With advancing years the brow may descend with gravity. Typically this is combined with an excess bag or fold of skin on the upper eyelid. This may result in a hooded, tired, mournful or even fierce appearance to the eyes. Sometimes a heavy brow can obscure peripheral vision and patients may be aware of heaviness, tiredness or headaches associated with straining the forehead muscles to keep the eyes fully open.
Browlift is a procedure to elevate the resting position of the eyebrows or at least to minimise descent of brows. This also has some effect on the upper eyelids when there is excess skin although it is often helpful to combine brow lift with a procedure to remove excess skin from upper eyelids.
AFTER
BEFOREENDOSCOPIC BROW LIFT
The operation is done while you are asleep (general anaesthetic). It takes approximately an hour. It is a ‘keyhole’ operation. Small cuts are made in the scalp just behind the hairline. Through these small cuts, the whole of the forehead and brow can be freed from the underlying bone and slid upwards by approximately 0.5-1cm.
DIRECT/MELON-SLICE BROW LIFT
An ellipse of skin is removed from directly above the eyebrows and the gap is sutured neatly together. It brings the brow up. It can be done as a local anaesthetic procedure so it is less complex than endoscopic browlift. It does leave a scar in the skin surface but this typically heals well and is obscured by the eyebrow hairs and/or eyebrow pencil.
TEMPORAL
The lateral part of the brow is mobilised and lifted via an incision in the temporal area. Similarly to the direct browlift, this can be done as a local anaesthetic operation.