The Anti-Aging Headache Cure. Are you a Candidate?



Posted: Thursday, August 27, 2009

by
Reflections Center

Add migraine headache relief to the list of benefits of age-defying forehead or brow lifts.

Sound too good to be true? It's not, at least according to new research in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. It turns out that the very same forehead or brow lifts that help banish the frown lines that can make you look angry or sad even when you are overjoyed, excise the creases that develop across your forehead or high on the bridge of your nose, and/or reposition your sagging brow may also put the brakes on your disabling migraine headaches – for good.

The new study comprised 75 people who had migraines that started in the front, side, or back of their heads and had responded to Botox injections. After Botox's effect on the migraine wore off, the individuals were either given real surgery to deactivate their migraine triggers or a sham procedure.

In this study, the Botox injections were basically used to determine if a person was an appropriate surgical candidate for the migraine-relieving surgery because the injections work along the same pathways as the surgery. Botox, when injected into the muscles of the brow, eyes, forehead, side of the head and back of the head near the neck, reduces the frequency of both migraine and tension-type headache. Botox injections may ease headache pain for up to six months, surgery possibly more long term.

Brow Lift Cures Migraines

Specifically, the migraine-stunting surgery involves a traditional brow lift with the removal of the specific muscle tissue or nerves that triggered the migraines. Target nerves may include the same ones which would be removed to get rid of crow's feet and/or frown lines in the forehead. Surgeons used fat or muscle to fill in the areas where tissue was removed. The sham surgery merely exposed the nerve, but left the muscle intact. The patients were not told which type of surgery they received.

Overall, there was a 92% success rate, the study found. There were some side effects seen with the surgery including persistent numbness of the forehead in one person, and 10 of 19 patients who had the procedure on the side of the head had a slight, but persistent hollowing in their temples.

Implications Abound

The new study suggests that plastic surgeons may become the go-to specialists for certain migraine sufferers. Still, the surgery is not for every person plagued by migraines. It is only appropriate for individuals whose headaches originate in these specific trigger areas. When a forehead lift is used to treat a medical condition, it is considered a reconstructive procedure, not a cosmetic one. As a result, insurance may also help cover the cost of the brow lift if future research backs up these new findings.

Regardless of the surgical technique, a brow lift results in a younger, fresher face – and potentially a migraine-free existence. For now, botox represents a great alternative for those not desiring surgery.

Catherine Sheehan writes articles about health and beauty for Reflections Center.

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