Surgical eyebrow lifting

As time goes on, the eyebrows gradually lose their muscle tone (especially the outer parts). This ptosis is linked to a loss of frontal skin elasticity and muscle imbalance and is responsible for a "tired look". The purpose of lifting the eyebrows is to put them back in the position they were in before and thus open their eyes.

Eyebrow lift may be associated with upper blepharoplasty when there is joint excess skin on the upper eyelids. Other techniques such as hyaluronic acid injection or lipofilling can raise the eyebrow. The choice of the most appropriate treatment for your aesthetic problems is made following a meticulous clinical examination performed by the plastic surgeon.

In which cases can eyebrow lifting be indicated?

Eyebrow lifting can be indicated for people with eyebrow ptosis. Depending on the position and relief of the anatomical structures that make up the periorbital region, the operation may be combined with superior blepharoplasty, lipofilling, and/or hyaluronic acid injections.

What is the surgical procedure?

If you are thinking of a facial rejuvenation operation, eyebrow lifting is a surgery that should not be overlooked. The surgical time for the classical method as well as for the endoscopic technique is 2 hours. These surgeries can be performed under general anesthesia or sedation.

The classic method: Make an incision from ear to ear on the scalp. If the forehead is very large, then the incision will be made at the level of the hairline to avoid raising the forehead too much. Often, patients come to the office only for the specific purpose of improving their upper eyelids without regard to the eyebrows. With age, the eyebrows fall sideways.

Endoscopic lifting: In recent years, a new technique has emerged, endoscopic lifting. Now, instead of a large scar, only small incisions in the scalp are needed. The intervention consists of the introduction of small tools for stretching tissues that are smoothed.

The complications are similar to those of the classic eyebrow lift but to a lesser extent. The correction with the endoscopic technique is much less pronounced than the one with the traditional technique, the surgeon will establish together with you, depending on your degree of tolerance, the best technique to use.

Anyone concerned about their physical appearance and good health is a good candidate for a forehead or eyebrow lift. The recovery time varies from about 10 days for the endoscopic technique and 3 weeks for the so-called classical technique.

Which procedure suits me?

The so-called classic forehead lift is mainly intended for people with a lot of wrinkles on the forehead and very low eyebrows. People usually have these problems at the age of fifty. This procedure involves more risk than endoscopic lifting but provides a good correction when there is a lot of work on the forehead and eyebrows.

Endoscopic forehead lifting is intended for people of all ages with lowered eyebrows and a few folds on the forehead. The surgeon will suggest the best technique for you during the first consultation. Endoscopic lifting is very popular today, mainly because of the incisions that are so small. Lifting the forehead rejuvenates the upper part of the face and gives the glow of youth.

How is the intervention carried out?

The intervention is carried out on an outpatient basis (entering a few hours before and leaving a few hours after the operation). Anesthesia can be either local or general (anesthetists then administer medication to improve patient comfort). The scar is discreet because it is located just above the eyebrow. No dressing is needed at the end of the procedure and ointment is applied to the scar.

What are the operational consequences?

The postoperative course is simple, painless, but marked by a feeling of skin tension. Bruising may occur in the first few days and edema in the first month. Scar care should be performed by the patient (cleaning the scar twice a day, ointment on the scar until the stitches are removed around the 10th day after surgery).

It is advisable to massage the scars as soon as the stitches are removed to soften them and make them as visible as possible. The scar must be protected from the sun (sunscreen, sunglasses) for 1 year.

What are the main possible complications?

Complications of eyebrow lifting are rare, but should be noted: scarring hazards related to how each patient heals (hypertrophic scar, pigmented scar, sometimes associated with too early sun exposure); related supra-superciliary sensitivity disorders the inevitable section of the small branches of the terminal nerves during the intervention. It is, in most cases, reversible in less than 1 year.

Since when is it possible to appreciate the aesthetic result of the intervention?

The result is visible as soon as you leave the operating room but begins to take better shape in the first month after surgery (estimated duration of edema) but will last 1 year before stabilization (duration of superficial and deep healing). The scars are quite visible in the first 3 months, then they will gradually fade until they become almost invisible.