Brow Lift - What Happens if my Eyebrows Are Lifted Too High and I End Up with a 'Shocked Look'?

Brow Lift - What Happens if my Eyebrows Are Lifted Too High and I End Up with a 'Shocked Look'?
I am thinking about having a Brow lift but am worried the eyebrows may be lifted too high and I may end up with a permanently startled look. Could this happen?

It really depends on what the patient is looking for and what the surgeon does.  Experience and good judgement has a lot to do with plastic surgery, and for this reason you need to find a plastic surgeon that you trust to carry out your surgery. 

Good luck.

Thank you for your question. This is a common concern for patients having this procedure. For patients having an endoscopic approach, this would be unlikely. However, with an open or bicoronal brow lift, this can happen. you should discuss this with your surgeon, and review their before and after photos before having surgery. 

Any facial plastic surgery or cosmetic procedure should enhance your looks, not work against them. A browlift that results in a “permanently startled look” would be a failed procedure. Your best insurance against an unwanted outcome is to spend time finding a board-certified facial plastic surgeon with training in facial aesthetics who takes the time to evaluate your particular anatomy, learn about your desired outcome, and discuss the realistic results you can expect. A browlift should look natural, giving you a more youthful and rejuvenated look that allows full expression and is in harmony with your facial features. I hope this helps.

I think your question is an excellent one-- how to get a nice brow shape after a browlift and avoid a "shocked" or "surprised" look.  The ideal brow has a gentle arc, starting centrally and moving laterally, with the peak being just short of the lateral end of the brow.  The way that a surgeon avoids that "surprised" look is to control the shape of the brow during surgery and the have this ideal in mind, so  I think that ultimately it comes down to two things: where your starting anatomy is and the judgement of your surgeon.  Some surgeons prefer a more open, elevated look to the brows, others want a more subtle result, and still others tailor their plan to the specific goals of the patient.  The key for the patient is to look at the surgeon's before and after photos, let him know what your goals are, and make sure you have as much information as possible before selecting your surgeon.

Being worried about looking shocked or surprised after brow lift surgery is a legitimate concern. However, contemporary brow lifts generally tend to shy away from pulling the eyebrows too high during surgery. In fact, the goal is often to maintain your eyebrows in the correct position while they are at rest. As most of us age, we begin to use the muscles in our foreheads to raise our eyebrows so that we can see. This worsens over time, and we develop wrinkles in the forehead. A brow lift rejuvenates the forehead and brow by lifting the eyebrows to their original position without using the muscles in your forehead. This eliminates many of the "active" wrinkles that were formed and, when done properly, should not create a shocked appearance.

Speaking to your facial plastic surgeon about your specific cosmetic goals will certainly help you decide what works best for you. I wish you the best of luck!

If you are given a shocked look as a resuklf of a brow lift, then the surgeon pulled too much. It is very hard to correct that.

Regarding:  "Brow Lift - What Happens if my Eyebrows Are Lifted Too High and I End Up with a 'Shocked Look'?   I am thinking about having a Brow lift but am worried the eyebrows may be lifted too high and I may end up with a permanently startled look. Could this happen?"

COULD you have an "Overdone" appearance? Yes, you could. You could also have an "under-done" appearance.

The KEY is to pick a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons as your surgeon. Each such surgeon, as a minimum, is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, the ONLY member board of The American Boards of Medical Specialties which certifies its members in Plastic Surgery of the Face and Body AND who were invited to join the society after reviewing their ethical conduct.

After seeing several ASPS members go with the one with whom you are most comfortable. The odds of your having such complications will be VERY small.

Dr. Peter Aldea

Concern about the eyebrows being too high is the most common worry patient have about a brow lift. This is extremely rare. Occasionally there is some overcorrection which settles in about a month. Discuss this concern with a Board Certified plastic surgeon and asked to see some before and after pictures to help reassure you. In the absolute worst case scenario, which I have never had to do in 25 years of practice, is a brow that is lifted too high that has to be brought back down with a second operation.

You avoid a shocked look by picking an experienced surgeon whose results you like - see many before and after pictures. Over the years I have lowered the hairline in women after their hairlines were inappropriately  raised during their brow lift surgery before I saw them. Obviously, the key is to avoid this problem.