Injectable neuromodulators can do more than just minimize your average set of crow’s-feet. They can alleviate migraines, stymie excessive sweating, and even lift a drooping brow. But they still have limitations, and at a certain point, your usual vial of Botox might not be doing the trick for a forehead affected by gravity. And that might be the moment when you consider getting a brow lift. “Part of it has to do with age, part of it has to do with anatomy, and part of it has to do with the result you’re looking for,” says New York City board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lesley Rabach. Here’s how to tell if you need more than Botox to raise your eyebrows.
What is a Botox brow lift? Can Botox lift eyebrows?
First, know that Botox injections work well enough for a lot of people. “In young people who have a high brow, you can get a result using Botox to raise the eyebrows,” says Dr. Rabach. “It’s less expensive, it’s more immediate, there’s no downtime—all of which are great things in the world of cosmetics.”
Related: What’s the Difference Between Botox, Dysport, Xeomin and Jeuveau?
A high brow means that your brows are placed at a higher point above your orbital rim, which is the bone that creates a shelf above the eyes. Ideally, women’s brows should sit a centimeter above this orbital rim. (Men’s eyebrows usually sit lower, right on the orbital rim.) If you have a naturally lower-set brow, Botox might not work to raise the brow. In some cases, it can even backfire. “If you’re someone whose brow is at a low point and you relax the muscles in the forehead, it can cause the brow to further go down and actually descend into your eye,” says Dr. Rabach.
And even if you are born with a high brow, Botox can stop being as helpful as it once was. “As we get older and we’ve lost some of that fatty tissue and muscle, a really effective Botox [injection] can [also] cause things to sink down,” Dr. Rabach explains. “That’s when we do a brow lift.”
Brow lift or Botox?
Another reason for a brow lift vs. Botox? Age can also make the forehead larger and give a more elongated look to the face. A larger forehead might be desirable when you’re in your 20s, but in general, “it’s youthful to have a less prominent forehead,” says Dr. Rabach. “Everybody starts with a rounder face, whether that’s oval or oblong.” In that case, she does a kind of brow lift called a hairline lowering. By shortening the forehead and lifting the brow, your face appears rounder and therefore more youthful.
Related: The Little-Known Eye Lift Procedure That’s Taking Over Hollywood
Finally, a brow lift can be worthwhile if you have heaviness either in the glabella (the central area of the forehead) or near the temples. If these areas sink, it can lead to a very deep furrow between the brows (also known as the elevens) or drooping around the outer corners of the eyes, respectively. A brow lift can easily pull up and balance the area in question, says Dr. Rabach. Fortunately, brow lifts no longer involve ample downtime and general anesthesia. “I tell my patients that the hardest thing is that they can’t exercise for the seven days after the procedure—because they feel too good,” says Dr. Rabach. Sure, it might not be as simple as a few quick injections, but if it works better for you, a brow lift might just be worth it.
