Over time, as the collagen produced naturally by the body gradually decreases, noticeable and unpleasant changes appear in the facial area, contributing to a tired appearance. These changes include relaxation and drooping of the tissue that holds the eyebrows in place and loss of elasticity in the skin, while the upper eyelids become heavier due to excess skin. At the same time, the constant movement of the muscles of the forehead creates the formation of wrinkles, lines and folds. A solution in this case is brow lift surgery, which is performed to lift the area just above the eye, opening up the eye area and making the face look younger.
Brow droopiness may seem insignificant, but it can actually have a dramatic impact on overall appearance, as the brow and eyelid area is the most important feature and the one that most defines a person’s appearance. Even with diet and exercise, the effects of sagging can affect the skin of the face, especially the brow line, forehead and eye area.
Brow lift with botulinum toxin
In cases of mild eyebrow droop, botulinum toxin injection can be applied, with impressive results. Botulinum toxin brow lift is performed through a strategic injection of the material into the muscles of the mid-frow. This injectable material temporarily inhibits the contraction of the muscles between the eyebrows. Thus, the lines of the mid-brow are smoothed and at the same time, the arch of the eyebrows is raised as the upper muscles of the forehead begin to exert a greater influence on them, leading to their lifting. At the same time, injectable botulinum toxin can smooth forehead wrinkles and make the eyes appear brighter. A disadvantage of this minimally invasive approach to eyebrow lifting is the temporary nature of the results, as they usually last from 4 to 6 months. However, this minimally invasive technique is not indicated in cases of severe drooping of the eyebrows and extensive sagging of the forehead skin.
Brow lift surgery procedure
During the procedure, a 3-4 cm incision is made under general or local anesthesia in the area above each temple, behind the scalp line. Through these incisions, the tissues of the brow area are lifted, repositioned and then held in place with a series of special internal sutures. In this way, the skin of the forehead is lifted and the position of the eyebrows is corrected, through the natural lifting of the muscles and subcutaneous tissue. The incisions are closed with sutures, which are invisible as they hide at the scalp line, and are usually removed about 1 week after surgery.
Eyebrow lift: What procedures can it be combined with?
The eyebrow lift procedure is adapted to the specific conditions of each patient. It is often combined with the Face Lift procedure to straighten the face, or with blepharoplasty of the upper or lower eyelids. In case, along with the sagging and drooping of the eyebrows, there are also visible signs of sagging of the skin of the face or neck, the combination of eyebrow lifting with Facelift is indicated.
If the drooping of the eyebrows is accompanied by sagging skin that creates folds or disrupts the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision, fat deposits that appear as eyelid swelling, bags under the eyes or excess skin and fine wrinkles in the lower eyelid, blepharoplasty can be performed in the same surgical time. Blepharoplasty can be done on the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids or both. In fact, upper blepharoplasty can be performed with local anesthesia and with absolute safety in the office.
Recovery time & duration of results after surgery
After surgery, the forehead, eyes and temporal areas show mild swelling and bruising. Most patients have some discomfort, but the pain is mild and easily managed with simple painkillers. The application of ice significantly helps in reducing the swelling. The initial bruising and swelling after surgery begins to subside by the end of the first week. As with any surgery, wearing sunscreen and a hat is essential to protect the healing skin from the sun. Full return to daily activities and healing is achieved in about 3-4 weeks.
The timeline for resuming activity after a brow lift differs depending on each case, but also on whether other procedures have been performed at the same time. Recovery is usually much faster for a single brow lift than for a patient who has had a brow lift combined with a facelift or blepharoplasty.
Through a brow lift, we can reverse brow droop that has made patients look tired, angry, sad or simply much older than they actually are. A brow lift works to reverse this effect by lifting and tightening the skin on the forehead and smoothing wrinkles, effectively removing years from patients’ appearance.
