Brow Lift: What It Is, Procedure Options, Surgery & Recovery (2024)

What is a brow lift?

A brow lift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that repositions your forehead to raise the brow, reduce wrinkles and give you a more youthful appearance.

As you age, your skin loses elasticity. The accumulated effect of sun damage weakens skin and gravity pulls your brow down, which causes wrinkles. On your forehead, you may have “frown lines” between your eyebrows that make you look serious or angry. You may also develop horizontal lines. The outside of your brow may sag, which makes you look sad or tired because of drooping eyebrows. If you’re looking to correct these natural changes to your body, a brow lift might be right for you.

Other names for a brow lift are:

  • Forehead lift.
  • Forehead rejuvenation.
  • Browplasty.
  • Temporal brow lift (lateral brow lift).

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What does a brow lift do?

A brow lift procedure corrects:

  • Creases or wrinkles in your forehead, the horizontal lines across your forehead and on the bridge of your nose.
  • Vertical frown lines between your eyebrows, also known as the “11s.”
  • Sagging eyebrows (hooded eyes) to make your eyebrows look more youthful and awake.

Will a brow lift change my eye shape?

No, a brow lift won’t change the shape of your eyes or fix baggy eyelids. A brow lift will affect your eyebrows and forehead.

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Who is a candidate for a brow lift?

You may be a candidate for a brow lift if you:

  • Are physically healthy.
  • Are a nonsmoker.
  • Have realistic goals about the outcome of the surgery.

Your healthcare provider will go over your complete medical history and discuss your goals for the procedure to see if you’re a candidate for a brow lift.

Can I get multiple cosmetic procedures done at the same time as a brow lift?

Yes, you can have multiple cosmetic procedures performed at the same time as a brow lift. You can get the following procedures done at the same time as a brow lift:

  • Facelift.
  • Mini facelift.
  • Neck lift.
  • Skin resurfacing.
  • Upper or lower eyelid surgery.

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How common is a brow lift?

There are over 88,000 brow lift procedures performed in the United States each year. While the procedure is most common among women and people assigned female at birth, men and people assigned male at birth account for less than 10% of all brow lift procedures in the U.S.

What are the types of brow lift procedures?

There are three different types of brow lift procedures:

  • The classic lift, called an “open brow lift” or “coronal lift,” involves one continuous incision, from ear to ear across the top of your head. To correct a high forehead, your surgeon might recommend the incision follow your frontal hairline. If your hair is longer and will get in the way of the procedure, you may have to trim it. If your hair is shorter, you may want to grow it out to cover any scars.
  • The endoscopic lift involves a few shorter incisions in your scalp. Your surgeon inserts a scope (a thin tube attached to a camera) into one of the incisions to view your tissues and muscles on a screen while using another device inserted in another incision to make the necessary alterations. In this procedure, your surgeon will adjust your tissue with either a temporary or permanent stitch or anchor below your scalp. These anchors are designed to keep your tissue in place. Because the incisions are smaller, this procedure is less invasive. You’ll experience minimal scarring and a shorter recovery time.
  • The limited incision technique is a combination of the classic lift and the endoscopic lift. Your surgeon makes smaller incisions but they won’t use a scope. The procedure doesn’t correct the center of your forehead but it reduces wrinkles at the corners of your eyes (crow’s feet).

Your provider will discuss each type of brow lift procedure they recommend to meet your goals to help you choose what’s best.

Is there a nonsurgical brow lift?

A nonsurgical brow lift procedure uses Botox® (botulinum toxin) or another brand of injections to smooth out wrinkles on your forehead. Nonsurgical brow lift options are available if you want to improve your appearance, but prefer to avoid surgery, long recovery times and scarring. For the procedure, your provider will inject the medicine in between your eyebrows and at the corners of your eyebrows.

A brow lift such as this offers some of the same benefits as a surgical brow lift, including:

  • Reduces wrinkles.
  • Elevates the height of your eyebrows.
  • Reshapes your eyebrows.
  • Makes you look younger.

However, these injections aren’t permanent and you’ll need repeat treatments several times a year to keep your results.

Brow Lift: What It Is, Procedure Options, Surgery & Recovery (2024)

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