What is a partial pretrichial brow lift?

Question

An oculoplastic surgeon recommended a partial pretrichial brow lift for me - others have recommended the endoscopic brow lift. The dr who recommended the partial pretrichial brow lift said that my skin is very think and the pretrichial would give me a better result. I have one eyebrow that is lower than the other one and I would like to have my eyebrows more symmetric. Could you tell me the difference between an endoscopic brow lift and a partial pretrichial brow lift?

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

A Trichophytic brow lift which we developed is a better choice as the hair grows THRU the scar and not behind it. Make sure you see a patient who the surgeon has done to see the actual scar!

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

Not sure what they mean by partial.  I will sometimes do a pretrichial browlift just over the outer portion of the brow.  This is the area that usually falls first and causes the temporal hooding of the upper eyelid.  So if the center portion of  your brow is in okay position, you can just raise the outer part to get back the arch.  Endoscopic is another approach for full forehead/brow lift.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD · Answer

For unilateral brow asymmetry I prefer a limited incision temporal brow lift with the incisions all made within the scalp and not at the junction of the hairline and the forehead.  The only time this procedure is of benefit is when the forehead is excessively long.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

First, it's important to make sure you're a candidate for a brow lift procedure, so a full set of photographs are required. A brow lifting procedure addresses leveling out asymmetrical eyebrows, raising or lowering the hairline, adjusting the frontalis, corrugator, procerus muscles of the forehead and can even add fascia grafts underneath the vertical corrugator lines between the eyebrows.  With a browlift procedure, the hairline must shift upwards if it's performed with an endoscope or coronal approach behind the hairline. If the incision is placed at the hairline, the  bald forehead skin can be removed and the hairline lowered. For many examples, please see the link and the video below

John S. Alspaugh, MD, FACS · Answer

I have come to prefer the pretrichial or hairline brow lifts it targets the elevation of the principal goal of the surgery, the lateral brow. It has greater capability to address brow asymmetry but does produce some forehead numbness.

Vincent D. Lepore, MD (retired) · Answer

A pritrichial brow lift is a brow lift in which the incision is made just in front (below) the hairline.  If just one brow is low this incision can be limited to one side of the face.  A possible advantage of the pritrichial row lift is that it doesn't cause the hairline to be elevated, which can be a problem if one already has a receding hairline.  The disadvantage is that the scar may be more notable than an endoscopic brow lift in which the smaller incisions are in the hair bearing scalp.  Ask each surgeon why they feel their suggested procedure would work best in your particular case.  Best wishes, Dr. Lepore.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi, I have performed many Brow Lifts over a period of 30 years.  The pre-trichial incision leaves telltale signs, IMHO, no matter how beautiful the scar as it removes the small villous hairs that break up the frontal hairline.  I have seen numerous patients that have had that technique done elsewhere that still will not wear their hair without bangs because the scar is clearly visible as a thin white line along the front hairline.  The endoscopic Brow lift requires some type of suspension technique (sutures, thredas or hooks) all that break through and loosen with time.  The Coronal Brow Lift remains the "gold standard" for lifting low or eyebrows at diffrenet levels/positions.  A partial procedure would indicate an isolated incision, with limited dissection that can actually place the frontal nerve branches in danger of injury.  Hope this helps.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

With an endoscopic brow lift the incision is made within the hair but this will raise your hairline. Years ago we described the Trichophytic Hairline Incision Technique where hair will grow through the inciion so the scar is not visible rather than the pretrichial incision where the incision is seen in front of the hairline.

Sheldon S. Kabaker, MD FACS (retired) · Answer

A hairline brow lift, best described as a trichophytic hairline browlift, gives the best control of all factors and allows for one brow to be elevated more than the other. It also does not raise the hairline if it already is high. You can even lower the hairline with it. The endoscopic brow lift works through multiple small incisions  above the hairline, has less incidence of post operative scalp numbness, almost always raises the hairline and has a higher incidence of losing effect long term.

What is a partial pretrichial brow lift?

Answers (9)

More Brow Lift Questions

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS

Answers (9)

More Brow Lift Questions

Car accident, I look like I've had a bad brow lift. Can a reverse brow lift fix this? (photos)

Will eyebrows still drop? I am 6 weeks post op from an endoscopic forehead lift.

"Sinus" pain/pressure after brow lift. Do I have an infection?

How long does endoscopic brow lift last? Thanks

Can a brow lift or forehead lift also lift your facial skin?

WE SEND PRETTY EMAILS

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS