Brow lift recovery: How long is brow lift recovery, and when can you work?

The timeline

How long is brow lift (forehead lift) recovery?

ASPS says most people are ready to return to work and normal activity 10 to 14 days after a brow lift (forehead lift), and that complete recovery may take several months. The Aesthetic Society says you will likely be back at work after a week, and Johns Hopkins says many patients go back in two weeks.

Each part of brow lift recovery keeps its own time

In the videosFilmed on the day shown

Swelling peaksThe Aesthetic Society48 to 72 hours

Bruising peaks, then fadesThe Aesthetic SocietyPeaks days 3 to 5, gone in 2 to 3 weeks

Staples and stitches outSociety, clinic and practice pages5 to 21 days, by page

Back to workAesthetic Society · ASPS · Cleveland Clinic · Johns HopkinsAbout a week to 14 days

DrivingThe Aesthetic SocietyTypically week 2 or 3

Strenuous exercisePractices · the Aesthetic SocietyDay 10 to month 3

Scalp numbness and itchThe Aesthetic Society · practicesFeeling starts coming back over the first few weeks (the Aesthetic Society)Up to a year to improve (one Virginia/Maryland practice)

Final resultThe Aesthetic Society · Cleveland ClinicAbout 6 months

Surgery1 wk2 wk1 mo3 mo6 mo

The pages differ on what “recovered” means. Cleveland Clinic’s 2022 page says most people return to work or school within 10 to 14 days but should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for a few weeks, and that the forehead can take up to six months to heal completely. Cleveland Clinic’s cosmetic center says most patients fully recover within two weeks, while Mayo Clinic says the swelling might last many weeks. The only page we read that splits recovery by approach is one Raleigh surgeon’s 2024 post on the ASPS site, her own views, which says most patients return to work within a week after an endoscopic lift and around two weeks after other approaches. The clocks below name each page, and your surgeon sets your dates.

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The timeline

What happens on day 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 90 after a brow lift?

The Aesthetic Society says brow lift swelling peaks 48 to 72 hours after surgery and begins to subside on the fourth or fifth day, bruising peaks on days three to five, and sutures or staples come out about one week after surgery. ASPS says initial wound healing may take 10 to 14 days.

Day 30 and day 90 are ranges in the pages we cite, not days. The Aesthetic Society says workouts can begin after a month at half speed, that hair loss next to the incisions can start 1 to 2 months after surgery and regrow from 3 to 6 months, and that final results show at about 6 months. In the patient sources we read, the headache dominated the first 24 to 72 hours, the first hair wash came around day 2 or 3, staples or stitches came out around days 7 to 13, and verdicts at 3 to 4 weeks were often worse than later ones.

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The first days

How bad is the headache after a brow lift?

In 6 of the 57 patient sources we read, people named a headache or head pressure in the first days as the main or worst pain after a brow lift, while the Aesthetic Society says pain is typically not a significant problem. One Florida practice tells its patients a dull headache for several days is normal.

The Aesthetic Society describes tightness and discomfort from ear to ear across the top of the head, with a forehead that feels tight and numb the first night. One Virginia and Maryland practice lists nausea, headaches or migraines as common during the first couple of nights. On the other side, 13 patient sources, 7 of them published by practices, said there was little or no pain apart from the first day, and 4 said side effects of anesthesia or pain pills, such as a sore throat or vomiting, were worse than the wound. One patient filmed on day 5 says she overdid it the day before and had a headache. No source we read says how many people get a bad first-night headache or whether a history of migraines makes one likelier, which is a gap in the research.

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The first days

Why are my eyes swollen and bruised after a brow lift?

The Aesthetic Society says brow lift bruising tends to collect below the eyelids and bruise the lower lids even when they were not operated on, and that it usually peaks on days three to five and resolves over two to three weeks. Johns Hopkins says swelling and bruising may affect the cheeks and eyes.

Swelling peaks 48 to 72 hours after surgery and begins to subside on the fourth or fifth day, the Aesthetic Society says, and one Georgia practice says swelling peaking on days 2 and 3 can make it hard to open the eyes for a while. How long the rest lasts depends on the page. Cleveland Clinic says swelling goes down within two weeks but may take several weeks to fully resolve, Mayo Clinic says it might last many weeks, one California practice says residual swelling can last 1 to 2 months, and one New Jersey practice says all of the swelling does not usually disappear for 4 to 6 months. In 7 of the 57 patient sources we read, bruising and swelling slid down into the eyes, cheeks or neck. Many of those people had eyelid surgery or a facelift at the same time, which brings its own swelling.

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The first days

Should I put ice on my forehead after a brow lift?

ASPS’s brow lift recovery page says “Do not use ice or heat on the operated area,” and Cleveland Clinic says cool packs, not ice, help with swelling but belong on the side of the face, not directly on the forehead. The Aesthetic Society says your surgeon may suggest cold packs around the eyes for 48 hours.

Other sources put cold elsewhere. Mayo Clinic and AAFPRS mention cold compresses without naming where, and one Raleigh surgeon’s post on the ASPS site, her own views, recommends soft, cool gel packs in days 1 to 7. Practices split. One Utah practice tells its patients not to ice the scalp incisions and allows cold on the eyes only after eyelid surgery, while one Florida practice uses a cold mask or iced gauze on the eyelids and surgical site for the first 48 hours, and one California practice uses cold moist compresses over the forehead for 48 hours. Ice or cold compresses helped in 6 of the 57 patient sources we read, along with a warning about ice burns. The split is narrow, no ice or heat on the incisions against cold over the forehead, so ask where your surgeon wants cold, if anywhere.

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The first days

Will I have a drain or a head wrap after a brow lift?

ASPS says that after a brow lift the forehead may be taped or the head loosely wrapped, and a thin tube may drain excess blood or fluid. The Aesthetic Society says drains are usually not necessary in the brow area, and Johns Hopkins says a drainage tube, if placed, comes out on day one or two.

No source we read says drains are routine, though one California practice places one in every case and takes it out the next day. Dressings come off early: Johns Hopkins says in one to two days, Mayo Clinic and AAFPRS say bandages come off in 1 to 3 days if they were used, and one Florida practice says head bandages can come off 48 hours after surgery. EyeWiki, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s wiki, says a head wrap is typically worn to prevent a collection of blood under the skin (a hematoma). One patient filmed about a day after a brow lift with upper eyelid surgery wears a head wrap and chin strap, with staples in her scalp.

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The first days

How should I sleep after a brow lift, and who should stay with me?

The Aesthetic Society says to sleep with your back and head elevated for about five to seven days after a brow lift, and Cleveland Clinic says to keep your head elevated, including while sleeping, for at least two days. ASPS says you need someone to drive you home and stay with you the first night.

Mayo Clinic says to rest with your head raised for the first few days and to avoid pressure on, or too much movement of, the forehead. ASPS’s recovery page also says to keep the head elevated, without a number of days. In 4 of the 57 patient sources we read, sleeping raised or on the back, with a wedge, a recliner or a neck pillow, helped, and 5 lined up a private nurse or family for the first night or nights. The plan sheet at the end of this guide has a line for each of these.

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Staples, hair and glasses

When do brow lift staples and stitches come out?

Pages put staple and stitch removal anywhere from 5 to 21 days after a brow lift. The Aesthetic Society says about one week, Mayo Clinic says stitches usually come out within 7 to 10 days, and one Georgia practice says endoscopic scalp staples come out between days 10 and 21.

Staples often come out later than stitches. One Florida practice removes stitches at 5 to 7 days and staples at 7 to 10, and one Virginia and Maryland practice takes stitches out at about a week and staples at about 10 days. EyeWiki’s endoscopic article says most surgeons see patients about seven to eleven days after surgery to remove staples. Some lifts are held with small screws that come out too: one New Jersey practice removes sutures, staples and screws within 10 to 14 days. Cleveland Clinic says stitches or staples either dissolve or are removed after one or two weeks. In the patient sources we read, staples or stitches came out around days 7 to 13.

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Staples, hair and glasses

When can I wash and color my hair after a brow lift?

The Aesthetic Society says showering and bathing are normally permitted one or two days after a brow lift, with conditioner for matted hair. For hair color, no society page we read gives a number of weeks, and the practices that do say anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 weeks.

Practices set hair washing at about the same time. One Utah practice says not to shampoo until the surgeon permits, usually 48 to 72 hours after surgery, one California practice says hair may be lightly washed on the second day without scrubbing the scalp, one Florida practice says to wash gently with baby shampoo after 48 hours, and Mayo Clinic says to ask your care team. For color, the Florida practice says to wait 3 weeks, until there is no crusting, the California practice says 5 weeks, one New Jersey practice says 5 to 6 weeks, and the Utah practice says a week before surgery or not until 6 weeks after. A numb scalp can be hurt without your feeling it, so the Aesthetic Society warns about hot water, hairdryers and combs, and one Virginia and Maryland practice says to avoid hairdryers because the scalp can burn. In the patient sources we read, the first hair wash, around day 2 or 3, was often the strangest moment.

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Staples, hair and glasses

When can I wear glasses, contacts or makeup after a brow lift?

No source we read says when you can wear glasses after a brow lift, which is a gap in the research, so ask your surgeon before surgery. One Florida practice tells its patients contact lenses usually go back in around 4 to 5 days, a timing that may reflect patients who also had eyelid surgery.

Mayo Clinic says to avoid pressure on the forehead, and too much movement of it, for the first few days, so ask whether your frames, sunglasses or a headband would rest where you were operated on. The same Florida practice says tight eyelids can make it hard to close the eyes completely at first. For makeup, one California practice says it can cover bruising once stitches and tapes come out at 7 to 8 days, and one Raleigh surgeon’s post on the ASPS site says light makeup may be used in weeks 1 to 2. Hats, sunglasses, headbands and hairstyles to hide bruising and staples came up in 7 of the 57 patient sources we read.

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Numbness, bumps and tightness

How long does scalp numbness last after a brow lift?

Scalp feeling starts returning over the first few weeks after a brow lift and the scalp becomes itchy as nerves reawaken, the Aesthetic Society says, but total numbness behind the incision of an open lift usually lasts 9 to 12 months. One California practice says sensation may take three months to return.

Mayo Clinic says feeling often returns within a few weeks, but some loss of feeling might last a long time. One Florida practice says feeling returns in about 6 months, and one Virginia and Maryland practice says numbness and itching can go on for months and may take up to a year to improve. Studies count it differently. In one UK surgeon’s 54 direct brow lifts in 36 patients (mean age 69, 17 with facial palsy, done mainly for function), case notes recorded numbness after 22 operations, but 32 of 43 brows (74%) had altered feeling when patients answered a questionnaire, and 3 of 43 were bothered a great deal or close to it. A London series of 100 endoscopic lifts, 98 with other procedures, reported numbness in 57 of 80 and itching in 37 of 80, as that UK paper cites it. In 11 of the 57 patient sources we read, numbness lasted weeks to months, 5 described itch, tingling or electric zaps as feeling came back, and in one the itch was worst around months 2 to 3. No source we read gives a rate of numbness that never goes away, by approach.

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Numbness, bumps and tightness

What are the bumps on my head after a brow lift?

One Virginia and Maryland practice says the dissolvable Endotine anchors used in some brow lifts can be felt under the skin, may be tender for about 6 months and take up to 6 months to dissolve. In 4 of the 57 patient sources we read, people described bumps under the scalp or at the temples, from fixation devices or fluid, that faded.

Mayo Clinic says an endoscopic lift anchors the forehead tissue with stitches, small screws or another technique, and EyeWiki says the tissue is commonly fixed to bone with anchored sutures or dissolvable implants such as Endotines. Some fixation comes out: one New Jersey practice removes sutures, staples and screws within 10 to 14 days. Stitches under the skin can also work their way out. In one surgeon’s series of 118 endoscopic lifts with an internal suspension stitch, published in 2025, suture extrusion (6.8%) was the most common complication. No patient page we read explains how a surgeon chooses a device or how long most people feel the bumps, so ask which one you’ll have.

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Numbness, bumps and tightness

Why is my forehead tight, and chewing hard, after a brow lift?

The Aesthetic Society says there is tightness and discomfort from ear to ear across the top of the head after a brow lift, and that the forehead feels tight and numb the first night. Mayo Clinic says to avoid too much movement of the forehead in the first few days.

No clinical source we read mentions chewing after a brow lift, which is a gap in the research. In 2 of the 57 patient sources we read, people said chewing was hard for a few days and linked it to the muscles at the temples. In 4, the forehead felt frozen or the brows wouldn’t move for weeks, and one described a tight, pulled-back feeling with throbbing at the temples when lying down that lasted about a month. Cleveland Clinic lists limited movement of the eyebrows among possible complications, and Cleveland Clinic’s cosmetic center lists injury to the nerve that raises the eyebrow as very rare, so a brow that still won’t lift is one to show your surgeon.

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Back to normal

When can I exercise and lift after a brow lift?

Pages put strenuous exercise anywhere from 10 days to about three months after a brow lift. One New Jersey practice says no straining or heavy exercise for at least 10 to 14 days, the Aesthetic Society says workouts can begin after a month at half speed, and one Virginia and Maryland practice says no exercise for the first month and full activity by about 3 months.

Cleveland Clinic says to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for a few weeks, and ASPS says to avoid vigorous activity. Two practices give limits. One Florida practice says to avoid strenuous activity for 3 weeks, keeping your heart rate under 100 and lifting no more than 10 lb, and one California practice says the same 3 weeks with nothing over 5 lb and no bending at the waist, building back to normal by the end of week 4. One Raleigh surgeon’s post on the ASPS site says strenuous activity may be allowed by the end of weeks 6 to 12, starting with low-impact activity.

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Back to normal

When can I drive and go back to work after a brow lift?

ASPS and Cleveland Clinic say most people return to work 10 to 14 days after a brow lift, the Aesthetic Society says likely after a week, and Johns Hopkins says many patients go back in two weeks. For driving, the Aesthetic Society says when you can drive as well as before, typically in the second or third week.

Practices give a week to two weeks for work: one Georgia practice about a week to 10 days, one Virginia and Maryland practice 1 to 2 weeks. One Raleigh surgeon’s post on the ASPS site says within a week after an endoscopic lift and around two weeks after other approaches, and driving in weeks 2 to 3 once pain is managed without narcotics. One New Jersey practice allows driving after 24 hours if you feel completely normal, far sooner than the others. The Aesthetic Society says that by one month you should be back in your normal rhythm at work, depending on how physical it is, and the Virginia and Maryland practice says no flying for 7 to 10 days. In the patient sources we read, people were back at work anywhere from day 4, with a headband over the staples after an office procedure, to about two weeks, many in sunglasses or hats.

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Results and warnings

Will I lose hair or my hairline move after a brow lift?

The Aesthetic Society says it is not unusual to have hair loss next to the incisions starting 1 to 2 months after a brow lift, and that these “stunned” follicles normally regrow from 3 to 6 months. In a 2001 survey of ASPS members covering 6,951 brow lifts, hair loss was the most frequent complication surgeons reported, at 2.9% to 4%.

That survey was surgeon-reported, from the 15% of 3,800 surgeons who answered, and rates differ by approach, study and decade, so each keeps its source. One surgeon’s 118 endoscopic lifts (2019 to 2024) had temporary hair loss around the scalp incisions in 5.1%. Two reviews pooled studies differently: a 2013 review of 82 case-series studies found hair loss after 8.5% of hairline lifts done just under the skin and 3.0% of endoscopic lifts, and a 2018 review of 76 studies found 2.8% after endoscopic lifts (34 studies, 7,273 patients) and 2.2% after coronal lifts, the highest among its open lifts. The hairline itself can move. StatPearls says a coronal approach raises the hairline by the width of scalp removed, while pretrichial and trichophytic approaches tend not to and can lower it, and ASPS and Mayo Clinic list a higher hairline as a risk. Mayo Clinic says lasting hair loss can be treated by removing the bald scalp or with hair grafting, and one New Jersey practice says that if hair loss happens, follicles rest for 2 to 4 months and regrow in almost all cases. In the patient sources we read, 2 described a hairline that moved back and 2 described shedding or bald patches at the incisions.

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Results and warnings

Why do my brows look uneven a few weeks after a brow lift?

In 5 of the 57 patient sources we read, early unevenness or disappointment about 3 to 4 weeks after a brow lift improved with time, and Mayo Clinic says asymmetry may even out with healing. The Aesthetic Society says final results show after the scalp and hairline incisions completely heal, at about 6 months.

Cleveland Clinic says the forehead can take up to six months to heal completely, one Georgia practice says most patients see final results at about six months, and ASPS says complete recovery may take several months. Mayo Clinic says one or both brows can look too high, and that lasting problems can be treated with onabotulinumtoxinA injections or more surgery. Of the 5 sources, 3 were published by practices. In the others, one person was slightly disappointed at one month because her surgeon had been conservative and very happy at three months, and another accepted a droopier lid once shown her photos from before surgery. Uneven brows stayed a regret in 3 sources and a brow set too high in 2. How long a lift lasts is a separate question, and Mayo Clinic says results won’t last forever.

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Results and warnings

When should I call my surgeon after a brow lift?

Call your surgeon right away for sudden swelling, bleeding that won’t stop with pressure, fever, severe pain, any change in your vision, shortness of breath or chest pain. Mayo Clinic says to contact your healthcare team right away for sudden swelling, shortness of breath, chest pain or irregular heartbeats, and Cleveland Clinic says to contact your provider immediately for a fever over 100 F, swelling that doesn’t go down, bleeding from the site, severe pain or any visual changes.

Who says what, in their own words

Practices add their own lists. One Utah practice says to contact the office for undue swelling, redness, yellow drainage or bleeding that won’t stop with pressure, and one Florida practice says to call for a fever over 101, redness, or more pain or swelling, and to call the office if swelling is clearly worse on one side. Three practices go further for some symptoms. One California practice tells patients to go to the emergency room promptly for shortness of breath, which could be a blood clot in the lung, one Georgia practice says to go to the emergency room if you can’t reach the surgeon, and one Virginia and Maryland practice is the only source we read that tells patients to call emergency services, for chest pain, shortness of breath, excessive bleeding, sudden loss of vision or a sudden increase in pain or swelling. ASPS lists a rare risk of a blood clot in a deep vein that can travel to the lungs, with chest pain and shortness of breath, and says your instructions will name what to watch for. Your own surgeon’s written list comes first.

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Results and warnings

What should I ask my surgeon about brow lift recovery?

Before a brow lift, ask which approach you’re having and what will hold the brow in place, because staple removal (5 to 21 days, by page), numbness and hair loss differ by approach and by source. Johns Hopkins says the consultation also looks at your expectations, because realistic expectations are crucial.

In 9 of the 57 patient sources we read, seeing several surgeons and studying their results on faces like theirs helped, and in 6 the recovery was harder or longer than people had been told, so ask for the whole timeline in writing. The questions that came up most often in the sources we counted were how long until you can go out or work (31 of 93), how bad the pain and headache are (29) and how long numbness lasts (21). ASPS says your instructions will include what to look for at the surgical site and in your general health. Bring the two worksheets below to your pre-op visit: one for each date your surgeon gives you, one for who helps and when. They save in this browser only.

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