Brow-lift

Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)

Brow lift surgery lifts and tightens sagging skin around the forehead and brows to smooth deep wrinkles and restore a more refreshed, youthful appearance. At Centre for Surgery in London, brow lift procedures are performed by specialists using advanced techniques to achieve natural results.

Brow Lift in London










A brow lift — also known as a forehead lift — is cosmetic surgery that repositions the eyebrows and smooths the upper forehead. It addresses the brow descent, forehead lines, and heavy upper-lid appearance that develop progressively with age. The right brow lift, performed with the right technique for your anatomy, produces a subtle but powerful rejuvenation — you look alert and rested rather than surprised or overly lifted.


The confusion most patients arrive with is brow lift versus blepharoplasty. They look similar in the mirror — hooded upper eyelids and tired-looking eyes — but they have different anatomical causes and different surgical solutions. If your brows have descended, raising them via brow lift is the right answer. If your upper eyelid skin itself is excessive but your brows are where they should be, is the right answer. Many patients actually need both. We cover this distinction in detail later on this page, and your surgeon will assess which is right for you at consultation.


Modern brow lift surgery has moved substantially beyond the old "coronal" brow lift that involved a long ear-to-ear scalp incision. Endoscopic, temporal, and direct (transpalpebral) techniques all achieve brow elevation with much smaller incisions, faster recovery, and more precise control over how much the brow moves. Your surgeon will recommend the technique that matches your specific anatomy and goals.


At Centre for Surgery, brow lift is performed by specialist facial plastic and oculoplastic surgeons at our Baker Street clinic. Depending on technique, procedures take 1 to 3 hours under general anaesthetic or TIVA as a day case. Most patients return to desk-based work at 10 to 14 days.



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What is a brow lift?

A brow lift is surgery that repositions the eyebrows upward and smooths the upper forehead. It targets the anatomical changes that produce a tired, angry, or sad appearance as the face ages — brow descent, forehead lines, and the heavy-browed look that often develops from the 40s onward.


The brows naturally sit just above the orbital rim (the bony ridge above the eye socket) in a youthful face. As the face ages, the soft tissue of the forehead descends with gravity and loses tethering to the underlying bone. The brow progressively slips downward, sometimes dropping below the orbital rim, which creates the hooded look that many people mistake for excess upper eyelid skin.


Brow lift surgery repositions the brow back to where it should be, secured with various techniques depending on the approach used. When it’s the right surgery for the problem, the result looks natural, balanced, and rested — patients don’t look pulled or surprised.


A well-performed brow lift produces:


Brow lift is not a cure-all for an aged upper face. It doesn’t treat:


Many patients assume they need upper blepharoplasty when the underlying issue is actually brow descent. This matters because the surgery for each is different, and operating on the wrong anatomical target produces a poor result.


Here’s a simple self-test that surgeons use at consultation: gently lift your brow with your fingertip to where you think it naturally should be. If the hooding resolves and you look awake, you need a brow lift. If the hooding is still there even with the brow lifted, you need upper blepharoplasty. Many patients need both procedures — brow lift to reposition the brow, blepharoplasty to address genuine upper lid skin excess.


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Brow Lift Before & After Photos

A selection of brow lift results from our surgeons at Centre for Surgery. A wider gallery is available to view at your consultation — we only publish photos of patients who have given written consent for their images to be used.











Combined brow lift with lower blepharoplasty — elevated brow position combined with under-eye rejuvenation produces a comprehensive refresh of the upper face.











Endoscopic brow lift produces natural brow elevation with minimal scarring. Notice the preserved natural brow arch — the goal is restoration of youthful position, not over-elevation.











Conservative brow elevation preserving the natural arch. The difference between a good brow lift and an overdone one is judgement — how much to move, where to anchor, and when to stop.


The best brow lift results look like you, rested. Anyone looking at these photos should recognise the same person in "before" and "after" — the changes are subtle but cumulatively meaningful. If a clinic’s before-and-after photos look dramatically different or feature overly-arched, surprised-looking brows, that’s a warning sign about their surgical philosophy.

Why brows droop — what causes brow descent

Understanding why brow descent happens helps make sense of which brow lift technique suits you and what results are realistic.


The main driver. With age, the fibrous tethers that hold the forehead soft tissue up against the frontal bone gradually weaken. At the same time, the frontalis muscle (which runs vertically in the forehead and is responsible for raising the eyebrows) gets weaker and less effective. The result is progressive descent of the brow, usually beginning in the 40s and accelerating through the 50s and 60s.


The dermal collagen and elastin that keep young skin firm and springy decline progressively from the late 20s onward. By middle age, skin that once sat neatly at the brow hangs more loosely, contributing to the descended appearance.


Beyond the skin, the underlying soft tissue of the forehead — fat pads, connective tissue — thins and shrinks with age. This removes structural support from underneath the skin, allowing it to sag.


Some people inherit a tendency to early and pronounced brow descent. These patients may notice significant brow heaviness even in their 30s and benefit from brow lift at a relatively young age.


People who spend years frowning, squinting (often from uncorrected vision issues), or concentrating intensely develop deeper and more prominent forehead and glabellar (between-brow) lines. These etched expression lines persist at rest and add to the aged appearance.


UV exposure accelerates collagen breakdown in forehead skin. Patients with substantial sun exposure history typically show more advanced brow changes at a given age than protected skin.


Tobacco use accelerates skin ageing and reduces blood supply to the forehead skin, worsening descent and line formation.


Major weight loss in particular can unmask or accelerate brow descent — the underlying volume support is reduced, and skin that was previously supported collapses.


Sometimes brow descent develops or worsens after previous surgery in the area — for example, after aggressive upper blepharoplasty that didn’t address contributory brow position.

Types of brow lift — which technique is right for you?

Brow lift is not a single operation — it’s a family of related techniques that share the goal of elevating the brow but differ substantially in approach, incision location, recovery, and which patients they suit. The choice of technique depends on your brow position, hairline, forehead height, skin quality, and goals.


The most commonly performed modern brow lift. Three to five small incisions (typically 1 to 2 cm each) are made in the scalp behind the hairline. A camera-equipped endoscope is passed through one of these incisions, and specialised instruments through the others, allowing the surgeon to release the brow from its deep attachments and reposition it upward. Fixation is typically achieved with small anchor points (absorbable devices) under the scalp.


Best for: most patients with moderate brow descent and a reasonable hairline height. Preferred technique in most contemporary practice.


Advantages: minimal visible scarring (hidden in the hairline); preserved sensation; quicker recovery than open brow lift.


Limitations: less effective for very heavy brow descent; requires specific equipment and surgical training.


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Focuses only on the outer third of the brow, where descent is often most pronounced. Small incisions are made at the temple area, hidden in the hairline. The lateral portion of the brow is released and elevated.


Best for: patients whose primary concern is lateral brow descent — typically producing a "sad" or "angry" expression from the outer brow falling — while the middle and medial brow is reasonably positioned.


Advantages: targeted correction; minimal scarring; shortest recovery of any brow lift technique; can be performed under local anaesthetic with sedation.


Limitations: only addresses the lateral brow; doesn’t smooth forehead lines or lift the central brow; not suitable for patients with generalised brow descent.


Learn more:


A variant where the brow is elevated via an incision in the upper eyelid crease (the same incision used for upper blepharoplasty). The surgeon elevates the underside of the brow through this access and anchors it internally. Often called "internal brow pexy."


Best for: patients having upper blepharoplasty at the same time who have mild to moderate brow descent. Allows combined procedures through a single incision.


Advantages: no additional scars beyond the blepharoplasty incision; efficient combined procedure.


Limitations: only modest elevation possible; not a standalone brow lift for significant descent.


The traditional technique. A long incision runs from ear to ear across the top of the scalp, allowing wide surgical exposure and aggressive brow elevation. The forehead skin is lifted, muscle and tissue adjusted, and excess skin is excised.


Best for: specific cases of very advanced brow descent, patients with high foreheads where some hairline lowering is desired as part of the procedure, or where the endoscopic approach isn’t suitable.


Advantages: most reliable and aggressive elevation; allows simultaneous hairline modification; long-established technique.


Limitations: long scar (though hidden in hair); scalp numbness behind the scar is common; longer recovery; less commonly offered in modern practice.


A variant where the incision is placed immediately in front of the hairline (rather than behind it, as in coronal). Allows brow lift combined with shortening a high forehead.


Best for: patients with both brow descent and a high forehead who want to lower their hairline as part of the procedure.


Advantages: achieves brow elevation and hairline lowering simultaneously.


Limitations: scar is at the hairline edge (visible if hair is pulled back); requires good hairline density for scar camouflage.


Related:


At consultation your surgeon will assess your brow position, forehead height, hairline density, skin quality, and specific goals. The most common recommendation in modern practice is endoscopic brow lift, but this isn’t universal — sometimes another technique is a better match. Be wary of clinics that default to one technique regardless of anatomy.

What a brow lift can and can't treat

Brow lift is a targeted procedure. Understanding what it addresses — and what it doesn’t — helps set realistic expectations and work out whether combined procedures might be needed.


Many patients benefit from combining brow lift with related procedures for a more complete upper face rejuvenation:


Your surgeon will assess what combination best addresses your specific concerns and recommend a staged or combined approach as appropriate.

Am I suitable for a brow lift?

At your consultation, your surgeon will assess whether brow lift is right for your specific anatomy and goals, and which technique would serve you best. Here’s what we look at.


The best candidates have genuine brow descent — where lifting the brow with your fingertip (as described earlier on this page) reveals a more open, rested appearance. If your concern is purely upper eyelid skin with brows in a good position, you need blepharoplasty rather than brow lift.


Brow lift produces a rested, lifted look — not a dramatic transformation. The goal is for you to look like a rested version of yourself, not a different person. Patients expecting significant visible change may be disappointed by appropriate, natural-looking surgery.


Most brow lift patients are 40 to 70, with 50s being the most common decade. Patients can be younger if they have genetic early descent, or older if they’re in good health. Fitness for surgery matters more than age.


Brow lift requires different surgical judgement for male versus female patients:


Your surgeon will discuss this with you at consultation.


Patients with high foreheads may benefit from pretrichial or hairline lowering approaches rather than endoscopic. Patients with low foreheads need caution — brow elevation shouldn’t worsen this proportion.


Good general health, at a stable weight, non-smoker (or willing to stop for 4 weeks before and 2 weeks after). No active scalp infection. Uncontrolled blood pressure must be addressed first. Tell your surgeon about any history of bleeding disorders, hair loss issues, or previous scalp/forehead surgery.


If you find yourself fixating intensely on your forehead or brow area in a way disproportionate to what others actually notice, pause before booking. Our article on is a useful read.


We decline brow lift for patients under 18, patients whose concern is actually upper eyelid skin rather than brow descent (we recommend blepharoplasty instead), patients with unrealistic expectations, patients with severe hair loss that wouldn’t camouflage incisions well, patients with uncontrolled hypertension or bleeding disorders, and active smokers unwilling to stop.

Preparing for your brow lift

Good preparation makes for a smoother procedure and recovery. Brow lift preparation is similar to other cosmetic surgery but with some scalp-specific considerations.


Once you’ve decided to proceed, our pre-op assessment team will contact you to confirm you’re medically fit. Medical history review, physical check, and basic investigations. Flag any significant medical conditions, particularly bleeding disorders, hypertension, thyroid disease, or migraines.


Stop at least 4 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks afterwards. In brow lift this is especially important because smoking constricts blood supply to the scalp skin — where the incisions sit — and dramatically raises the risk of wound breakdown, hair loss around incisions, and visible scarring.


Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAIDs for two weeks. Stop supplements that thin blood: fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, garlic, St John’s wort. Paracetamol is fine. Flag any prescribed blood thinners for management with your GP.


Stop alcohol for at least 3 days before and 3 days after surgery.


This is specific to brow lift. In the days before surgery:


Follow fasting instructions (no food 6 hours before, clear water up to 2 hours before) for general anaesthetic cases. Shower and wash hair before arriving. No makeup, no hair products. Wear comfortable button-front clothing.


Expect visible bruising around the forehead and sometimes extending into the upper eye area for 7-14 days. Forehead swelling that peaks at days 2-4 and gradually reduces. Scalp numbness around incisions (usually temporary; can persist for months). Mild tightness across the forehead and top of scalp. By day most patients can appear in public with sunglasses and perhaps a headband or hat.

The brow lift procedure

Brow lift is performed as a day case at our Baker Street clinic. Most cases are done under general anaesthetic (TIVA) for comfort during what is typically a 1-3 hour procedure. Temporal brow lift alone can sometimes be performed under local anaesthetic with sedation.


You’ll arrive at the clinic at your scheduled time. A nurse will admit you and confirm observations. Your surgeon will examine you sitting upright — marking is done sitting up because brow position changes when you lie down. You’ll look in a mirror and confirm the planned brow position before anaesthetic is started. Reference photos you’ve brought are reviewed at this stage.


TIVA general anaesthetic is administered. Local anaesthetic with adrenaline is infiltrated into the scalp along the planned incision lines to reduce bleeding. Small areas of hair may be trimmed at incision sites (not shaved) — this is minimal and regrows rapidly. The surgical field is prepped and draped.


Three to five small incisions (1-2 cm each) are made vertically in the scalp, positioned 2-3 cm behind the hairline. The endoscope is introduced, allowing the surgeon to visualise the forehead’s internal anatomy. The forehead tissue is released from its attachments to the underlying bone — this is the key step that allows repositioning. Frown muscles (corrugator and procerus) may be partially weakened at this stage to soften the frown line area. The brow is then elevated and fixed in its new position using small anchor points (usually absorbable devices) placed under the scalp. Incisions are closed with sutures or staples.


Short incisions (2-3 cm) are made at each temple, hidden in the hairline. The lateral brow and outer temple tissue are released and elevated. Fixation uses sutures anchored to the deep temporal fascia. Incisions closed with sutures or staples.


A long incision (ear to ear) is made in the scalp, typically 4-6 cm behind the hairline. The forehead flap is elevated, giving direct access to muscles and tissue. Significant elevation is possible. Muscles can be weakened or partially removed; excess scalp skin is excised before closure.


Performed through the upper eyelid crease incision (the same as upper blepharoplasty). The underside of the brow is elevated and anchored to the deep tissue via sutures.


Brow lift is commonly combined with upper and/or lower blepharoplasty at the same sitting. Total procedure time extends to 3-4 hours for comprehensive upper face work, but patients appreciate the single recovery period.


Incisions are closed with sutures or staples. A soft dressing is applied around the forehead. Small drains are sometimes used overnight for larger procedures.


You’ll wake in our recovery area and rest for minutes as the anaesthetic wears off. Cold compresses are applied. Once observations are stable and you’re comfortable, you’re discharged with your post-op pack: pain relief, written instructions, and 24-hour contact numbers.

Recovery and aftercare

Brow lift recovery is typically longer than blepharoplasty but shorter than facelift. Most patients are comfortable in public by days and fully recovered by 6-8 weeks, though subtle swelling and scalp sensation changes continue to improve for several months.


Forehead feels tight and swollen, with the scalp feeling numb or strange around the incisions. Mild discomfort, usually controlled with paracetamol — occasional codeine for the first night. Apply cold compresses for 10 minutes every hour while awake for the first 48 hours. Sleep propped up with head above heart. Drains (if used) stay in for 24 hours.


Swelling and bruising peak at days 2-4. Bruising can extend into the upper eyelid area and down the cheeks in some patients — this is normal and resolves. Headache may persist for the first 3-5 days. Forehead and scalp numbness around incisions is normal and can persist for weeks or months. Avoid bending, lifting, vigorous exertion, hot showers (warm is fine). Wash face gently, avoiding incision areas.


You can typically wash your hair gently from day 3, being careful around incisions. Use a mild shampoo. Avoid hot water, vigorous scrubbing, or hair dryers close to incisions. Normal hair routines resume after the 2-week mark.


Sutures or staples are removed at 7-10 days. Dissolvable sutures (where used) don’t need removal.


Most patients return to desk-based work at days. Bruising fades over weeks 2-3 and can be covered with makeup. Swelling continues to settle. Light exercise from week 3-4, full exercise from week 6. Hair can be styled normally but aggressive brushing or pulling should be avoided for 4-6 weeks.


Subtle swelling resolves. Scalp sensation gradually returns (sometimes with tingling or itching as nerves recover). Most patients consider themselves "recovered" at 6-8 weeks. Scars continue to fade.


Final result emerges. Scar maturation progresses — the scar lines (hidden in the hair) fade from pink to pale. Scalp sensation is increasingly normal, though some mild numbness may persist in some patients long-term.


Full scar maturation completes. The result is typically stable for 7-12 years before the natural ageing process begins to re-descend the brow (though it will never fully return to its pre-surgery position).


Call the clinic if you experience sudden severe headache, significant vision changes, signs of infection (heat, spreading redness, pus), persistent bleeding, fluid collection under the scalp, significant asymmetry worsening over time, or anything that feels unusual.


Suture/staple removal at 7-10 days. Surgeon reviews at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.

How much does a brow lift cost?

Brow lift pricing varies by technique, complexity, and whether the procedure is combined with other facial rejuvenation work. The right technique for your anatomy matters more than the price — the wrong brow lift, however cheap, is not a bargain.


At Centre for Surgery:


The endoscopic technique costs more than temporal or direct brow lift because it requires specialised equipment, longer operative time, and the specific expertise to use the endoscope effectively.


Brow lift is a cosmetic procedure and is not covered by the NHS or private medical insurance. Exceptional cases involving significant functional visual-field obstruction may have a component that’s insurance-eligible but this is rare.











Centre for Surgery is partnered with Chrysalis Finance, a specialist medical finance provider. Plans start from around £150 per month for brow lift procedures, with 0% APR options available subject to status.


Full details on our , or speak to a patient coordinator on .

Why Choose Centre for Surgery for your brow lift

Brow lift is a technique-sensitive procedure where the specific approach — endoscopic, temporal, direct, or coronal — needs to match your anatomy rather than whatever the surgeon defaults to. Centre for Surgery’s team performs all of the contemporary techniques and tailors the approach to each patient.


Our surgeons are on the and include plastic surgeons and oculoplastic surgeons with specific experience in all brow lift techniques. They’re members of recognised bodies including , the , and for our oculoplastic surgeons, the .


Because there’s no single "best" brow lift technique — the right choice depends on your anatomy — our surgeons offer all contemporary approaches: endoscopic, temporal/lateral, direct (transpalpebral), coronal, and hairline (pretrichial). You’ll get a recommendation matched to your features rather than the one technique the surgeon happens to prefer.


The difference between a good brow lift and an overdone one is judgement — how much to elevate, where to anchor, when to stop. Our surgeons deliberately favour conservative, natural-looking elevation that restores youthful brow position without creating the surprised or over-arched look that’s a signature of inexperienced brow lift work.


Male and female brow lifts require different aesthetic judgement — male brows should stay flatter and lower than female brows, and over-elevation or over-arching in male patients produces a feminised appearance. Our surgeons operate with gender-appropriate judgement for each patient.


Many patients who come in about "drooping eyelids" actually need upper blepharoplasty rather than brow lift, or a combination. We’ll tell you directly if blepharoplasty alone would serve you better. If you’d benefit from combined work, we’ll recommend it. If surgery isn’t the right approach for you, we’ll say so.


Centre for Surgery is fully registered and regulated by the . Our aftercare programme was rated "outstanding" — the highest rating available — with direct access to our post-op team for 24 hours after discharge and same-day nurse appointments when needed.


Mandatory two-week cooling-off period before surgery is booked. Take the time, come back for further consultations if you have questions. No chasing, no pressure.











Our clinic is at 95–97 Baker Street, London W1U 6RN — a short walk from Baker Street tube. Consultation, procedure, and follow-up all take place in one location. Learn more about .


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All procedures at Centre for Surgery are performed exclusively by GMC specialist-registered consultant plastic surgeons — the highest qualification available in the UK. Our surgeons hold positions on the GMC Specialist Register and are members of BAPRAS and ISAPS, ensuring you receive care from fully credentialled specialists, not cosmetic doctors.



Our purpose-built private hospital at Baker Street, Marylebone is independently regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which awarded us a Good rating — a standard very few cosmetic surgery facilities in the UK achieve. We use TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) as standard, the safest and most advanced form of anaesthesia available for day case surgery.



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Centre for Surgery is a CQC-regulated private hospital on London’s Baker Street, delivering plastic and cosmetic surgery through GMC-registered specialist surgeons. Our expertise spans facial procedures including and , , for men, and body contouring procedures such as and . Patient safety, surgical excellence and natural-looking results sit at the heart of everything we do.


Centre for Surgery is a CQC-regulated private hospital on London’s iconic , offering plastic and cosmetic surgery led by GMC-registered consultant surgeons.




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