Brow Lift

I usually write about topics which pop up frequently at my busy practice at Al Tababa  Clinics. Today we are going to analyze what options do we girls have for improving frames of our eyes as we age ; Eyebrows !

Lets analyze, with aging, gravity causes the eyebrows (brow) to move downwards.  We compensate for this by contracting the muscle (frontalis), which raises the eyebrows.  Contraction of this muscle causes wrinkle lines across the forehead.  Eventually the muscle relaxes and the eyebrows become lower.  This typically makes you look slightly sad and tired.  It can also increase the fold on the upper eyelid making it difficult to apply makeup.

Brow lift treatments are aimed at elevating the eyebrows.  This widens the eyes and makes you look less tired.  After surgery people are often asked if they have been on holiday as they look refreshed.  The effects are subtle and most people will not be able to pinpoint the exact change in you but will notice that you look fresher.

The eyebrow in females should be gently arched with its’ highest point lying 2/3rds of the way out from the centre.  In men the eyebrows are usually flatter and raising them is not usually appropriate as this can make them look slightly surprised.

In the past, the only satisfactory way to perform Brow lifts was with a surgery operation.  This procedure is normally carried out by keyhole surgery.  Small incisions are made within the hairline and the tissue is gently separated allowing the eyebrows to rise.  Most people recover quickly from the procedure and are back at work within 10 days.

Chemical Brow Lift

More recently, however, medical aesthetic injection techniques have been used to lift the eyebrows.  Selectively weakening the muscles which pull down the eyebrows (using Botulinum Toxin) will result in them rising.  The muscles which pull down the inner part of the eyebrows cause frowning in the centre of the forehead.  The muscles which pull down the outer part of the eyebrows cause the crows-feet smile lines which occur on the temple on the side of the eye.

Unlike surgery, injections to weaken these muscles can be performed as a quick and easy outpatient procedure. Many people have the treatment during work breaks or at the end of the day.  The effects are not immediate with most people noticing a gradual decrease in the frown and crows feet wrinkles a week following treatment.  This effect last between 4-6 months and will need to be repeated.  Usually after a 3 treatments in a year the muscles relax more permanently and the effect last for longer and longer.

Non Surgical Thread Lift

Botox or chemical lift of the eyebrow is dependent on the strength of your (frontalis) muscle, if the muscle is not very strong and the forhead skin is drooping you might not be the right candidate for chemical brow lift. The thread lift is an exciting new non surgical approach to brow or face lifting and represents a significant advance in minimally invasive facial rejuvenation. A lunchtime procedure, the thread lift uses plastic non absorbable, bio-compatible threads to lift and support sagging skin. The threads used in this type of lift are lined with numerous small directional fibers; which are able to fix onto the soft tissues underneath the skin. Once the threads are inserted the sagging tissue is lifted the fibers anchor the soft tissue in the corrected position. Over a number of months, new collagen formation around the threads strengthens the support.

Accordingly, the threads are able to lift and support a drooping eyebrow. The thread lift is a very safe procedure as the threads are made of bio-compatible material and their safety has been established over the years as permanent sutures. Unlike face lift surgery results are natural and there are no scars. It’s a simple walk-in walk-out procedure which takes 30 min.s or so to perform. Recovery is quick and you can get back to work in 2-3 days. Studies demonstrate that the threads stimulate collagen formation around them and results are long lasting. Unlike surgical lift this procedure can be reversed if requested.

It is important to remember that everybody’s face is different and the consultation process is important to assess which treatment is most suitable for your patient.  This should ideally start with a skin analysis and discussion of the treatments available.