Temporal lift

What is a temporal lift?

A temporal lift is an operation that changes the position of the tissues in the temple area and of the outer part of the brow. The subject of this article is the limited temporal and lateral brow lift. The aim is to assess drooping of the outer brow and to achieve a position that suits the person's face. Studies published on lateral brow lifting describe different surgical methods directed at this area.¹

The brow, the upper eyelid and the outer corner of the eye lie close together but are separate structures. A low brow can contribute to hooding on the outer part of the upper lid. Lifting the brow can reduce that appearance; genuine excess skin on the upper lid is assessed separately.² Drooping of the lid caused by the structures that open the eye is also kept apart from that assessment.

Forehead lift, midface lift, upper eyelid surgery and almond eye surgery may also be considered as part of upper facial rejuvenation. The details of those procedures belong on their own pages. The operation described here is limited in plan to the temple and outer brow; adding another procedure is a separate decision.

Who is it suitable for?

A temporal lift can be considered in people troubled by the position of the outer brow and by how that position looks around the eye. Suitability is not decided by looking at brow height in a photograph alone. Where the brow rests, how it moves with expression, the upper lid skin and the scalp are examined together. Whether the intended change can be achieved with a limited procedure is assessed at examination.¹

A brow that looks low does not have the same cause in everyone. In some people a structure present from the outset predominates, in others tissue laxity that develops over time. That distinction shows that age alone is not enough in the assessment. General health, conditions that can affect wound healing and what the person expects from surgery are also part of the decision.³

Expectations need to be clear. A higher brow is not a suitable aim for every face. The shape of the brow, the relationship between the two sides and the eye region as a whole are assessed. Rather than asking for the same brow shape as someone else's face, what change is possible in the person's own anatomy is established.

Where there is active infection, an uncontrolled illness or something that prevents the recovery period being observed, those are addressed first. If the expected benefit does not convince the person, not having surgery is also an option. Deciding calls for understanding not only how the change will be made, but the scar and the risks as well.

What does the examination look at?

Brow and expression: The inner, middle and outer parts of the brows are examined separately. The resting position is compared with how the brow looks while the forehead muscle is working. Where there is a habit of looking with the brows constantly raised, how the tissue above the lid sits when the brows are relaxed is assessed. The differences between the two sides before surgery are recorded.

The eye region: Excess skin on the upper lid, the position of the lid itself and the outer corner of the eye are assessed. Examining separately how much excess lid skin remains once the brow is placed in a suitable position helps to separate the brow procedure from the lid procedure.¹ Dryness, stinging, watering or difficulty closing the eyes should be mentioned.

The scalp: The hairline, hair density in the temple, any existing thinning and previous scars are examined. Which way the hair is combed and how the incision will be covered in daily life are also assessed. If a raised scar has developed before, or a wound has taken a long time to close, that information matters.²

Previous procedures and medical history: Previous forehead, brow, eyelid or facial operations, and thread lifts, fillers and botulinum toxin treatments should be declared. When each was done and to which area is stated. Medication, supplements, smoking and nicotine products, and general health problems are recorded.³

At the end of the examination it is settled which area will be changed, which complaint falls outside the scope of the operation, and where the incision will be. Where a problem with the eye needs separate assessment, no plan is made on appearance alone before that assessment is complete.

How is the operation planned?

What change is aimed for in the brow and eye region?

The plan is built on the position of the outer brow and the way the temple tissues sit. How far and in which direction the brow will be moved is assessed against the face as a whole. The aim is not to move the inner brow, the outer brow and the outer corner of the eye in the same direction by the same amount.

Lifting the outer part of the brow can reduce hooding on the outer part of the upper lid. Lifting the brow does not, however, remove lid skin.² Lifting the brow by hand at examination is a way of understanding which tissue affects the appearance; it is not an exact preview of the surgical result.

Is a limited temporal lift needed, or a wider forehead lift?

Where the problem lies mainly in the outer brow and the temple area, a limited approach can be considered. Where repositioning the inner and middle parts of the brow and the forehead tissues is also intended, the scope of the operation differs.¹ Forehead lift and temporal lift should therefore not be used as if the names described the same operation.

That distinction is made explicitly in the surgical plan. Where there is a wish to change all parts of the brow or other areas of the face, whether that can be met within the limits of a limited temporal procedure is assessed. Widening the scope is a decision that needs discussing separately.

Where is the incision made?

In this operation the incision is made in the temple, within the hair-bearing scalp. The tissues are released in the planned area and moved to the intended position, where they are fixed. The position and length of the incision are planned according to the hairline and the correction to be made. A fixed incision length does not apply to everyone.

Stitches or staples, that is surgical clips, may be used for closure. These are there to close the edges of the incision. Removal of stitches or staples that need taking out is planned together with the healing check. Different closure options exist in brow lift surgery.⁴

Is an endoscope used?

An endoscope is an instrument with a camera at its tip that helps to view the operative field. It may be used in this operation depending on the situation. Whether it is used depends on the correction to be made and on the surgical plan; neither the endoscopic nor the non-endoscopic approach is the default technique for everyone.

Using an endoscope does not by itself describe the scope of the procedure. Brow and forehead surgery involves different incisions and working areas.⁴ What matters at the consultation is understanding not just the name of the method but which tissues and which area will be changed.

Is a separate procedure needed on the eyelid?

Where marked excess skin remains on the upper lid once the brow is in a suitable position, upper eyelid surgery can be assessed separately. A study of lateral brow lifting also describes deciding on a combined procedure according to the excess skin remaining on the lid.¹ That does not mean everyone having a temporal lift needs eyelid surgery.

A low lid margin, or an expectation relating to the outer corner of the eye, needs defining separately. A decision made for upper eyelid surgery or almond eye surgery is not automatically part of the temporal lift plan.

Is the same procedure done on both sides?

The starting position of the brows, the hairline and tissue laxity may not be the same on the two sides. The plan is made taking those differences into account. The direction and amount of correction applied to each side can be assessed separately; the aim is to allow for the differences present at the outset as well.

Asymmetry can remain after surgery, or a new difference can develop.⁵ No promise is therefore made that the two sides will look exactly the same. A difference in swelling in the early period and a difference in position remaining after healing is complete are assessed separately.

How do you prepare for surgery?

Smoking and nicotine: Smoking is a risk factor for wound healing problems after surgery. Direct surgical data on nicotine products other than cigarettes are scarcer. The practice reference of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes a lack of clinical data on e-cigarette use and surgical risk, but states that because nicotine is known to reduce blood flow, e-cigarettes and other nicotine products are regarded as a potential risk factor.⁶ Stopping smoking, vaping and other nicotine-containing products at least 1 month before the operation, and not using them after surgery until healing is complete, is therefore advised. The studies below concern smoking cessation; their results do not establish the same reduction in risk for every nicotine product. A review pooling 6 randomised and 15 observational studies showed that every week of abstinence added benefit, and that studies with at least 4 weeks of abstinence produced markedly better results than shorter ones.⁷ A study appraising systematic reviews together reported that cessation interventions beginning at least 4 weeks before surgery and combining multiple behavioural support sessions with pharmacotherapy reduced complications. The same study notes that interventions with only one component, even when started more than 4 weeks before surgery, raise quit rates without reducing complications.⁸ Shorter intervals are not useless either: in a meta-analysis of 55 studies covering adults undergoing a range of operations, the risk of pulmonary complications was 27 per cent lower in relative terms among those who stopped at least 2 weeks before surgery, and 29 per cent lower among those who stopped at least 4 weeks before, compared with those who continued smoking.⁹ The benefit therefore grows as the interval lengthens; being late does not make stopping pointless. The interval applied and the nicotine policy can vary from surgeon to surgeon.

Coexisting illness: Diabetes and blood pressure are expected to be under control before surgery. Where there is an active infection in the body, surgery is postponed.

Medication: Blood thinners and some herbal products can increase bleeding. Every medicine and supplement you take needs to be declared. Prescribed medication should not be stopped on your own decision.

Tests and anaesthetic assessment: The tests required are determined by general health and by the anaesthetic assessment.¹⁰ Any previous problem with anaesthesia or drug allergy should be declared. The instructions given about fasting and about how to take medication on the day of surgery are followed.

Home and transport: Someone is arranged to accompany you home on discharge.¹⁰ The timing of check-ups, the help you may need in the first days and the plan for time off work are organised beforehand. Follow the surgical team's guidance on preparing the operation area; do not shave or prepare the incision area at home on your own initiative.

What is recovery like?

The timetable below is the clinical framework used for a limited temporal and lateral brow lift. The procedure performed, the physical demands of the job and the course of healing can change these periods. Where further surgery is done on other parts of the upper face, this timetable is assessed separately.

• The operation is carried out under general anaesthesia and takes 1-2 hours.
• The hospital stay is planned as 1 night.
• The first check-up is in the first week.
• Stitches or staples that need removing are taken out within 1-2 weeks, with the incision checked.
• 1 week is planned for returning to desk work.
• A range of 1-3 days is assessed for driving; no one drives before the conditions for safe driving are met.
• Return to sport is planned within 2-4 weeks, in stages according to the sport.
• 4 weeks is anticipated for a full return to daily life.

Swelling and bruising are expected to settle over 7-10 days. That interval does not mean everyone reaches the same appearance on the same day. Being fit to return to work and the complete disappearance of visible bruising can fall at different times.

How the shape settles is assessed over 3-4 months. That process is separate from the maturing of the incision scar. The brow position and the differences between the two sides seen in the mirror early on are reassessed as swelling subsides. Check-ups are not only for removing stitches but also for monitoring the incision, sensation and brow movement.

What to pay attention to after surgery

The following is a general framework. Where the instructions you were given differ, your surgeon's instructions apply.

Strips and check-ups: No head bandage is used. Wound closure strips are applied to the incision line at the end of the operation; these can be changed at suitable intervals. No drain is used. The instructions given for the care and changing of the strips are followed; no different dressing is applied on your own.

Sleeping: Rest with the head elevated. Your surgeon decides how long that position and the avoidance of physical strain are continued.¹¹ A sleeping position that puts no pressure on the incision is preferred. Returning to sleeping on the side or front is assessed according to the state of the incision and the swelling.

Cold application: Cold is applied to the operated area without pressing on it. The form and duration of the application are determined by your surgeon's instructions.

Showering, wound and dressings: When you may shower depends on the dressing used. If there is a skin incision, once allowed you can shower without rubbing the wound and pat the area dry gently. Baths, swimming pools and the sea wait until the wound has closed completely.

Washing your hair: When the hair is first washed is decided by your surgeon according to how healing is going. There is no fixed day that applies to everyone. When the hair is washed, the care instructions given for the incision line and the strips are followed. Hair dye, salon treatments and applying products around the incision are also checked for suitability first.

Movement: Strain such as bending the head down, straining and heavy lifting is limited in the early period. Movements that stretch or rub the incision area are avoided.¹¹ Even if you feel well, do not return to strenuous activity suddenly. Activity and rest through the day are organised according to the plan given on discharge.

Pain: There may be tenderness and tightness in the temple, and headache.² The painkillers provided are used as instructed. Pain that keeps increasing, becomes marked on one side in particular, or comes with eye pain should not be watched and waited out. The surgical team is told if a new painkiller or additional medicine is to be used.

Returning to work and sport: 1 week is set aside for returning to desk work; in physically demanding jobs healing is assessed separately. Return to sport within 2-4 weeks is staged. It begins with light activity; the surgeon's approval is awaited for movements that keep the head down for long periods, that require straining, or that carry a risk of impact to the operated area. The 4 weeks given for a full return to daily life does not mean the scar has also finished maturing.

Driving: A return to driving can be assessed within 1-3 days. The effects of the anaesthetic on attention and reflexes must have passed, and there must be no visual problem, dizziness or use of painkillers that cause drowsiness. You should be able to turn your head, follow the traffic comfortably and perform sudden manoeuvres without pain. Where those conditions are not met, no one drives even if the interval has passed. On discharge you go home accompanied.

Sexual activity: A return can be assessed once everyday movements no longer cause marked pain and you feel comfortable. Pressure on the head and temple area, movements that stretch the incision line, and marked straining are avoided. Rather than a fixed day, the course of healing and the surgeon's advice are taken as the guide.

Smoking: Smoking impairs wound healing after surgery as well; cigarettes and nicotine products should be avoided until healing is complete.

Findings that are normal: Swelling, bruising, tenderness and tightness in the temple and around the eye, and numbness or altered feeling around the incision, can occur.² What matters is less the presence of a mild finding than how it changes. Swelling that increases rather than settling, pain that progresses, or a new visual problem should not be judged as ordinary healing.

How does the scar change?

Is the scar within the scalp visible?

Even though the incision is inside the hair-bearing scalp, a scar forms. Hair covering the scar does not mean there is no scar. How visible the scar is can vary with the position of the incision, hair density and the way healing goes; a conspicuous scar can develop.⁵

Maturing of the scar is expected to take between 6 months and 1 year. An incision line that looks red, firm or more prominent early on is assessed over that period. The final appearance of the scar is not settled on how it looks at the first check-up.

The plan given by the surgeon is followed for care of the incision. The incision line is not strained when the hair is combed, and crusts are not picked off. Care is taken to protect the area from the sun.¹² Where there is wound separation, discharge or increasing tenderness, it is not treated as merely part of the scar maturing; assessment is requested.

Can hair loss or a change in the hairline occur?

Hair loss around the incision and displacement of the hairline are among the problems reported in brow lift surgery.⁵ Thinning of the hair can make a healing scar more visible. Assessing the density of the temple hair before surgery matters for that reason.

Temporary thinning of the hair and a hairless area remaining around the incision are not the same thing. In lateral brow lift series, limited hair loss around the incision and the need for correction of it have been reported.¹³ It cannot be said that every instance of hair loss will settle on its own. How it develops is monitored at check-ups; where an area is permanent, what can be done is assessed once healing is complete.

Risks and complications

Risks are assessed according to the method used and the person's situation. A systematic review examining brow lift methods states that the techniques, the reporting of complications and the follow-up periods are not standardised.¹⁴ Reading figures from different operations as a single risk percentage for a limited temporal lift would therefore not be correct.

Problems of brow position, symmetry and the eye region

Position and symmetry: The brow can be lifted less or more than intended, and a difference can remain between the two sides. The brow coming down again, or a need for further correction arising, is possible.² The record of the asymmetry present at the outset and the appearance after healing are assessed together.

The eye region: Dryness and irritation of the eye can develop.⁵ Difficulty closing the eyes, marked stinging or watering should be reported to the surgeon without waiting. Drops or ointment are not started without the cause of the eye complaint being assessed. Reduced vision or severe eye pain calls for urgent assessment.¹⁵

Problems of altered sensation and the facial nerve branches

Sensation: Numbness, altered feeling on touch and itching can develop around the incision or on the forehead. Altered sensation can be temporary; permanent numbness is also possible.⁵² Reduced sensation is not the same thing as the muscle that moves the brow failing to work. Both feeling and movement are examined separately at check-ups.

The facial nerve: The temporal branch of the facial nerve, also called the frontal branch, carries movement to the forehead muscle that helps lift the brow. Involvement of that branch can lead to weakness in lifting the brow and to a difference in movement between the two sides. Facial nerve injury is among the risks of brow lift surgery.⁵

In a lateral brow lift series of 519 people, temporary conduction failure of the frontal branch was reported in 5 people. Movement is stated to have recovered on its own within 3 to 6 months in those people.¹³ Many participants in the overall series also underwent other facial or eyelid procedures. These findings do not mean that recovery takes the same time in everyone. New loss of brow movement should be reported early; assessment does not wait for that period to pass.

Problems of wound healing, bleeding and tissue

Bleeding and haematoma: A collection of blood in the operated area can cause swelling and tightness.⁵ Where swelling increases rapidly on one side in particular, or pain becomes steadily more severe, the scheduled check-up is not waited for. Further intervention may be needed depending on the examination.

Infection and the wound: Infection, fluid collection, delayed healing of the wound and tissue loss can develop.⁵ Where redness spreads, or there is discharge, fever or separation of the incision edges, assessment by the surgeon is needed. Prevention of infection and treatment where needed are decided according to the person's situation; there is no single medication plan for everyone.

Anaesthetic and general surgical risks

Risks relating to general anaesthesia are considered together with the medical history and the anaesthetic assessment. General surgical risks such as cardiac and respiratory problems are also part of the assessment.²

Blood clots: A clot forming in the leg veins and travelling to the lungs is serious. One-sided leg pain and swelling, sudden shortness of breath or chest pain need urgent assessment.

The approach to preventing clots is decided according to the person's risk and the operation planned. The measures to be used are explained in the discharge and care plan. No blood thinner is started without being prescribed, and existing treatment is not altered on the person's own decision.

Can the brow position change again over time?

The brow coming down again over time is possible. Both partial and total recurrence have been reported in a lateral brow lift series.¹³ Where a change is seen after surgery, the cause needs distinguishing by examination. Early swelling, residual asymmetry and drooping that develops later are not the same problem.

A meta-analysis published in 2026 assessed 22 studies and 2,127 brows, with a weighted average follow-up of 20.9 months.¹⁶ That figure is not a number of people. The studies cover different brow lift and fixation methods; no conclusion can be drawn from that follow-up that everyone's result will hold for a set number of years after a limited temporal lift.

Where further correction is needed, the current position of the brow, the hairline, the scar and the person's expectations are considered together. A decision on further surgery is not made on a single appearance in the mirror; healing is allowed to complete and the cause of the change is established.

What can be expected from the result?

The aim is a correction that assesses the position of the outer brow and the appearance of the temple area together with the person's face. Expectations relating to upper lid skin, brow movement and the outer corner of the eye should be defined separately beforehand. That makes clear what change the operation can provide and which wishes fall outside its scope.

The result continues to change as early swelling settles; assessing the final appearance after a brow lift can take months.¹² The interval used here for the shape settling is 3-4 months. Over that period the resting position of the brow, its movement with expression, the balance of the two sides and the incision are each monitored.

All 5 studies included in a systematic review of lateral subcutaneous brow lifting are retrospective.¹ Studies of that kind describe the results of the method applied; they do not guarantee the same appearance or the same level of risk for everyone. The expected change, the limitations and the possible need for further correction are assessed before surgery.

When should you contact a doctor?

Do not wait for the scheduled check-up in the following situations:

• Rapidly increasing swelling and tightness in the temple or around the eye, on one side in particular
• Pain that increases rather than settling, or becomes marked despite the pain treatment given
• Fever, spreading redness or discharge from the incision line
• Separation of the wound or bleeding that does not stop
• New loss of brow movement or a marked difference in movement
• Difficulty closing the eyes, marked dryness or a steadily increasing eye complaint

Sudden reduction in vision, loss of vision or severe eye pain calls for urgent assessment. Severe pain after surgery around the eye can be a sign of a problem such as bleeding that raises the pressure in the eye socket; it should not be waited out.¹⁵

One-sided leg pain and swelling, sudden shortness of breath or chest pain are also emergencies. Where there is a sudden breathing or visual problem in particular, urgent assessment is not delayed while trying to reach the surgeon.

About the numbers in this article

The intervals given for the operation, the hospital stay, stitch removal, returning to work and activity, and for swelling, the shape settling and the scar maturing are a framework of clinical practice. They are not presented as the result of a study to be applied to every patient.

The numbers of people and of brows in the research are not the same unit. The results of groups who also had eyelid or facial surgery are not counted as the result of a temporal lift alone. Assessing different methods and follow-up periods together limits how the results can be interpreted.¹⁴¹⁶

The studies on stopping smoking cover different operations. The relative risk reductions in those studies do not amount to a complication rate specific to a temporal lift, or to separately proven effects for every nicotine product.

References

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8. Fiddes RA, McCaffrey N. Preoperative smoking-cessation interventions to prevent postoperative complications: a quality assessment and overview of systematic review evidence. Anesth Analg. 2025;140(6):1377-1387. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000007187 ↩

9. Tang E, Rodriguez RM, Srivastava A, et al. Impact of short duration smoking cessation on post-operative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. 2025;106:111967. doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2025.111967 ↩

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13. Foustanos A, Drimouras G, Panagiotopoulos K. Lateral brow lift: a multi-point suture fixation technique. Arch Plast Surg. 2015;42(5):580-587. doi:10.5999/aps.2015.42.5.580 ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. Cho MJ, Carboy JA, Rohrich RJ. Complications in brow lifts: a systemic review of surgical and nonsurgical brow rejuvenations. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2018;6(10):e1943. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000001943 ↩ ↩²

15. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Direct brow lift operation (correction of brow ptosis). Accessed 6 September 2026. worcsacute.nhs.uk ↩ ↩²

16. Karanfilian T, Zong AM, Delbourgo Patton C, et al. Long-term brow lift outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2026;42(2):138-150. doi:10.1097/IOP.0000000000002989 ↩ ↩²