Why Have My Eyebrows Started to Sag?

If the proportions of your facial features seem to change, that may have to do with the normal aging process. The skin on your face loses elasticity over time, which can cause your features to change unattractively.

But you can rejuvenate your face and give yourself a more youthful look with just a little help. An eyebrow lift is a surgical procedure that can not only lift your eyebrows but also has the effect of smoothing out wrinkles on your forehead. The specialists at Advanced Plastic Surgery Center explain more about the brow lift procedure and whether or not you may want to consider getting it.

What a brow lift is

A brow lift moves the skin on your forehead up higher, making your eyes look more open and alert. If your skin around your eyes is sagging, this may make you look noticeably much more youthful.

A brow lift can also smooth out wrinkled skin on your forehead, which affects many people over time. You may even look permanently stressed out or angry if you’ve developed the wrinkles between your brows (which often look like the number 11.) 

The incision for a brow lift is usually done close to your hairline, so you won’t have to worry about visible scars. 

What a brow lift can do

An eyebrow lift can do a lot of positive things for your appearance. It can make your forehead look smoother, instantly erasing years from your looks.

Because the brow lift is performed with incisions close to or inside your hairline, you won’t likely have to worry about scars.

However, it’s also crucial to have realistic expectations about the procedure. A brow lift can’t always smooth out crows’ feet around your eyes, for example, and it can’t fix baggy eyelids or change the shape of your eyes.

What to expect from the procedure

You will first consult with the specialist before you are cleared to have the procedure. During this consultation, your general health history is considered, as are your lifestyle habits and medications taken.

Once you’re approved for the procedure, you come in for anesthesia. You will be given either intravenous sedation or general anesthesia, meaning you won’t feel any pain during the procedure.

The surgeon then makes an incision. You may receive either a traditional, ear-to-ear incision or an endoscopic incision. With the endoscopic incision, smaller incisions are made and then a scope (a thin tube with a camera) is inserted into your skin.

The muscles are moved upward, and the incision is closed with sutures.

For most people, this is an outpatient procedure, and you can go home the same day. However, you will want to have someone to stay with you the day of the procedure and the next day.

Who’s a good candidate for the procedure

If you’re in generally good health, you’re usually a good candidate for the procedure. A brow lift is not as major of a procedure as a facelift or a tummy tuck.

However, it’s also recommended that you not smoke. If you smoke, you’ll have to quit smoking for at least 6 weeks before the procedure, but it’s best if you don’t smoke. 

Sometimes, we recommend combining a brow lift with other cosmetic procedures, such as an eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) or Botox® injections.

Recovery is usually uneventful, but you may have bruising or swelling for the first 1-3 weeks. You may want some cold packs or packages of frozen vegetables to put over your eyes to reduce the swelling. You’ll want to sleep upright for the first few nights after the procedure. You should avoid strenuous exercise for the first six weeks.

If you want to look younger and more alert, a brow lift may provide just the answers you’re seeking. Contact the specialists at Advanced Plastic Surgery Center for a consultation or request an appointment online.