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In physiology, we term the actions of muscles to be agonist and antagonist muscles. This refers to the results of the muscle contraction.Certain muscles play "tug-of-war" with areas of the face. Examples include:The corner of the mouth: Muscles lift the corner in a forced "cheeky" smile or turn the corner of the mouth downward with frowning.The outer part of the eyebrow: The squinting muscles pull the eyebrow downwards while the forehead muscles pull it upward.The central upper lip : "pursing" muscles pull it downward, whereas muscles just to the outside of the nostril create a "gummy" smile.If we inject the antagonist muscles, the agonist muscle action will predominate and take over. In the examples above:Injecting the muscles that pull down the corner of the mouth (the depressor anguili oris) will allow the muscles that lift the corner to take over and minimize downturning or frowning.Injectting the squinting muscles relaxes the pulling down of the brow and creates a chemical "forehead/brow lift"Injecting the muscles to the outside of the nostril allows the upper lip to relax and eliminates the gummy look when smiling.I hope this helps!
As we age, our eyelids naturally sag and droop. A combination approach would be best to see visible improvement. In terms of non-surgical treatment options, I would recommend a Chemical Brow Lift (using Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, or Jeuveau) and filler injections to rejuvenate the temples, eyebrow, eyelid, eye troughs, upper eye hollows, and forehead. I typically combine this with Ultherapy and thread lifting to lift the brow; RF and skin tightening laser treatments to stimulate collagen production and rejuvenate the skin; and laser or superficial RF devices for improvements in texture, color, and any crepey skin around the eyes as needed. In some cases, surgery is the best solution to achieve the desired results. See an expert for a formal consultation. Best, Dr. Emer.
The brows have several different muscles pulling on them from different angles. The only elevator of the brow is the frontalis muscle that also creates the horizontal forehead lines. We prefer to treat this muscle lightly to soften those lines but also preserve some forehead motion and prevent causing the brows the drop. The orbicularis oculi is a muscle that circles around the eye. This helps with squinting and blinking to close the eye. It also pulls the brow down. By treating this muscle laterally it can prevent the muscle from pulling the brow down and allows the frontalis muscle to pull it up further. If over done it can cause lateral peaking or a 'spock brow' deformity.
Good question! Botox should always be injected by an experienced provider. Botox can generate a sag in the face if injected in the lower forehead region, due to it inhibiting your ability to lift the eyebrows. However, it can generate a lift as well if injected in the corners of the eyebrow, this inhibits the ability of the muscle to pull down the eyebrow. Botox can generate either a lift or a droop depending on where it is injected. Below is a video to help explain this in further detail.Wish you the best with your journey, hope this is useful!Dr. Anil Rajani, MDPortland, Oregon
Botox brow liftAreas that can be injected with Botox to achieve a brow lift There are many different areas of the face that we have used Botox on in the past. Some of these are rarely used however the three main areas where we utilize Botox for the face are located around the eyes. Specifically, we utilize Botox for the area between the eyes, an area we call the glabella. This area is often referred to as The 11s. The second most common area I utilize Botox for is the lateral Eye region to alleviate the appearance of crows feet and also give a slight upward lift to the lateral brow. Lastly the other area we often inject Botox into is the forehead to treat the horizontal lines of the forehead. When all three of these areas are injected at the same time and done by a well-trained injector, the end result should be a nice gentle relaxation of the muscles around the eyes that leads to a slight brow lift that is aesthetically pleasing.
Botox works by relaxing muscles in the treated area. In some cases, these muscles may help to hold the brow up when they contract (like the muscles in the forehead that create the horizontal lines), or to bring the brow down when they contract (like the muscles between the eyebrows or around the eyes at the crow's feet area). By relaxing the muscles that bring the brow down during contraction, the brows are allowed to come up slightly, creating a lift of the brow position.Keep in mind that these effects are usually subtle, but can make a very nice improvement in some patients. More aggressive brow lifting usually requires surgical intervention through various brow lifting techniques.All the best,
This is all about balance. There are muscles that depress the brow (corrugators, orbicularis and procerus) and there are muscles that lift the brow (frontalis). You can google images of all of these.So we use botox to paralyze the muscles that depress the brow and this then allows the brow elevators to compensate and give a slight elevation. Hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC
Botox offers a noninvasive way for patients to obtain mild elevation of their their brow (or more of an arched brow). The product is injected just below the brow in regions where elevation is desired. This effectively relaxes the muscle that pulls the brow downward. Normally, 2 to 6 units will be used on each side.
The crows feet (the lateral Obicularis muscle), are the strongest depressor of the lateral brow. Relaxing the crows feet with Botox, especially the upper crows feet, will allow the lateral brow to rise up just a few millimeters. This can give a nice, refreshing look. There is a limit as to how high the brow can be lifted. Just a few millimeters, no more. Most patients like the effect.
Botox can be strategically placed on the forehead and tail of the brows to actually help lift the eyebrows, and lift heavy upper eyelids. If misplaced, Botox can also drop the brow, so a skilled doctor should assess the needs of the patient and anatomy to ensure the best possible outcome.
A skilled injector can use Botox to weaken the muscles that pull down on the brow. These muscles include: corrugators, procerus, and orbicularis oculi. Corrugators and procerus pull down on the medial aspect of the brow. Orbicularis pulls down on the lateral aspect.The results are beautiful and natural: a more open eye, less sagging of the upper eyelid, and elevation of the brow.