Could an eyebrow injury cause nerve damage in rest of the face?

Question

When i was a few years old i got a deep cut on the end of my eyebrow, and more than a decade later my eyebrow droops a little, eyelid droops, and that side of my face droops. The other side of my face has more definition, but on the side that recieved the scar, the lip falls down slightly, and this side stores all the fat. Why is this? Is it because of the scar?

Erik Miles, MD, FACS · Answer

An injury where you describe can affect a branch of the facial nerve which controls elevation of the eyebrow.  This can cause heaviness and fullness. Sometimes this is not noticed until you get older because the brow begins to droop a little bit more and you don't have the ability to compensate by lifting it.  A brow lift and blepharoplasty can often help. An injury near your eyebrow would not explain the symptoms you are having on your lower face and lip.  There are a myriad of other causes for facial paralysis however. My recommendation is to seek a consultation with a neurologist to try to figure out why you're having those symptoms. Best wishes to you!

Manish C. Champaneria, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question.An eyebrow injury can potentially harm nerves that lift the forehead, eyelids, but typically does not affect the lips or areas below the brow. You may have something else going on, that may require you to first see you primary doctor with a referral to a specialist. Best of luck to you...

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

This suggests that perhaps something else is wrong or your assessment of what is going on is not right.  A photograph would be invaluable to actually understand what you mean. Please consider reposting with a face photograph so we can be more helpful.

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. The droopiness and laxity you are experiencing may be related to the cut at the end of your eyebrow, however, there is ambiguity due to the fact that these effects happened over a decade after the potential cause. It would be helpful for us if you were to follow-up this post with a picture. I suggest that you consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon for an in-person examination.Best wishes,

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Very unlikely b=ut ONLY in person examination of the Facial Nerve on that side could offer you a potential dx.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

While an eyebrow injury can affect the feeling nerves of the forehead or even the nerve that moves the forehead,it would not cause any nerve injury or other facial changes below the level of the eyebrow.

Sara A. Kaltreider, MD (retired) · Answer

There are many causes/types of facial nerve palsy - viral, injury, congenital, central or peripheral nerve problems. An ophthalmologist could help you with the diagnosis, and determine if you need to see a neurologist - i.e., are knowledgeable about peripheral facial nerve problems. An Oculoplastic surgeon - who has ophthalmology background could diagnose and treat the problem. The fact that the lower face has assymmetry suggests that the localized brow injury may not be the cause - it places the problem/ defect further back in the pathway of the facial nerve. Your questions could be best answered by an examination in person so that a doctor can look at the facial movement. Best wishes.

Could an eyebrow injury cause nerve damage in rest of the face?

Answers (7)

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