Drooping of the eyebrows is frequently one of the first signs of aging. This condition is often overlooked because most people are unaware of the problem and the degree of improvement its correction can provide.
A heavy eyebrow causes the upper lids to bulge and descend until in the advanced stages, eyelid skin can touch or overlap the eyelashes. Patients often complain that their eyes appear to be getting smaller or deeper-set and that eye makeup usually ends up high on the upper part of the eyelids within a short while after it has been applied.
Drooping eyebrows definitely contribute to the “tired look” often seen toward the end of a long day. If you also have excess skin on your upper eyelids, the combination can have a dramatic effect on your appearance.
This condition may be improved by one of the following procedures:1) the forehead lift operation, 2) the excision of skin above the drooping section of the brow or, 3) re-suspension of the sagging brow.
These procedures “lift” the brow, upper lid, and surrounding tissues, which usually results in eyes that appear larger, more rested and more youthful.
Forehead Lift
If your problem is droopy or heavy eyebrows, a permanently furrowed brow, or a tense angry look that does not go away, a forehead lift may be able to help.
During this procedure, an incision is made across the top of the head in the hairline. The forehead and brows are lifted and re-draped upward, and the resulting excess skin is removed. The scar is hidden in the hairline.
A forehead lift not only raises your eyebrows, but also eases deep furrows between your eyes and the long horizontal lines across the forehead. It can, also, diminish excess smile lines at the outer corners of your eyes.
DIRECT OR MIDFOREHEAD – EYEBROW LIFT
Men are even more likely then women to have heavy eyebrows that droop with time, but the forehead lift is not always advisable because of the difficulty in hiding the scar on a man whose hairline may later recede. For men, the recommended treatment for sagging eyebrows is the eyebrow lift.
During the eyebrow lift, the incision is made above the eyebrows, often in a natural forehead wrinkle and a wedge shaped section of excess skin is removed from above the drooping eyebrows. The underlying muscles may be supported by permanent sutures.
Sometimes the incision may be placed directly across the forehead. This procedure is called a midforehead lift. It is most often recommended for men, who have an abundance of natural forehead wrinkles that hide the scar.
Women, too, can have a direct eyebrow lift. The scar is a narrow line just above the eyebrow hairs, easily camouflaged with makeup. A direct brow lift may be appropriate for women with a high hairline or a woman with asymmetrical eyebrows and only one needs to be raised or if the eyebrows are very droopy and need to be raised quite a difference.
BROWPLASTY- Brow Suspension
During this procedure the brow is repositioned to its natural position and held in place using permanent sutures. This procedure is performed through an incision in the natural skin crease of the upper eyelid; the same incision that is used to remove the excess skin during an eyelid tuck procedure. These two procedures are done through the same incision and are usually performed at the same time.
The procedure is for mild degrees of drooping eyebrows and also in certain cases of eyebrow asymmetry.
Eyebrow lifting can be performed painlessly and comfortably under local anesthesia with twilight sleep sedation, and usually no hospitalization is required; the procedure most often is performed in an office surgery facility or ambulatory surgical center.
Little discomfort is associated with eyebrow lifting. Routine swelling and bruising subside in a week to ten days and can be hidden with makeup as soon as your incisions heal. You can return to work as soon as you feel up to it, usually within one to two weeks, although you should avoid strenuous physical activity for at least three weeks.
The eyebrow lift will not correct either excess skin or pouching caused by fat herniations at the inner corner of the upper eyelids, and it will not have any effect on lower lid conditions. On the other hand it can be, and often is, effectively combined with surgery designed to improve problems in those areas.
Following eyebrow surgery there is often lessening of the deeper “crow’s feet” found next to the outer corners of the eye. However, “crow’s feet” may require chemical peeling at a later date for the best result.
We ordinarily prefer to accomplish the eyebrow lift in conjunction with the temporal or forehead portion of the facelift, but in some cases, it may be performed as an independent procedure.
For more information on forehead and brow lifts or any other facial plastic procedures please contact my office.
Dr. Kaniff specializes in facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery at 631 Fulton Avenue, Sacramento, CA 916-480-9080
