Forehead reduction surgery: why has it become popular and what is its main disadvantage?

Forehead reduction surgery (also known as frontoplasty) is now an actively discussed procedure on social networks. It all started when blogger Camille Colbro recorded a series of videos on TikTok in which she gradually showed the results after the surgery. During this time, her videos managed to get more than 44 million views, and other users began to seriously think about how to repeat the experience of the girl.

How safe is this surgery, is it worth making an appointment with a surgeon for forehead correction or can you go with a less traumatic procedure?

How is forehead reduction surgery done?

If you enter the phrase “forehead reduction” in a search engine, you will be presented with two options – frontoplasty and endoscopic forehead lift. Therefore, the first thing to do is to distinguish between the two concepts.

frontoplasty It is a long and complex procedure. “The operation helps to achieve several goals: correcting the asymmetry, increasing the protrusion of the anterior tubercles, reducing the high forehead, removing traces of lived years and returning the youthful features of the upper third of the face,” says Otari Gogiberidze. , plastic surgeon at aesthetic medicine clinic Beauty Time. But most often it is carried out exactly when it is necessary to reduce the height of the forehead. “To do this, a strip of skin of the required width and shape is removed at the border of hair growth and the scar is hidden by the hair. However, since the hair is located at the exit border, it will be visible to some extent, and the post-operative hairstyle should cover this area. This is the main drawback of the operation, ”explains Alexei Lobkov, maxillofacial surgeon at the European Medical Center.

According to doctors, frontoplasty is not in great demand at the moment. Although the method gives a noticeable effect and helps to cope even with very difficult cases, the rehabilitation period after surgery can be up to five months. The situation is quite different with endoscopic forehead lift.

endoscopic removal – a low-traumatic procedure that does not involve surgical intervention with the removal of fragments of skin flaps. It is aimed at eliminating rather aesthetic problems – low forehead, low eyebrows or the middle of the forehead (in case of sagging muscles). “The process gives the forehead a more natural look without the effect of “stretching” the drapes. As a result, wrinkles disappear, the forehead is straightened, the eyebrows and corners of the eyes are lifted. The face becomes younger and more open,” says Otari Gogiberidze.

Are forehead reduction procedures popular in Russia?

“Endoscopic forehead lift is in high demand,” says Otari Gogiberidze. “We do this often with our patients, combining it with plastic surgery of the neck, lower and middle third of the face.” The procedure is usually performed by women for aesthetic or anti-aging purposes.

As for frontoplasty, Alexey Lobkov says that the main demand comes from patients with a transgender transition and girls with a high forehead. In Russia, the operation is rarely performed separately, often combined with other operations on the forehead (reduction or increase in the brow ridges, reduction or increase in the forehead protrusion).

Are there any contraindications for operations?

There are few contraindications for both procedures, but they do exist.

– Pathologies of a chronic nature in the endocrine, somatic and cardiovascular systems,

– Oncological diseases,

– Frontitis in acute or chronic form,

– Infectious, autoimmune or allergic forehead inflammation,

– Diabetes,

— pregnancy,

– violation of blood coagulation,

– less than 18 years of age (facial skeleton development is not yet complete).