Aesthetic Removal of Foreign Body Granulomas of Forehead Via Pretrichial Approach

In the field of plastic surgery, various filler types have been developed, which are widely used for cosmetic or reconstruction purposes. However, unregulated substances often injected by unlicensed practitioners may cause difficult-to-treat side effects, such as foreign body granulomas. Since the forehead is an exposed area and the lesions are likely extensive, complete surgical removal with inconspicuous scar can be difficult. In addition, pharmacological treatments, such as steroids, have only a temporary effect. The authors report successful cases of foreign body removal combined with subcutaneous forehead lift via a pretrichial approach for cosmetic satisfaction.Ten patients who had received illegal filler injections that resulted in chronic granulomas on the forehead were studied. The granulomas were confirmed using sonography, and simultaneous foreign body removal and subcutaneous forehead lifts using pretrichial incisions were planned. For the surgical method, the forehead flap was carefully elevated to a uniform thickness in the subcutaneous plane via a pretrichial incision, and the foreign body was removed, paying attention to the forehead contour and nerve damage; excess skin was excised from the top of the flap to tighten the remaining skin on the forehead.None of the patients developed complications, such as skin necrosis, infection, hematoma, or wound dehiscence, during the follow-up period. The functional and aesthetic outcomes were satisfactory in all the patients.The subcutaneous forehead lift via a pretrichial incision seems to facilitate foreign body removal and improve the forehead deformity by tightening the remaining skin.