Brow Lift

As we age the brow becomes lax and descends.  This can lead to a heaviness of the eyebrow and a flat appearance. When the brow drops the eyelids can appear hooded and have excess skin.  Many patients attend with concerns over their eyelids and the cause ultimately is the brow position.

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What is Brow Lift?

The flattening and descent of the brow is caused by the skin losing its elasticity as part of the natural ageing process. The patient is left with a more youthful-looking brow after treatment.

There are multiple surgical techniques which can be used in an eyebrow lift. These techniques usually involve the removal of excess facial skin. Depending on which method is used, the surgeon may also tighten the underlying tissues before redraping the skin. Your surgeon will discuss with you which technique would be best to meet your needs at your initial consultation here at the clinic.

An eyebrow lift is an excellent way to slow down the aging process. Surgery treats common age-related complaints, such as a low, sagging brow or brow asymmetry. Although a brow lift primarily deals with cosmetic concerns, it can also help with brow drooping (also known as brow ptosis) caused by illness or injury, for example, nerve damage in the face.

In some cases, brow drooping can cause physical discomfort. People with significant brow ptosis may find they suffer from headaches as their forehead muscles have to work extra hard to lift their drooping eyebrows. In some cases, drooping brows can obscure vision.

Brow lift surgery will return the brow to its original position and improve vision if this has been affected by a drooping brow

A brow lift is commonly combined with other rejuvenating facial procedures, such as eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) or a face lift to enhance the overall result.

A brow lift improves the appearance of the forehead, the brow and the area around the eyes by raising the soft tissue and skin of the forehead and brow.  Some patients opt to undergo fat grafting alongside their brow lift. This procedure lifts and adds volume to the brow and the temple, providing an enhanced, permanent, structure to support the skin on the forehead.

There are also non-surgical eyebrow lift procedures that we carry out here at the Pinewoods Clinic.

Why do people have it?

Both surgical and non surgical eyebrow lift treatments aim to:

• Rejuvenate the facial area
• Smooth and tighten forehead skin
• Lift sagging brow
• Raise eyebrows to restore refreshed appearance
• Restore symmetry

Who is suitable?

Pinewoods Clinic considers individuals fit for the procedure, if all of the following are true of them:

• Sagging brow
• Drooping eye brows
• Loose elastic skin in the brow and forehead area
• Fine brow lines and forehead wrinkles
• Asymmetrical brow region

What are the options?

Brow lift surgery usually takes around one to two hours, depending on which technique is being used. This may take longer if other procedures are carried out at the same time. Eyebrow lift surgery is carried out under a general anesthetic. This means you will not be awake during the procedure.

There are several different eyebrow lift techniques which we use here at the Pinewoods Clinic. Your surgeon will decide which type is best for you depending on your individual needs and what you hope to achieve with surgery. We will look at these different surgical techniques here.

Endoscopic Brow Lift

This particular technique is minimally invasive. In an endoscopic brow lift, the surgeon makes incisions behind the hairline and a thin camera (endoscope) is used to view your underlying muscles and tissues. The forehead tissues are lifted and a special medical instrument is put in place to anchor these in an elevated position, lifting the brow. After three to six months, these will be safely reabsorbed back into the body, leaving the brow in its new lifted position.

Coronal brow lift

In a coronal brow lift, an incision is made behind the hairline, traveling across the top of the head, from ear to ear. The surgeon will then lift the skin tissue to an elevated position, cutting away and removing any excess tissue. This particular technique can rejuvenate the upper portion of the face. Although, like all the brow lift techniques, it can be carried out on both men and women, this particular method is more popular among women. This method can leave some scarring, but this is hidden in the hairline. For this reason, the coronal brow lift is not generally favoured by those with a receding hairline.

Hairline brow lift

In a hairline brow lift, the surgeon will make an incision between the top of the forehead and the beginning of the hairline. A small amount of skin and tissue is then removed from the top of the forehead, rather than from the scalp itself. This means the hairline itself is not pulled back in this particular technique. The hairline brow lift is a popular choice for patients who have a receding hairline and are experiencing deep forehead lines.

Temporal brow lift

This particular eyebrow lift is a good choice for patients who only require a moderate lift of the outer brow. This is the first part of the brow to descend down the face as we age. Two small incisions are made in the temples within the hairline. A strip of skin is then removed. This particular method is good for tackling problem crow’s feet, noticeable wrinkles which develop around the outer corners of the eyes. Patients often chose to combine a temporal brow lift with blepharoplasty to enhance the result. A temporal brow lift is also known as a lateral brow lift.

What is a non-surgical brow lift?

A non-surgical brow lift, as the name suggests, is a form of eyebrow lift which does not require any incisions or anesthetic. This type of treatment can produce some dramatic results, but these are not as long-lasting as a surgical brow lift. There are two popular non-surgical eyebrow lift treatments that we offer here at the Cadogan Clinic.

Anti-aging injectables

Anti-aging injectables are muscle relaxants and are used to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The most common anti-aging injectable which you may have heard of is Botox.  The injectable is introduced to the brow and effectively reduces lines and wrinkles while simultaneously reducing the pull of the muscles which cause the eyebrow to descend.

The treatment is an easy and relatively pain free process. Anti-aging injectables are also commonly used in the eye and cheek areas.

The procedure is carried out during a 30-minute consultation and involves a series of tiny injections to the brow area. There is no downtime involved with anti-aging injectables, meaning you are free to leave the clinic after your treatment and return to your day-to-day activities.

As part of this non-surgical brow lift, fillers can be used to plump out the treatment area, providing additional volume, if desired. Dermal fillers are quick injectable treatments that can soften facial wrinkles and lines and fill out hollows, leaving the skin looking younger.

What are the risks of brow lift surgery?

It is unlikely that you will experience complications stemming from your brow lift. Our expert surgeons have performed this surgery many, many times, and all have a high satisfaction rating. However, as with any surgery, there is always the potential for complications. Risks from eyebrow lift surgery include:

• Visible scarring.
• Temporary or permanent numbness on the forehead or scalp.
• Brow asymmetry. This can be treated with surgery.
• Hair loss in the surgical area. This may be temporary or permanent.
• Numbness caused by nerve injury. This may be temporary or permanent.
• An elevated hairline.
• Dry eyes.

In addition to this, any type of surgery carries a small risk of:

• Excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
• Developing a blood clot in a vein. Also known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Infection of the surgical site
• An allergic reaction to the anaesthetic

On very rare occasions, the patient may require a revision procedure if the result is not as expected. It is important you are honest with your surgeon at your initial consultation to help avoid this situation occurring. During this first consultation the surgeon will go through all the potential risks with you before you decide whether to go ahead with surgery.

If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeats following surgery you should seek medical advice immediately. This may be a medical emergency.

Can I combine a brow lift with blepharoplasty?

Patients often request for a brow lift and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to be carried out together in order to achieve an enhanced result.

Eyelid reduction surgery reshapes the eyelids by removing excess fat and skin. Just like an eyebrow lift, blepharoplasty is a highly effective treatment for the signs of aging around this upper portion of the face.

The skin around the eyes is very thin, so, combined with skin laxity caused by an age-related drop in collagen levels, this means the skin around the eyes is more prone to wrinkles, including crow’s feet, or laughter lines, at the corners of the eyes. Combined with a sagging brow, this means the wide-eyed appearance of youth is lost. This age-related descent can also cause tear troughs or hollows to appear underneath the eyes.

Blepharoplasty is a short and highly effective procedure that can achieve immediate changes with very little downtime. Blepharoplasty is best suited for cases where major surgical intervention is required. Alternatively, anti-aging injectables can be used to tackle wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes.

What is the recovery process?

You will be allowed to return home on the same day as surgery to allow yourself to rest and recuperate in the comfort of your own home. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to care for your incisions. It is important that you follow these to help aid your recovery. In the days following your brow lift, you should rest with your head elevated and avoid exposing the incision sites to excessive pressure or movement.

You may experience some itching and numbness around the incision sites as you heal. This should stop over time. The treatment site is likely to be bruised, swollen and tender in the days after brow lift surgery. Swelling may last for several weeks, but this can be treated with a cold compress and sleeping with multiple pillows may also help. A compression garment will also help to reduce swelling.

Any bandages will be removed within three days post-surgery and non-dissolvable sutures are usually removed within seven to ten days.

We advise taking two weeks off work and avoiding strenuous exercise for up to six weeks following surgery. Any heavy lifting should also be avoided. You should take care when washing your hair and bathing in the days and weeks following brow lift surgery. It is important that you do not get the dressing wet in order to avoid any infection.

Any scars left from the incisions should fade naturally over time.

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