Browlift | San Jose, Mountain View, San Mateo
In contrast to a blepharoplasty which lifts the eyelids only, the browlift is a surgical procedure designed to raise the droopy eyebrow. This procedure is reserved for patients with a brow that falls beneath the orbital rim (bone that is normally located behind the eyebrow). The male brow typically falls along the orbital rim whereas the female brow arches above the orbital rim. Browlifts are often combined with eyelifts (blepharoplasty) in patients with droopy brows and eyelids.
There are three techniques for lifting the brow:
- Open browlift: This is the traditional technique where a long incision is made in the scalp from ear to ear to permanently elevate the brow. This is a significant procedure that is typically performed by traditional cosmetic surgeons with general anesthesia. Duration is great, however there is potential for long-term to permanent scalp numbness.
- Endoscopic Browlift: This technique is performed using a scope through three small incisions in the hairline that provides visualization of the tissue planes from the underside of the skin. The brow is tacked up with permanent sutures, resorbable plates, or tissue glue. There is typically ten days of downtime due to swelling and bruising. This technique provides minimal visible scarring, but does not have the duration of the open technique.
- Direct browlift: This simple, local anesthesia technique involves the excision of excess forehead skin above the eyebrows to elevate the droopy brow. The incision scars are hidden in the natural wrinkle lines. This technique is simple and has excellent duration with minimal risk except for incisions that may be visible in the forehead. Sutures are removed at one week at which time the patient may cover the incision with makeup.
At CSI, we utilize the direct browlift to elevate droopy brows. We do not perform browlifts for patients with normal brow positioning because the procedure creates a “cosmetic” look or startled look. The majority of patients we see do not require a browlift and are best managed with a blepharoplasty (eyelift) for eye rejuvenation. The direct browlift combined with an eyelift is our local anesthesia procedure of choice for the small percentage of patients with the combination of droopy brows and upper eyelids.
The concept of eye vs. brow lifting is best explained in a personal consultation where the benefits of each procedure can be demonstrated for the patient in front of a mirror
