Brow Lift Surgery London & UK

A surgical procedure designed to lift the skin of the forehead and correct drooping eyebrows. Surgical incisions in the hairline allow for the removal of excess skin, ‘lifting’ the brow area. These incisions are then resealed with stitches or dissolving sutures. Stitches will usually be removed within 5-8 days. Depending on the extent of the surgery some bandaging may be required.

A Brow Lift is often carried out as an alternative to, or to compliment, a Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery.) It will generally involve a general anaesthetic and an overnight stay in the hospital. You can expect an initial recovery period of at least two weeks, and further recovery afterwards will be largely determined by the extent of your surgery, your individual healing process and the quality of your post-operative care.

Why Have Brow Lift Surgery?

Brow lift surgery is used to elevate eyebrows that have fallen with age, referred to medically as brow ptosis, this condition is common. Normally brow ptosis, or drooping eyebrows, is an indication of weakness in the muscles used to both elevate the brow and the eyelid. If this muscle is weak then it can pull the eyebrow down, and make it difficult for you to open your eyelid fully, thus impairing vision. This can become especially obstructive when you are tired and the muscle relaxes more, which can cause the eyelid to sag and actually cover part of your pupil. For this reason a brow lift surgery can be performed alone or, more commonly, alongside an upper eyelid blepharoplasty, which is undergone to cosmetically alter the shape of the upper eyelids to correct visual impairment and excessive blinking.

The eyebrows play an important role in the makeup of our faces and our facial expressions. Their movement over time can have a significant impact upon your appearance and how your expressions and moods are judged by others. Normally women’s eyebrow arches are higher than those of men which tends to be more horizontal. With age this height can be lost due to changes in muscle tone occurring beneath the skin around the eyes, and on the forehead, where skin can slip due to gravity. Brow ptosis presents itself specifically around the tail of the eyebrow, and this can sometimes be seen as causing asymmetry, such that one eyebrow appears higher than the other. In some cases brow ptosis can present symptoms of fatigue in the ocular area, as the patient is having to continuously use their frontalis muscles (on the forehead) to retain the shape of their eyebrows, and avoid visual impairment. The constant use and strain of your frontalis muscle can also produce migraines and headaches in some individuals.

In most cases a brow lift procedure alongside a blephraoplasty is enough to completely rejuvenate the appearance of your eyes, whereas blepharoplasty alone is often considered disappointing because it cannot solve the whole problem. The importance of the eyebrows and their effect upon your facial expressions and appearance should not be underestimated, brow ptosis is a very common condition especially in those over 50, it is for these reasons that it should be considered as treatment, for both cosmetic and health related issues.

Brow Lift/Forehead Lift Candidates

Brow Lift surgery is normally opted for by people in their 40s and 50s as eyelids and brow lines begin to sag and the frontalis muscle relaxes most visibly during this period. In some cases a person’s genes can cause sagging and relaxation at an earlier age, and they too might consider some form of surgery. Often a candidate will believe that eyelid surgery will compensate the drooping appearance of their eyes, but in fact a brow lift can have a greater effect, and this can be discussed with a surgeon to decide which route you should take, the two in conjunction may actually prove most successful.

What does Brow Lift Surgery Involve?

There are various forms of surgery to enhance the appearance of your ocular area each seeking to raise the eyebrows away from the eyes, and thus give a younger, healthier look to your face. Surgery can involve the removal of skin to tighten the forehead, anti-wrinkle injections such as botox, implants which raise the eyebrow, internal stitching of muscle and hairline or forehead fixation. In some cases surgeries like transblepharoplasty combine procedures for maximum effect, or anti-wrinkle injections can be used during or just after surgery to ensure the patient’s desired outcome is met.

During the blepharoplasty section of an operation an incision is made in the upper eyelid, from which excess skin and fat is can be removed to tighten the lid and rejuvenate the ocular area.

How long does a Brow Lift take?

Brow lift surgeries such as a hairline, mid-forehead, endoscopic, direct brow lifts and transblepharoplasty can take up to about two hours in the operating theatre. During this period you will be under a general anaesthetic which will require you to stay the night in hospital to recover completely.

Types of Brow Lift Surgery »