Can plastic surgeons burn the corrugator muscles during facelift to stop them from working? Age 60

The corugator muscles are often divided with the brow lift to eliminate or minimize their function. This helps furrowing of the brow between the eyebrows.

Corrugator muscle splitting is better than burning. This is part of a forerhead lift in my practice. The outer parts of the muscle may still have some activity. See a very experienced surgeon for this.

The technique which I use is to remove a portion of the corragator muscle during an upper eyelid blepharoplasty.  The muscle is visualized above the level of the orbital rim.  One must take care not to injure the branches of the supratrochlear and supraorbital sensory nerves.  These nerves run through the muscle, some temporary numbness in the scalp may occur after the procedure.  I have found this technique to be very safe, have a high satisfaction rate and minimal complication rate.  

When deep vertical  lines are located between the eyebrows, a brow lift is performed, not a facelift. During the brow lift procedure the brows can be lifted, the corrugator muscle complex softened with the muscle being divided and a portion removed. If there is dermal atrophy present, a fascia graft is inserted between the muscle and the dermis. Depending upon placement of the incisions, the hairline can be raised or lowered. For many examples, please see the link below to our brow lift photo gallery

A porition of the corrugator muscles would typically be removed to reduce frowning and lines between the brows. It is possible for the muscle ends to scar/ heal back together and have a return of frowning activity as you heal from surgery. The procedure needs to be conservative so as not to create a divot or scarring to the skin in the area between the eyebrows. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

various techniques including cautery or actual incision with scissors to impair the corrugator and procerus muscle movement after a prior left has been employed.  It is very common for the movement to return.  One potential complication from this is a definite or deformity of the glabella secondary to soft tissue loss and muscle volume loss from these procedures.  Be carefulChase Lay, MDDouble board-certified facial plastic surgeon

Your surgeon was being honest with you when he said that burning, or more commonly cutting, the corrugator muscles does not always eliminate motion in this area. The only way that can be accomplished is by removing part of the muscle but this may cause an irregular contour between your brows. I understand your frustration but Botox is the safest treatment.

Your surgeon is correct that most often after using cautery to damage the procerus and corrugator muscles at least 50% of the time of the muscles return and the frown lines return.A better solution to correct frown lines is Botox injection.

Your surgeon is correct in that there is a chance that frowning function can return after the corrugator muscles are cut during surgery. Aggressive removal, however, can leave dents and abnormal movement. Actually, there are 3 muscles that contribute to the frowning movement. That is why Botox works so well. It knocks out all of them when injected aporopriatelt. 

During the Forehead Lift procedure, many time the corrugator muscles are cut or removed for a youthful look, without lines and wrinkles.  Discuss this with your Plastic Surgeon, so that he can determine the best procedure for you.  Best wishes!