Do you feel like a heavy, drooping brow is making you look tired or older than your years?

Genetics and natural aging can cause our forehead area to sag and drop slightly through the years. This can lead to our eyes becoming hooded by the weight of our brows and forehead, giving us an angry or tired look even if we’re feeling great! Although Botox® Cosmetic can be a valuable tool to help elevate and smooth our brows and forehead, it’s essential to understand its limitations to identify when surgical intervention may be needed.

What does brow lift surgery do?

Brow lift surgery sometimes called a “forehead lift,” tightens and lifts the skin and muscles of the forehead area. Although there are various methods, an incision is generally made just in front of or within the hairline. Your surgeon will then lift the skin of the forehead to remove fat, reposition muscle, and pull the skin to a tighter, more elevated position. In some cases, this is completed endoscopically through several smaller incisions. A Brow Lift is a very effective way to lift heavy, drooping eyebrows and restore a fresher, more awake look to the face. Results generally last 5-10 years.

How does a Botox® brow lift work?

Botox® works by temporarily relaxing the muscles under our skin that can cause a wrinkle when they contract. During a Botox® brow lift, your Injection Specialist will inject the muscles between your eyebrows and throughout your forehead to soften these muscles and smooth the overlying skin. When Botox® is injected between your eyebrows, the glabellar complex, and your upper forehead, it is essentially taking tension off of muscles that naturally pull down on your brows. Once your Botox® results set in, your brows naturally elevate because tension is diminished. This is why headaches are also relieved with the use of Botox®.!

A Botox® brow lift results in a subtle lifted appearance to the eyebrows and a more open look to the eyes. Your injection specialist may even place some of her injections at the tail end of the eyebrows to further enhance this lift. The degree of lift you can achieve with a Botox® brow lift depends on your age, skin structure, and health, and the tone of the underlying muscles left active to pull up on the muscles relaxed by Botox®.

How do I know if I need surgery or if Botox® will work for me?

Your Refinery Skin Clinic Injection Specialist will be very transparent with you regarding whether or not she thinks Botox® alone will help you reach your goal. Although Botox® can accomplish many things, it is never a substitute for surgery. Unlike surgery, a Botox® brow lift cannot tighten the skin of the forehead, and results are temporary. Together, you and your injection specialist can decide what is best for you based on your desired outcome.