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Face

Brow Lift

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Why do we need a browlift?

With time, your eyebrows tend to fall.

Frequently in my younger patients and men, there is a strong family disposition to droopy eyelids or heavy brows.  When you have an issue of your eyes looking tired or droopy, there is part of the issue which is the eyelid, and there is a part of the issue which is eyebrow.  Dr. Greenberg will help you evaluate which is which.

common browlift questions

Do I need a browlift?

  • Ah. the million dollar question.  Browlifts are more involved than eyelid surgery.  They usually require a general anesthetic.  With the endobrow, hitch technique, and fat grafting, no skin is removed.  This means over time they will age.

Will it change how I look?

  • Eyelid surgery does not change how you look.  Eyebrow surgery could.  It is important to look at your brow. How high is your brow? What is the shape of your bony orbit? And the shape of the arch? Are you asymmetric? (and is the asymmetry real or because your forehead muscles are more active on one side?)
  • People worry they will look surprised after brow surgery.  You may look a little high right after surgery, as the lift “relaxes” a little as it settles.  I do not try to overcorrect.  I do not want to risk a persistent surprised or hollow look.

Do you do eyes with the brow?

  • Dr. Greenberg will evaluate you to see what part of your eye aging is due to brow aging and what is due to eyelid aging.  You need to address what is the issue.
  • She commonly will do the eyelid surgery before the brow surgery.  Blepharoplasty can be done under local anesthesia, doesn’t change how you look, and is an easy recovery.  Many then wait to do the browlift years later when doing a facelift surgery.

type of browlifts

Browlifts are common procedures in men as well as women. They help “open” up the eye, lift the brow, and make the eyelid look less full. Browlifts lift the brow position and can improve asymmetry of the brows, where one brow is higher than the other. A browlift also helps rid wrinkles between the eyebrows that can make you appear upset or concerned.

TYPES OF BROWLIFTS:

  • An endoscopic browlift uses a camera and special tools through small incisions in the hair to help elevate the eyebrow. I tend to favor the endobrow technique over the older coronal browlift (where there is a full length incision in the hair), due to its smaller scars, particularly in men and women with thinning hair. Following a browlift, the forehead wrinkles will disappear, and the eyebrow will be repositioned. I favor a natural look, so I do not get that “surprised,” overcorrected, high arched brow. Again, most of my patients want this natural look.
  • Temporal browlift will primarily elevate the outer part of the eyebrow.  This involves an incision in the hairline near the temple.  The lateral eyebrow tends to be the most affected part of the brow, so this proves a good technique for many.
  • Small hitch lift through the upper eyelid incision.  I can use this while doing a blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery) to help keep the outer eyebrow from coming down.  It is only good for a small change, but is useful in some patients and does not require an additional incision.
  • Fat grafting.  Surprisingly, adding volume to the area around the eyebrow can help elevate the brow.  The results are subtle, but there are no additional scars.  I do this routinely on most of my blepharoplasty and fat grafting patients.
"Browlifts help “open” up the eye, lift the brow, and make eyelid look less full." – Dr. Greenberg
*Individual results may vary

Procedure & Recovery

The procedure lasts about two hours and is done in my Palo Alto center. Recovery time is from one to two weeks, depending on additional procedures performed and the amount of swelling and bruising. Additional facial cosmetic surgery procedures frequently include blepharoplasty or facelift surgery. When we meet at my office we can discuss which procedure will help you achieve your goals. When you have documented severe visual field impairment due to the overhanging skin, insurance may help pay for the procedure.

To find out if you are a good candidate for facial cosmetic surgery such as browlift or endobrow, contact my practice today.