Forehead Elevation
 Browlifts can revitalize drooping or lined foreheads, helping you to look less angry, sad or tired. Using either traditional or minimally invasive (endoscopic) methods, the muscles above the eyes are altered to smooth lines and raise the eyebrows for a more youthful appearance. The procedure is often combined with other operations such as blepharoplasty and facelifts to improve the look of the eyes and other areas of the face.
While browlifts are typically performed on patients aged 40-60 to counteract the effects of aging, anyone with lined or inelastic skin on the forehead - whether it's caused by muscle activity or inherited conditions - are eligible. The procedure is usually performed in an office-based facility our out-patient surgery center under local anesthesia and IV sedation.
While browlifts are performed on patients after age 40 to achieve a more youthful appearance, the results obtained in patients over 60 can produce results which patients describe as truly amazing in the multitude of positive effects to the patients.
Most patients experience some numbness which usually subsides over several months. Occasionally patients describe a tingling or itching sensation afterwards. The procedure usually requires one night of post-operative observation and bandages are removed the following day. Bruising and swelling are variable depending on the patient and sutures are removed over one to two weeks.
With both procedures, you will be on your feet and able to wash your hair in a day or two, and many patients return to work or school in 7-10 days or less. Swelling and bruising should fade by the third week.
Complications are rare and usually minor but may include temporary numbness, nerve injury, occasional air loss along scar edges, infection, and bleeding.
If you aren't sure whether you want a browlift, try standing in front of a mirror and placing the palms of your hands to the sides of your eyes above the eyebrows. Then pull the skin back from the eyes, raising the forehead. This is approximately how the procedure will make you look.
A forehead lift is one of the most effective procedures to improve an individuals appearance and well being. This procedure not only rejuvenates and revitalizes the face helping you look less tired, sad, consumed or angry as well as relieving the sensation of heaviness of the brow. This heavy sensation can lead to soreness and headaches due to longstanding muscle contraction caused by the stretching of the forehead skin.
As the brows and forehead migrate downward a widening and collapse of skin over the nasal root (the area between the brows). This along with contraction of the muscles in this area causes the angry appearance of frowning when the forehead muscles relax. When the forehead stretches lateral to the upper lids hooding is created adding to the tired appearance. As the condition persist compensation to raise the brows then cause the brow aches and even "headaches" in this area.
In time, gravity, sun exposure, and the stresses of daily life take their toll on our faces: deep creases appear beside the mouth, the jaw line slackens, and folds and fat deposits appear on the neck. Facelifts counteract these problems by removing fat and tightening skin and muscles, giving your face a fresher, youthful look. After surgery, some patients appear 10-15 years younger.
A facelift can be combined with a browlift, eyelid surgery or nose reshaping for more dramatic results, or it can be restricted to the neck (necklift) if the patient’s problems center there. Incisions are made in inconspicuous places such as behind the hairline and in natural folds of the face and ears, and scars fade to near invisibility in time. Results of a facelift do not last forever, but in another sense, the effects are permanent; years later, your face will continue to look better than if you had never had the procedure.
A neck lift or chin liposuction is performed to remove excess fat beneath the chin and tighten loose skin in the neck. A less invasive alternative to a facelift, the procedure can produce dramatic results in the patient whose chin and/or neck has sagged with age or after weight loss.
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Blepharoplasty can rejuvenate puffy, sagging or tired-looking eyes by removing excess fat, skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. It may be performed for cosmetic reasons or to improve sight by lifting droopy eyelids out of the patient's field of vision. The procedure is usually performed in an office with local anesthesia in as little as 45 minutes. Blepharoplasty can be combined with a facelift or BOTOX® treatments to raise the eyebrows or reduce the appearance of wrinkles, crow's feet or dark circles under the eyes.
Fat injection reduces wrinkles and creases and plumps up areas that have lost volume as a result of surgery, injury, aging or another cause. Transplanted fat that comes from the patient him- or herself does not carry a risk of allergic reaction or rejection. Other advantages include a short recovery time, long-lasting results and effectiveness on any skin type.
RestylaneŽ is designed to smooth wrinkles, sculpt lips and shape facial contours. It is a clear, synthetic gel made with hyaluronic acid, a natural substance that is found throughout your body. It carries little risk of allergic reaction. The most common areas for treatment are the glabellar lines (between the eyebrows) and the nasolabial folds (from the root of the nose to the angle of your mouth). With its unique ability to bind with water, Restylane remains in your skin for many months.
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One of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures, liposuction sculpts the body by removing undesirable fat from areas such as the abdomen, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, chin, cheeks, neck and upper arms that have not responded to diet and exercise. Local anesthesia or general anesthesia may be used and the procedure can last anywhere from one to five hours depending on the amount of fat being removed.
There are several different methods surgeons use when performing liposuction, including tumescent liposuction, the super-wet technique, and ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL). In all types a tiny incision is made in as inconspicuous a place as possible; a cannula (small tube) then breaks up the fat layer and suctions it out.
Whether or not we notice it consciously, full cheeks are often a part of how we judge a person's face. Cheek implants can have a major impact on the appearance and self-confidence of patients whose cheeks have thinned or sunken due to age, illness or other causes. Implant sizes and shapes are tailored to each patient's desired appearance.
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A mid-face lift restores youthful vitality to the mid-face, lifting the cheeks and smoothing smile lines to achieve a natural rejuvenated look without the need to undergo a full facelift. Midface lifts are ideal for reducing puffiness under the eyes, improving the contour of the upper cheeks, and correcting nasolabial folds. Incisions are small and hidden in the eyelids or in the mouth. Midface lifts are often performed in conjunction with lower-lid blepharoplasty to rejuvenate the area around the eyes or with implants to accentuate the cheeks.
Thermage™ is a quick, easy and non-invasive alternative to a face lift. Using painless radiofrequency energy, Thermage "lifts" and tightens loose and sagging skin to restore youthful vigor to patients' faces. The Thermage device stimulates collagen production and temporarily reduces wrinkles while keeping the skin surface cool and comfortable. There is no incision or recovery time. Results last about two years—much longer than you can expect from BOTOX® or tissue fillers like collagen.
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Thyroid Eye Disease
The onset of thyroid eye disease (Graves' disease) can change a patient's physical appearance. Due to the bulging of the eye, and the swelling of the surrounding tissues, many patients have a "bug-eyed" appearance (proptosis) that makes them look constantly angry or frightened and lead to self-consciousness. In some cases, visual acuity is affected. Surgery offers a number of ways to improve these unwanted changes.
Orbital decompression is a surgical procedure that can help patients who have experienced loss of vision or severe disfigurement from the onset of thyroid eye disease. During the procedure, Dr. Christensen will make several tiny fractures along the edges of the orbital bones, creating room to displace some of the orbital structures. This relieves pressure from the optic nerve and significantly reduces proptosis (bulging of the eyes) by allowing the eye to fall back into its natural resting place.
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Dr. Christensen may recommend fat removal from behind either eyelid. During this procedure, called blepharoplasty, the excess fat is removed through small incisions made in the skin. The result is a reduction in "bags" over and under the eyes, a decrease in eyelid droopiness (ptosis), and a more symmetrical appearance to the eyelids.
Muscle restriction surgery adjusts the muscles that move the eye to improve diplopia, or double vision. The muscles may be weakened, strengthened or repositioned. The surgery corrects misalignments between the muscles of the eye to eliminate double vision and correct any strabismus ("cross-eye") that may be present.
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