Forehead Lift (Brow Lift) Instructions

Before the Surgery Date:

If you develop a cold, fever or any other medical symptoms, please call the office right away.

Do not take any aspirin or aspirin containing drugs for FOURTEEN (14) days before surgery. This is extremely important since aspirin can thin the blood and cause you to bleed more. We have included a list of prescription and over the counter drugs that include aspirin. You can download and print the list here – please read it carefully.

You should have received a prescription for medications. If you have not, please call our office right away. Fill all the prescriptions at least 48 hours (2 days) prior to surgery. On the day before your scheduled surgery, start taking the antibiotics in the morning, following the instructions on the bottle. It is best to take your antibiotic with food or shortly after eating, to avoid stomach upset. It would be a good idea to have Tylenol or another over the counter, non-aspirin medication for pain on hand at home.

If you are going to have a chemical peel in addition to your face lift AND you have had cold sores in the past, you may need to begin taking Zovirax or Valtrex to prevent a cold sore from forming.

If you are a smoker, you must stop smoking for 4 weeks prior to your scheduled surgery. Smoking causes small blood vessels to constrict, which would result in your surgical area not receiving adequate blood circulation. It takes a while to reverse this effect of smoking. In addition, it would be best if you did not smoke for at least 4 weeks after surgery.

Do not drink any alcoholic beverages for 48 hours before surgery.

Please arrange to have someone drive you to and from the surgery. You will not be allowed to drive yourself.

On the Day of Surgery:

If you are scheduled to have general anesthesia or IV sedation, do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. Do not chew gum, brush your teeth or eat or drink anything the morning of surgery.

Please shower in the morning with a non-creamy, antibacterial soap suck as DIAL, and wash your hair. Do NOT use a cream rinse, styling gel, or hairspray. We will not be cutting any of your hair, therefore it is essential that the hair be clean and dry.

Do not use any makeup or facial lotions on the day of surgery.

Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. A zip-up or button-down top must be worn so that you do not have to pull clothing over your head. Do not wear pantyhose.

Please remove contact lenses, nail polish, jewelry and all makeup (eye shadow or liner, mascara, lipstick, foundation, etc.) at home before you leave for your surgery.

After Surgery:

Please limit activities after surgery. Rest in bed when you return home, and remain in bed throughout the evening. You may get up to go to the bathroom, with assistance. Elevate your head on two or three pillows.

Avoid quick movements, bending, lifting, straining, etc.

If you feel nauseated, please feel free to call the office right away. A soft or liquid diet is best for the first 24 hours. NO Alcoholic beverages for after surgery.

Please resume your antibiotic the evening after surgery, and continue taking it until the prescription is gone. You may take your pain medication every 3-4 hours if you need it. Again, take NO ASPIRIN OR ASPIRIN CONTAINING drugs for 14 days after surgery.

You will have a tight bandage applied to your head after surgery. This will be removed the morning after surgery, either by Dr Hunt’s staff, by you or by some one with you who has been instructed in the procedure. You may shower, wash the suture and staple area with soap and water, and lightly shampoo your hair. Do not let the shower hit the suture area directly. Lightly pay the sutures dry and use a medium setting if you blow dry your hair.

If you notice any excessive bleeding which saturates the head dressing, or swelling which is greater on one side of the face than the other, please call the office immediately.

You should apply Polysporin or Bacitracin ointment to the incision areas in front and back of the ear. Apply the ointment after cleaning the incisions. The scars with be dark in color. There will be a varying amount of swelling in and around the scars themselves. In time, the scar will become lighter, and the firmness of the scar will soften and come less noticeable. Each individual varies with respect to healing, but it takes approximately one year for all the changes to occur in most scars. It is important that you use sun screen to protect these scars from sunlight. Exposure to sunlight may cause the scars to develop a brown pigment, which will not go away.

It is not unusual for individuals who have undergone surgery to feel weak, have palpitations, break out in “cold sweats” or get dizzy. This gradually clears up in a few days without medications. It is also not unusual for individuals who have undergone surgery to run a slight temperature. If your temperature remains above 100.5 degrees, please call the office immediately.

Part of the face, neck and ears sometimes feel weak or “numb” after a lift operation. This is usually temporary. Similarly, the skin may feel “tight” for a period time, and you may feel that it interferes with your smile; this, too, is temporary and will disappear within six to eight weeks.

You may experience “let-down” or a period of mild depression after cosmetic surgery. This occurs because, no matter how much people wanted the operation beforehand and how much they were told about what to expect post-operatively, they are sometimes shocked or dismayed when they see their faces swollen and discolored. This is a very temporary condition which will disappear shortly.

Most importantly, BE PATIENT during the healing process.

If you have any question about these instruction or the surgery, please call the office on 706-235-5570.

Learn more about the brow lift procedure here.