Scalp Lift, Brow Lift & Brow Ridge Contouring

Overview

This group of procedures rejuvenates and reshapes the upper face and forehead. A brow lift (forehead lift) raises sagging eyebrows and smooths forehead lines by repositioning the soft tissues; a scalp (coronal) lift is a surgical approach across the top of the scalp used to lift the brow or adjust the hairline; and brow ridge contouring reshapes the bony ridge above the eyes.

Together they can open up a heavy, tired-looking upper face, lift low brows that crowd the eyes, and — for brow ridge contouring — soften or reduce a prominent bony brow, a change often sought as part of facial feminisation surgery.

This page is educational only and not medical advice. Results vary between individuals, and no specific outcome can be guaranteed.

Who May Need This

A brow lift may suit people with sagging or low eyebrows, deep forehead lines, or heaviness above the eyes that can make the face look tired or angry. Brow ridge contouring may suit those wishing to reduce a prominent brow bone, often as part of facial feminisation, or to correct bony asymmetry.

Good candidates are in good general health with realistic expectations. Where the main problem is excess upper-eyelid skin, eyelid surgery may be more appropriate or combined. A facial plastic or plastic surgeon assesses the brow position, forehead, hairline, and bone to plan the right procedure.

When It May Be Recommended

These procedures may be recommended when brow sagging or a heavy forehead causes cosmetic concern that non-surgical measures cannot adequately address, or when a prominent brow ridge is a specific goal. They are often combined with eyelid surgery or a facelift for balanced rejuvenation, or with other bony work in facial feminisation.

Because they are elective, timing is your choice. The decision follows an assessment of whether soft-tissue lifting, bony contouring, or a combination best meets your goals.

Diagnosis and Evaluation

Evaluation includes examining brow position, forehead height, hairline, skin quality, and the relationship to the upper eyelids, since a low brow can mimic or add to excess eyelid skin. For brow ridge contouring, the bony prominence and the frontal sinus behind it are assessed, often with imaging such as a CT scan.

Your goals, history, and any prior surgery are reviewed, and blood tests arranged if general anaesthesia is planned. Photographs and, for bony work, imaging help plan the result and set expectations.

Treatment Options

Non-surgical options include injectable muscle relaxants and, in some cases, thread lifts, which can give a subtle, temporary brow lift for mild changes. Surgical brow lift techniques include the endoscopic (small hidden incisions), coronal/scalp (a longer hidden scalp incision with more lifting power and hairline control), and hairline (trichophytic) approaches.

Brow ridge contouring reshapes the bone, sometimes by burring down a prominence or, for a very prominent sinus, repositioning the bone. The surgeon recommends the technique and any combination matched to your anatomy and goals.

How It Is Performed

Surgery is performed under general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia with sedation. In a brow lift, incisions (endoscopic, coronal/scalp, or at the hairline) allow the surgeon to release and reposition the forehead tissues, adjust the muscles that pull the brows down, and secure the brow at a higher, natural position.

In brow ridge contouring, the surgeon accesses the frontal bone, usually through a scalp (coronal) incision, and reshapes the bony ridge — burring it down or, where the sinus is prominent, setting the bone back. The procedures may be combined and commonly take one to a few hours.

Preparation

Preparation typically includes blood tests, any required imaging, reviewing medications, and stopping blood thinners and smoking for a period as advised, since smoking impairs healing of scalp wounds. Fasting instructions apply before anaesthesia.

Plan time off for swelling and bruising, and someone to help you home. If travelling for treatment, bring your records and scans, plan an in-country stay for suture removal and follow-up, and avoid flying too soon after surgery as advised.

Benefits and Expected Goals

The goals are a refreshed, more open upper face with naturally positioned brows and a smoother forehead, and, for contouring, a softer or reduced brow ridge. Combined with eyelid surgery, the rejuvenation can be substantial.

Benefits depend on your anatomy and healing, and the face continues to age over time. Over-elevation and asymmetry are risks that careful planning aims to avoid. Swelling delays the final result for weeks to months. Your surgeon can set realistic, natural-looking expectations.

Risks and Possible Complications

These procedures carry real risks, including:

• Bleeding, swelling, bruising, and infection
• Numbness, itching, or altered sensation of the scalp and forehead, sometimes lasting
• Hair loss along the incision or a raised or visible scar
• Asymmetry, over-elevation (a surprised look), or under-correction
• Injury to nerves affecting forehead movement or brow lift, usually temporary
• For bony contouring: sinus problems or contour irregularity

Your surgeon will explain the risks specific to your technique. Report heavy bleeding, spreading swelling, or fever urgently.

Recovery, Follow-up & Aftercare

Recovery involves swelling and bruising of the forehead and around the eyes that settle over two to three weeks, and scalp numbness or itching that improves over weeks to months. You will keep the head elevated, follow wound-care instructions, and have sutures or clips removed at a follow-up visit.

Strenuous activity is avoided for a period as advised, and the final result appears as swelling resolves. Follow-up checks healing and brow position; if travelling, arrange local follow-up and delay flying as advised.

Medical Tourism Planning

If considering these procedures abroad, choose a JCI- or ISO-accredited facility and a board-certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon experienced in brow lifting and, for bony work, facial skeletal contouring. Confirm the technique and, for contouring, that imaging will guide the surgery.

Plan an in-country stay for suture removal and follow-up before flying. Request a written treatment plan and cost estimate, and arrange local follow-up before travelling home.

Estimated Cost Factors

Cost depends on the technique, whether soft-tissue lifting, bony contouring, or both are performed, whether combined with eyelid surgery or a facelift, the type of anaesthesia and facility, the surgeon's experience, and the country. Bony contouring and combined procedures increase the total.

Some international destinations offer these procedures at a fraction of prices in higher-cost countries, but figures vary. Advertised prices are only estimates — always request a personalized written quote for your specific plan.

Choosing a Hospital or Specialist

Look for recognised accreditation and a board-certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon who performs brow lifting regularly, and for brow ridge contouring, specific experience in facial skeletal or feminisation surgery. Confirm access to imaging and the ability to combine procedures safely.

Ask to see before-and-after photos, and how over-elevation, nerve issues, or scar problems are managed. Conservative, natural-looking results and a written plan are signs of a quality provider.

Alternatives

Alternatives include injectable muscle relaxants for a subtle temporary brow lift, upper eyelid surgery when the main issue is eyelid skin, and thread lifts for mild sagging. For brow ridge concerns, non-surgical options are limited, and contouring is the main way to change bone.

Each option differs in scope, permanence, and invasiveness. Discuss all of them with your surgeon so the plan fits your anatomy and goals.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• Do I need a brow lift, brow ridge contouring, or both?
• Which lifting technique suits my forehead height and hairline?
• Should this be combined with eyelid surgery for a balanced result?
• Where will incisions and scars be, and how is hair loss avoided?
• What are the specific risks, including nerve injury and over-elevation?
• How long is recovery, and when can I fly?
• What is included in the written cost estimate?