Eyebrow Dropping After Lateral Browlift

By 5 weeks the brows are most likely settled down to where they are going to stay - they are most likely still higher than your pre-op brows but looking at your pre-op photos can confirm this.

To give the eyebrows a nice lift, we use injectable fillers to improve the eyebrow, upper eye, forehead and temple. A filler is placed on the bone and in the fat pads of these areas to contour and lift without it looking overdone. We use cannulas to limit pain and swelling. I suggest getting a formal consultation with a facial sculpting expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Brow drooping is common after browlifts and usually will subside at 3-6 months after surgery. I would wait and see what the final outcome is before re-assessing the outcome. You could consider using Botox in the lateral brow and crow's feet to help reduce the downward pull of the muscles in that area.

It is expected that your brow will drop slightly following browlift surgery. I think that Dr. Campanelli has provided a great explanation of the expected early changes following browlift surgery. The one comment I will add is that your surgeon should have taken pre-surgery photos. It might be useful to ask to see them at your next appointment. Often people will be surprised by how big of an improvement they have received after looking at these pre-procedure photos. At least this will give you a better idea of where your brow started before your procedure and help you assess how much improvement persists.
Best,Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Incomplete immobilization of the lateral brow, can cause excessive relaxation of the brow after surgery. Loosening of the sutures can also be the culprit.

You should expect some relaxation after surgery but the amount is dependent upon the technique used by the surgeon.  For good long-lasting results, the brow has to be released off of the bone at the orbital rim.  This takes a great deal more time and is far riskier as it involves traversing the area of the facial nerve.  Poorly trained surgeons will skip this step to minimize risk but it also diminishes results.

In the United States, we see a lot of non-surgeons (dermatologists, family practice docs, etc) performing brow lift surgery in their office under local anesthesia.  If you don't understand the anatomy, it seems like a simple operation.  One simply takes out a little skin, sews up the incision and cash the check.  Initially it looks great, but much like the experience with facelift surgery, if all you address is the skin, all the laxity will be back in about 12 months.  I don't know what the requirements are in New Zealand but my advice is the same, always start with a qualified physician.

From your description, I think your surgeon performed the operation correctly.  You should not expect to see further droop after 5 weeks.

Browlift procedures are done differently between each surgeon and results will vary. I personally do an endoscopic browlift that involves two principles mobilization and fixation. With mobilization that portion involves dissection below the orbital rim and transection of the periosteum and fixation involves anchoring the tissue with temporal sutures and using temporary screws for support. With this technique you are basically underming the tissue and shifting it back to it's original youthful location without over raising the eyebrows. The post surgical results should give the patient the results of looking the same way they did ten years ago.