A drooping brow is one of the most frustrating concerns for both men and women during the aging process. As the skin loses collagen and elastin, it can begin to sag over the eyes, causing you to look tired, angry, or older than you are. Unfortunately, these age-related changes can be near impossible to fix with at-home remedies—besides, who wants to spend hours a day strategically placing sticky tapes to their skin to produce an at-home lift?
Austin’s experienced brow lift surgeon, Dr. Malena M. Amato, and her knowledgeable team offer their patients the long-lasting lifting results of a brow lift. This minimally invasive procedure takes years off your appearance, awakens your eyes, and elevates your self-confidence.
A common question among patients interested in a brow lift is whether the effects of this procedure will change their natural eye shape. In this blog, we’ll discuss how Dr. Amato performs a brow lift, its effects on your eyes, and the relationship between your eyebrows and your eye shape, so that you can better understand what to expect from this incredible procedure.
Understanding Brow Lift Surgery
The underlying tissue in the brow drops progressively with age, creating a tired, worn out, and sometimes angry expression. A brow lift is a cosmetic surgery that raises the brow line for a youthful, energized appearance. Through a brow lift, Dr. Amato can improve and correct brow furrows, forehead lines, and even correct vision that is impaired by brows sitting heavy on the patient’s eyelids. Dr. Amato frequently combines brow lift surgery with blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to fully rejuvenate the upper face and improve optimal vision for patients with significant eyelid ptosis.
What Determines Your Eye Shape?
There are six main eye shapes. Each eye shape exhibits different features to help you determine what shape eyes you have.
- Round Eyes are described as being large with no distinct features. They’re also described as having more white space around the iris than other shapes.
- Almond-shaped eyes are said to be narrower towards the outer corner of the eye. In addition, the lower eyelid has more skin exposed than round eyes and reveals a larger amount of the inner corners of the irises.
- Monolid-shaped eyes are similar to almond-shaped eyes but without a distinct crease line. The dominant feature of monolid-shaped eyes is the epicanthic fold. This skin fold covers the inner corner of the eyes, eliminating the crease fold.
- Hooded eyes have a larger amount of skin covering the upper eyelid. This excess skin can make it look as if there’s a hood over the eyes.
- Upturned eyes have the outer edges pointing upwards.
- Downturned eyes have outer edges that point downwards.
The Relationship Between the Eyebrows and Eye Shape
The eyebrows serve a higher purpose than just their aesthetic and the ability to express emotions. The eyebrows are meant to protect the eyes from the sun and sweat. Instead of sweat dripping down directly into your eyes, the brows divert the fluid to roll down the sides of your face. The brows also act as a visor against the sun for shielding your eyes.
Sinking brows can make the eyes look heavy and create more of a hooded and sad appearance. However, when the brows are raised, they open your eyes and instantly provide a younger and more energized look.
How a Brow Lift Can Change Your Appearance
By raising a drooping forehead, your eyes will appear more open and place your eyebrows in a more youthful position, making you appear more content, approachable, and awake. By diminishing the appearance of deep-set wrinkles and furrows that lend to a perpetually anxious, sad, or upset expression, a brow lift can also help restore a more neutral expression that puts you in charge of the emotions you would like to convey.
When you’re no longer worried about looking “worried” all the time, you can benefit from the surge of confidence in your appearance as well as how others perceive you based on your expressions.
Will a Brow Lift Affect My Eyelid Shape?
A brow lift is not intended to alter the shape of the eyes themselves. However, when the brow is lifted, removing the excess weight of skin and tissue from atop the eyes can often result in an improvement of the appearance of the eyelid. For example, when Dr. Amato uses a temporal brow lift, it addresses the outer corners of the brow; patients can sometimes see a difference in their eye shape as the skin and underlying tissue are lifted. This can inadvertently have the effect of making the eyes appear more open and awake.
What Procedure Will Change My Eyelid Shape?
A common concern among patients is the appearance of their eyelids. Dr. Amato is always proactive in explaining the relationship between the eyelids and the brows because they both contribute to extra skin and the shape of the eyes. For this reason, she’ll discuss the benefits of both a brow lift and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) to help determine which procedure is right for you. While a brow lift will help slightly alter the shape of the eyelids, a blepharoplasty is designed to enhance the natural shape of the eyelids by removing the excess skin that has drooped and distorting its shape. During your consultation, Dr. Amato will carefully evaluate your eyes and the upper portion of your face then discuss your concerns and goals. Through this discussion, she’ll be able to better recommend a surgical plan that is most appropriate for your specific needs. Oftentimes, blepharoplasty and brow lift are performed simultaneously for more comprehensive and stunning results.
Recovery and Aftercare for Brow Lift Surgery
Recovery and aftercare from brow lift surgery are relatively simple and quick, taking about two weeks for a full recovery. Most patients see a reduction in bruising and swelling in just 48 hours. Dr. Amato recommends her patients take a week off work after a brow lift to give themselves plenty of time to rest and heal. During that time, you may notice an immediate improvement in the appearance of your eyes and brow line. There may also be a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles in the upper portion of your face.
After your brow lift surgery, Dr. Amato will prescribe pain medication to help keep you comfortable during your recovery. We also encourage our patients to use cold compresses to help reduce swelling and discomfort. Other tips for implementing into your aftercare and recovery from a brow lift surgery include:
- Sleeping upright for three nights after your surgery
- Avoid activities that may place pressure on your face or cause excessive sweating
- Don’t shower or use hair products for the first 24 hours after your surgery. After the first 24 hours, you can use gentle baby shampoo and dab the area dry with a clean towel.
- Follow all aftercare instructions provided by Dr. Amato. She’ll explain incision care, potential complications, and tips to make your recovery as smooth as possible.
Consultation With a Qualified Cosmetic Surgeon
The key to a successful brow lift is choosing a cosmetic surgeon with specific qualifications, knowledge, and experience dealing with the intricacies around the eyes and eyebrows. Dr. Amato discovered her unique niche while pursuing a career in General Surgery at Stanford University, where she discovered her true passion for facial surgery—specifically ophthalmology. She gained her board certification in ophthalmology at Georgetown during her residency where she honed her skills and gained the standing as being one of the most prolific and requested cosmetic surgeons in Austin, TX.
When you meet with Dr. Amato for your consultation, she’ll allow as much time as you need, providing a comfortable space where you can discuss your concerns. From this discussion, she’ll customize a treatment plan that meets your specific needs and requirements.
Dr. Amato offers different approaches to brow lift surgery, including:
Endoscopic brow lift—For an endoscopic brow lift, Dr. Amato uses several short incisions made behind the hairline. Through these incisions, Dr. Amato will insert a tiny camera called an endoscope along with delicate surgical instruments to carefully manipulate the tissues that support the forehead. Once the forehead tissue is released, she’ll gently lift and fix it into place with self-dissolving sutures or implants. The endoscopic brow lift approach can dramatically reduce the healing time for eligible patients. It limits post-operative swelling and bruising and can be performed with local anesthesia.
Direct brow lift—Dr. Amato will use a direct brow lift approach for patients with more severe drooping of the forehead tissue. With this approach, she’ll place a single incision above the brow that is either hidden in the brow, forehead wrinkle, or behind the hairline. Dr. Amato will assess and release the patient’s forehead muscles, then tighten and reposition them using self-dissolving sutures. Excess skin may also be removed before Dr. Amato places the incisions. This technique is reserved for patients with significant skin laxity, deep forehead wrinkles, or high foreheads.
Facial injections—For patients with minor brow drooping, Dr. Amato can use Botox® injections, dermal fillers, or a combination of both in a liquid facelift to relax the brow muscles, reduce wrinkles, and improve the quality of the patient’s skin.
Discuss Your Brow Lift Options with Dr. Amato in Austin, TX!
If your forehead and brows are weighing heavily over your eyes, altering their shape, or causing you to have a perpetually angry or tired expression, brow lift surgery could be the solution you’ve been looking for! To learn more about this procedure, contact Austin brow lift specialist Dr. Malena Amato to arrange your personalized consultation and find out what a brow lift can do for you!