Forehead Augmentation (Forehead Contouring Surgery)

Forehead Augmentation (Forehead Contouring Surgery) is a cosmetic surgery involving a patient’s forehead area from the upper eyebrow to the scalp line and from one side to the other of the head. When a patient undergoes a forehead contouring surgery, the earlier mentioned facial area is made slightly smoother and less protrusive.

It involves making an incision that begins right at the hairline. Following this, surgeons usually use bone cement to perform the augmentation. If the surgeon locates bony irregularities and protrusions in the brow area, these will be smoothed out as well. The incision will be closed using medical staples to give the patient an aesthetically pleasing and smooth appearance.

Duration of the operation:

The duration of the surgery usually takes about 2-3 hours.

Post operative care:

Forehead dressing is place on at the end of surgery and is removed the next day. In some cases, a drain may be removed (not commonly) and it is removed the next day also. There is some mild pain afterward but much of the forehead skin will be numb for awhile. Pain is easily controlled by pills. There will be some swelling afterwards which is driven downward by the dressing and gravity which affects the eyes and upper cheeks. It is most evident by two days after surgery and is largely gone within seven to ten days after surgery. Absorbable sutures are used in the scalp so there is no need for suture removal.

Recovery period:

Generally, the recovery time after this procedure is about 5-10 days. Quick recovery is possible because the incisions are all made in the scalp area. Patients are able to do their chores in a few days and go back to work within a week. Others can return to working out in two weeks after surgery.

Possible risk and complications:

Complications arising from a forehead contouring surgery are minimal since bone cement is used instead of silicone implants. The only one that may come up is contouring irregularities. However, most surgeons minimize this risk by sculpting and smoothing out the bone cement using specialized instruments.

Anesthesia use:

The procedure uses general or local anesthesia

Hospital admission:

The forehead augmentation procedure may be performed in the cosmetic surgeon’s office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center, or at a hospital. This procedure is usually done on an outpatient basis.

Preparation before Surgery

• Assessment of the medical history (any allergies, serious medical condition and all medications taken both prescribed and non-prescribed), physical examination, and laboratory tests will be performed during consultation.
• Blood and urine samples will be collected for routine preoperative laboratory tests.
• Smoking must be avoided for about 3-4 weeks prior to surgery, as nicotine interferes with circulation and will greatly affect healing process.
• You will likely to be asked to stop drinking alcohol, a week before the surgery and throughout your recovery period.
• Avoid taking any medications such as hormones, anticoagulants, anabolic steroids and supplements at least 4-6 weeks to prevent complicating medical factors prior to surgery. Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding.