Forehead Reduction vs Brow Lift: Which One Do You Need?
Forehead reduction lowers a high hairline; a brow lift raises low or drooping eyebrows. They treat different problems, and forehead reduction does not lift the brows, although a minimal lift can be requested. Op. Dr. Ahmet Dilber assesses your hairline and brow position separately. When both need treatment, they can be combined in one operation if you are suitable.
Send your photos on WhatsAppRead about forehead reduction
Before and after, fox eyes, temporal lift and mid facelift. Results vary.
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Ratings as of November 2026
Acıbadem Bakırköy
where Dr. Dilber operates, with one night of hospital care
1 year
of follow-up after surgery, in person or on WhatsApp
Licensed
for international health tourism by the Turkish Ministry of Health
How do forehead reduction and a brow lift differ?
Forehead reduction shortens the distance between the hairline and the root of the nose. Dr. Dilber makes an incision along the hairline, removes a strip of forehead skin, brings the hair-bearing scalp forward and closes the wound with dissolvable sutures. It does not lift the eyebrows; a minimal lift can be requested. It addresses a forehead that is tall because the hairline sits high.
A brow lift raises eyebrows that sit low or have dropped with age. Dr. Dilber performs it through incisions in the scalp, at or behind the hairline, so there is no visible surface scar. Depending on how far the brows need to move, he uses the Fogli technique or an endoscopic approach through small scalp incisions. He does not recommend thread lifts.
Heavy upper eyelids are a third, separate issue, because excess eyelid skin can look like a low brow. Dr. Dilber looks at the hairline, the brows and the eyelids one by one. He sees patients at his practice in Ataköy, Istanbul. The main forehead reduction page covers the operation in full.
Forehead reduction results
Before and after photos of Op. Dr. Ahmet Dilber's patients, from @drahmetdilber on Instagram. Results vary.
How do the incisions, hairline effect and risks compare?
Both operations use incisions in the scalp. Forehead reduction uses one incision along the front of the hairline, because that is where the scalp is brought forward; hair can grow through it. A brow lift uses incisions in hair-bearing scalp, so there is no visible surface scar. The scar page explains how a hairline scar heals.
Lifting the forehead from behind the hairline pulls the scalp upwards, so some brow lift techniques raise the hairline slightly, as guidance from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons describes. Published studies describe lowering the hairline and lifting the brows through one hairline incision. Dr. Dilber explains which approach applies to you before you decide.
Any cosmetic surgery carries risks. For both operations they include bleeding, infection, numbness or altered sensation of the forehead and scalp, a visible or widened scar, hair loss along the incision, uneven brows or hairline, and the need for revision. A combined operation can take 5 to 6 hours under general anaesthesia. The recovery page sets out the forehead reduction timeline.
Forehead reduction and brow lift side by side
What it changes
Forehead reduction: Lowers the hairline and shortens the forehead
Brow lift: Raises low or drooping eyebrowsMain incision
Forehead reduction: Along the front of the hairline
Brow lift: In the scalp; no visible surface scarEffect on the hairline
Forehead reduction: Moves it forward
Brow lift: Can move it up slightly, depending on techniqueEffect on the brows
Forehead reduction: None; a minimal lift can be requested
Brow lift: Lifts themAnaesthesia and time
Forehead reduction: General, 1.5 to 2 hours, one night in hospital
Brow lift: General; combined with forehead reduction, 5 to 6 hoursBack to work / heavy exercise
Forehead reduction: After 5 days / after 6 weeks
Brow lift: Planned at consultation / after 6 to 8 weeks
Which operation fits your concern?
Start with what bothers you when you look in the mirror. Dr. Dilber confirms the answer from your photos and examination.
A tall forehead, brows in place
If the distance from your hairline to your nose root is long and your brows sit at a normal height, forehead reduction is the operation that addresses it. A brow lift would not shorten the forehead and could make it look taller. The candidacy guide covers hairline stability and scalp movement.
Low or heavy brows, normal forehead
If your forehead height is in proportion but your brows have dropped or your eyes look hooded, a brow lift or eyelid surgery is the relevant discussion, not forehead reduction. Dr. Dilber checks whether the heaviness comes from the brow, the eyelid skin or both, because the treatment differs.
A tall forehead and low brows
When both are present, the hairline can be lowered and the brows lifted in one operation, if Dr. Dilber decides you are suitable. A combined operation can take 5 to 6 hours under general anaesthesia, and the check before you leave Istanbul is on day 5. Each part is explained and agreed separately. See combined facial procedures.
How is a combined operation planned?
Before you travel: photo review
Send photos of your forehead from the front, left and right on WhatsApp with your medical history, hair pulled back and face relaxed so the brow position shows. Dr. Dilber's assistant presents them to Dr. Dilber, who decides whether one operation or both address your concern.
The day before: consultation in Ataköy
Arrive in Istanbul the day before surgery. Dr. Dilber examines you in person at his practice in Ataköy, Bakırköy, marks the new hairline and the planned brow position, and explains each part of the plan separately. Pre-operative tests follow at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital.
Surgery day at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital
Both parts are done in one operation under general anaesthesia. A combined operation can take 5 to 6 hours; forehead reduction alone takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital belongs to one of Turkey's leading private hospital groups. You stay one night, and one companion can stay in your room.
Checks before you leave
After forehead reduction alone, the plaster comes off on day 4 at the Ataköy practice and you can fly home after that check. For the combined operation, the check is on day 5 and you leave after it. Your dates are agreed together with you.
Back home: follow-up by photo
You send photos on WhatsApp at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and Dr. Dilber and his assistants review your healing. If you notice redness, discharge, an opening wound or increasing pain, send photos straight away; he advises on treatment and whether you should see a doctor locally.
Your stay in Istanbul
You see Dr. Dilber at his practice in Ataköy, have surgery at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital and can stay at a nearby hotel.
The practice in Ataköy 
Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital 
Patient room 
Hotel room, on request
Frequently asked questions
Forehead reduction uses one incision along the front of the hairline. A brow lift uses incisions in hair-bearing scalp, so there is no visible surface scar; the endoscopic route uses several small ones. Dr. Dilber marks the planned incision at the consultation the day before surgery, so you see where it will sit before you agree to the operation.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Explore the practice
Before and after resultsBefore and after photos of Dr. Dilber's patients. Results vary.See the gallery →
Patient guide (PDF)The guide we send every patient: timeline, medication, aftercare.Download the guide →
Send three photos. Find out which operation fits.
Photograph your forehead from the front, left and right with your hair pulled back and your face relaxed. Dr. Dilber reviews them, and the team replies on WhatsApp with his view and the next steps.
