When it comes to the face, many factors can detract from one’s appearance. Some people seem to have heavy upper eyelids, but in actuality, this fullness is the result of sagging eyebrows pushing down over the upper lid rather than excess eyelid skin. Droopy eyebrows can make you appear angry, sad, or tired. Clients who have had brow Lift surgery by Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Anita Mandal in Palm Beach can feel confident that she has enhanced and revitalized their upper face while maintaining a natural look.
Upper Face Rejuvenation
While often overlooked by patients, the eyebrows are an essential part of upper facial rejuvenation. Whether you were born with low set eyebrows or your brows have descended due to gravity with the aging process, the eyebrow position plays a key role in framing the face. An inadequately positioned brow can make one appear aged, sad, angry or tired.
If you have sagging brows, low-set brows, heavy upper eyelid skin or a droopy outer brow, may be a candidate for an endoscopic brow lift. Palm Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Mandal, performs the endoscopic brow lift to restore a youthful upper face, thus also making the eyes appear more open and refreshed.
Some patients only have sagging of the outer portion of the brow. A lateral brow lift can be performed and is less invasive with quicker recovery. In others, a brow lift is combined with an eyelid lift due to excess skin and fat present in an aging eyelid. Each person ages differently and the eyebrow can be divided into 3 parts – inner, central (includes arch), outer. There are various brow elevation procedures. Choice of procedure depends on which parts of the brow is aging and must be tailored to one’s individual needs. You are encouraged to meet with Dr. Mandal to review your options and discuss realistic expectations.
Brow Lift Surgery
The brow lift is an outpatient surgical procedure that is performed in about 90 minutes while the patient is under “twilight” anesthesia. Several mini-incisions are made just behind the hairline. Dr. Mandal inserts a very tiny lighted camera, called an endoscope, through the incisional openings to visualize the tissues under the forehead skin. Special instruments are used to release the eyebrows from deeper tissues to which they are attached. Hidden anchor sutures are then placed to maintain the brows in their lifted position postoperatively. For patients needing only a portion of their eyebrow elevated, such as with a lateral or outer brow lift, surgical correction can sometimes be done with local anesthesia alone.
Since BOTOX® Cosmetic temporarily raises the eyebrows, it is often given 1 week before surgery to help keep the brows elevated while they are healing in their new position. Botox can also be maintained after surgery to help slow down additional aging of the upper face after brow lift surgery.
Recovery & Results
Most bruising and swelling resolves within 2 weeks of brow lift surgery. Sutures are removed in 10 days at which point you may return to most routine activities. Dr. Mandal’s typical brow lift patients are extremely happy with their refreshed, more welcoming facial appearance. The subtle, yet impressive changes from surgical brow elevation often lead to increased confidence in the work place as well as on a social level.
Alternatives To Surgical Brow Lift
For patients not ready for surgery, viable non-surgical, minimal-invasive alternatives are available for effective upper facial rejuvenation:
- Botox® not only helps lift sagging brows and heavy upper eyelid skin, but can also soften dynamic muscle overactivity of the glabellar frown lines, crows feet (laugh lines around the eyes) and upper forehead wrinkles.
- Injectable fillers placed in hollow temples can widen a narrow upper face and elevate a sagging outer brow for a more refreshed, awake look. Bellafill®, the 5 year filler, is the most popular choice in Dr. Mandal’s practice.
- Injectable fillers placed along the inferior border of the outer brow can also raise a droopy outer brow and works in conjunction with filler volumization of the temples. Bellafill®, the 5 year filler, is the most popular choice in Dr. Mandal’s practice.
- Infini™ RF/Genius™ RF non-surgical brow lift can elevate the inner, central and outer brow by stimulating skin collagen and elastin. Infini™ RF/Genius™ RF are often combined with Botox and other neuromodulators as well as with injectable fillers for enhanced upper facial rejuvenation.
As a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Mandal focuses on satisfying results that are very natural looking. When it comes to the face, patients prefer quality and excellence over price. They seek her skills from throughout Palm Beach County, across Florida and a range of national and international locations. To discover your options, request a consultation online or call 561-238-0040 at our Palm Beach Gardens office.
