehead Lift patients? Is it true?

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21 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Forehead lift for surgical cure of migraines

The Plastic Surgeon with the most experience with this technique is Dr. Guyuron in Ohio. The procedure is more than just a forehead lift. It requires release of muscles and nerves that may be involved including corrugators, procerus and the zygomatico -facial and zygomatico-temporal nerves. To the best of my knowedge it is still being evaluated by the NIH as a surgical treatment for migraines but has shown promise in a select group of individuals.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Forehead lift for migraines

What helps with migraines in forehead lift is the actual removal of a muscle called the Corrugator muscle. This muscle is responsible for bringing the eyebrows together (forming the number 11 wrinkles). This muscle entraps the forehead nerves and causes the attacks. Botox weakens that muscle and improves the migraines temporarily while surgery does that permanantly. Botox has been approved by FDA in Oct 2010 for the treatment of migraines.

Botox and surgery for Migraines by Dr. Whitfield

There is scientific data to support the use of Botox in those who sufer from Chronic Migraines and are refractory to medical therapy. I have personally einjected patients in the appropriate areas to relax the muscles around the peripheral nerves assumed to be responsible for the generationof the migraines. If the patient can keep a diary and show that they have had complete elimination of migraine symptoms then they are considered a good candidate for peripheral nerve release... more

Botox Can Help Migraines, So can A Brow Lift in Many Patients

The short answer is that if botox does relieve your migraines then there is a significant chance that surgery will also be effective. This has been studied the most by Dr Guyuron, Bahman M.D, a plastic surgeon in the mid west. What he found is " If intervention with botulinum toxin yields a sustained elimination of migraines or significant improvement, defined as at least 50 percent reduction from baseline intensity and/or frequency for at least 4 consecutive weeks, surgical management... more

Surgical Treatment of Migraine Headache Pain

Headache pain sufferers and their loved ones are all too familiar with the lost social activities and decreased productivity at work and home that occurs during an attack. Until recently, common migraine treatment options have included taking life-long medications or undergoing a combination of expensive therapies, such as acupuncture or massage, aimed at preventing or stopping a headache. Unfortunately, in spite of these treatment advances, many still suffer from migraines. In some... more

Forehead lift and migraines

Forehead lifts may improve migraines in those patients that have some resolution of symptoms when the muscles of the forehead ( usually the corrugators) are injected with Botox. Migraines can stem from other focal points like the occiptal( back of the head) region. In this case browlifts will not help.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Forehead lift for migraines

Obviously, a forehead lift will not be covered by insurance as a treatment for migraines. That said, I have had success treating migraines with Botox and have heard from some patients that their headache severity was greatly reduced after surgery.

Lawrence Kass, MD

31 reviews

Saint Petersburg Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.kassmd.com

Video on Browlift and Migraines.

There is the possiblity that the nerves around your forehead could be the cause of migraine headaches. In the video below we show you why that is. It is possible that removing these muscles could improve your headaches. But this is rather a new concept and needs more studies. Let me know what you think about the video. Warning the video is graphic in nature. Thanks for reading, Dr Young see video

Philip Young, MD

6 reviews

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Brow Lift and Migraine Relief

Dr. Guyuron has published results from about 12 patients he did brow lifts on for treatment of migraines. His conclusion is that it works in the properly selected patients when the brow lift is done a certain way. Certainly if you have a migraine triggered by the corrugator muscle you have a logical reason to assume that removing the muscle may eliminate the headache. If Botox is effective, then logic follows that surgery may as well. During a brow lift, I... more

Forehead lift and treatment of migraine headaches

Although there may be anecdotal reports of migraine headaches being reduced or eliminated after a forehead lift, forehead lift surgery is NOT a treatment for migraines. Botox, on the hand, has been successfully used to treat tension headaches by relaxing the muscles involved in triggering the the headache.

Forehead lift for migraines

In general, plastic surgery for pain relief is not the best approach. You can look up the studies online regarding botox for treatment of headaches, as well as surgical treatment of the corrugator muscles.

Forehead Lift not a good bet for migraines

Unlike the situation with Botox helping some types of headaches, I am not aware of good evidence suggesting forehead lift as a significant help to patients with headache. That said, there is a well-known subset of patients who have very droopy eyelids or brows who chronically and involuntarily flex (elevate) their forehead muscles in order to see better. After forehead lift and / or eyelid sugery these patients will often comment that they have less brow "fatigue." Mark... more

Botox/Face Lift relieving Migraines

In studies Botox has been shown to help migraines. Brow lifts may also help in some cases for tension headaches. Migraines can be caused by several different things, so there is no gaurantee. If migraines are your primary problem I would advise seeing a neurologist about possible treatments. If you are looking to get a brow lift or Botox and are hoping that it could also relieve you of migranes, I advise seeing a plastic surgeon.

Browlift as a Means of Eliminating Migraines? No

In order to recommend a procedure for a specific result, there has to be hard data to suggest hat outcomes are reliable. There is no definitive, peer reviewed data to suggest that brow lifts ameliorate or eliminate migraines. If reduction or elimination of migraines is your primary intent, Botox is a better choice.

Migraines and Forehead Lifts

There are studies that show that Botox does help with migraine headaches and I have many patients in my practice who have had relief between both the frequency and degree of discomfort. They usually have this done every two to three months to help maintain their relief. I have had several patients that have reported different degrees of relief after their forehead lifts. With that said I would not schedule a patient for a forehead lift for migraine relief alone. I like to say that I... more

Michael Elam, MD

83 reviews

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

michaelelammd.com

Migraine Relief

Though Botox has been demonstrated to improve migraine related symptoms, I am not aware of any prospective studies using the browlift for such a treatment.

Forehead Lift for Migraines

I've never had one of my patients with a history of migraines tell me they had any relief in frequency or severity of their headaches after a forehead lift. The procedure you're talking about is more than a lift. I suggest you contact Dr. William Binder in Beverly Hills, Ca. who did a great deal of the original reseach in the treatment of migraines with Botox.

Richard W. Fleming, MD

9 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Migraines and Forehead Lifts

The answer to this is that there is no conclusion regarding the forehead lift and migraine benefit. Improvements have been reported but long lasting results are still inconclusive. An easier route is Botox. which helps some people. I would not do a forehead lift on one of my patients purely to improve migraine headaches. Visit a local neurolgist specializing in migraine conditions,. Try everything else before a forehead lift. ... more

Will a forehead lift improve migraines?

The short answer is maybe? There have been reports of this happening but the reason is unclear. One of the confounding factors is that general anesthesia has a long-term suppressive effect on the nervous system and will alleviate symptoms of dizziness and headaches in some patients. Interestingly, it can occasionally have the opposite effect and trigger these symptoms. Unfortunately, the medical community does not have a good grasp on how to harness this effect... more

Forehead lift

I have not read anything definitive about the therapeutic effeccts of brow lift on migraines. Botox relaxes muscles that may trigger the headaches due to spasm. Theoretically, a brow lift may do the same thing surgically. It may be possible if an accurate diagnosis as to the cause of the migraine preoperatively.