08 Jun PopSugar Calls Brow Lifts “Hollywood’s Best-Kept Secret”
If you want to lift the upper half of your face, combining an eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) with a brow lift might be the way to go. We offer both at RefinedMD, but a lot of people focus mostly on the eyes rather than the brow—and that can be a mistake. A droopy, sagging brow can and does affect not just the forehead, but also the brows and eye area. One of the primary goals of a brow lift is to revitalize the eyebrows so that they get their natural, youthful arch back. When we get older, our brows can “fall,” which can create an unsightly hooded eyelid look or an angry, tired appearance. A lateral lift to the brows is a must in order to achieve a natural-looking arch.
Who you choose to perform any plastic surgery is just as critical as picking the surgery itself. Techniques make a huge difference. For example, a reputable surgeon is going to approach a brow lift differently when treating a man vs. a woman. With women, the tail of the brow is higher, whereas male brows are straighter and flatter. The kind of brow lift is also an important factor, and there is even a non-surgical option for those who aren’t quite ready for a more dramatic look.
Types of Brow Lifts
If you want more arch to the brow but want to put off surgery awhile, a Botox brow lift may be for you. Small amounts of Botox placed in the muscles around the eyebrow can lift the tail and amplify the arch. Of course, just like with Botox used anywhere else in the body, results are temporary and last an average of 3 – 6 months. However, it can give you a peek into what a real brow lift might do for your look.
An endoscopic brow lift is the most popular type of surgical lift. It’s relatively new and requires 3 – 5 tiny incisions along the hairline. This allows both the brows and forehead to be lifted. It’s also the least invasive surgical option, which means a quicker recovery period. There’s also a browpexy, which is usually combined with upper-eyelid lifts. The eyelid lift removes a small amount of excess skin from the lids, but adds in some sutures to lift the brow at the same time. This is strictly a brow lift and doesn’t affect the forehead, with results lasting around five years on average.
A direct browplasty is almost always performed on men because it does not require a solid, thick hairline. Instead, incisions are camouflaged over the brows, which allows for a lift. This surgery is reserved for severe brow sagging (ptosis), which occurs when the eyebrows sag well beyond their natural place. A pretrichial brow lift slightly reduces the forehead via an incision on the hairline. It lifts the full brows and forehead, but subtly. Finally, there’s the coronal brow lift, which is a traditional and invasive procedure. It is rarely performed these days, but when it is there is an incision made from ear to ear. It, unsurprisingly, drastically lifts the forehead and brows. In the vast majority of cases, the endoscopic brow lift is recommended for most patients.
Should You Get a Brow Lift?
Scheduling a consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon is the first step in determining if you’re a good candidate. Younger patients often start with a Botox brow lift before moving on to more invasive options. Obviously, surgical corrections last longer, but there are inherently more risks with any surgery compared to minimally invasive treatments. You can drastically minimize risks by choosing the right surgeon. All surgical brow lifts require general anesthesia, and an endoscopic brow lift takes just a few hours on average. It’s an outpatient procedure. In fact, all brow lifts are outpatient except, perhaps, the coronal brow lift.
If you’ve noticed a slouchy, grouchy look that comes from the brow or eye area, it might be time to schedule a consultation to learn more about eyelid lifts and/or brow lifts. Healing times are surprisingly quick, with most people feeling confident to go out and about just two weeks after their surgery. Call RefinedMD during business hours or, for the fastest response, complete the online contact form now.