Many of the people I see who are considering a brow lift at our Nashville, TN, practice say their friends or family often ask if they’re upset about something or tired, even when they’re perfectly content and rested. A sagging brow or forehead creates an angry or tired appearance. But these patients worry that a brow lift will make them look constantly surprised.
Those worries are often grounded in photos they’ve seen of celebrities whose unnatural appearance stems from excessive plastic surgery. An overdone brow lift—also called a forehead lift—can create a “deer in the headlights” look that is a sure sign a person has had “work” done.
Getting Results That Look Natural
There is no reason for a brow lift to make a patient look perpetually surprised. When performed by a facial plastic surgeon with expertise in various brow lift techniques, the procedure creates a more youthful, rested appearance without pulling the skin of the forehead overly tight.
As a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, I accomplish this by customizing the procedure based on each client’s specific facial anatomy and the severity of sagging in the brows. Unlike plastic surgeons with more general training, I’m experienced in performing 6 distinct brow lift techniques that enable me to tailor the procedure to the unique needs of each patient.
Brow Lift or Eyelid Surgery?
I will recommend eyelid surgery if I believe it’s better suited for a patient than a brow lift. Even though both procedures address similar concerns, there are differences. A brow lift is best for women and men with forehead wrinkles, frown lines, and a drooping brow that causes them to appear grumpy, tired, or older than they feel. Eyelid surgery, on the other hand, lifts sagging upper eyelids.
Both brow lift and upper eyelid surgeries are typically performed for cosmetic reasons, although in some cases, droopy upper eyelids are lifted so they don’t obstruct vision. Eyelid surgery involves an incision made in the crease of the upper eyelid. Removing excess skin and sometimes fat creates a more alert appearance.
Customizing Your Brow Lift
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all brow lift. Techniques used for the procedure range from a traditional coronal brow lift—which involves making an incision in the hairline near one ear that extends across the top of the head to the other ear—to an endoscopic brow lift, which is performed by making 4 or 5 tiny incisions behind the hairline, rather than a single, more extensive incision. An endoscope inserted through these incisions provides a view of tissue that is elevated during the surgery.
Other techniques include the mid-forehead brow lift, the pretrichial brow lift, lateral brow lift, and a browpexy. In addition to customizing the brow lift technique, I typically combine other facial rejuvenation procedures with a brow lift. For example, I may include laser skin resurfacing, upper eyelid surgery, and a lower facelift along with a brow lift to create the natural-looking, comprehensive results that patients want. You can see some of my patients’ results in our gallery of before-and-after photos.
If you’re tired of hearing friends, co-workers, or family say you look tired or upset and believe you can benefit from a brow lift, request a consultation using the online form or call our practice at (615) 942-8016 to schedule an appointment.
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