Frown lines and drooping brows are among the most significant signs of aging in the upper face. These features often convey a look of constant tiredness, stress, or displeasure — even when you’re not feeling any of these emotions. NYC aesthetic plastic surgeon Ira Savetsky, MD understands how frustrating it can be when the supportive tissues of the face begin to weaken, resulting in the development of wrinkles, creases, and skin inelasticity. A brow lift offers a highly effective solution to smooth frown lines and restore the brows to brighter and more youthful positioning. Dr. Savetsky employs modern techniques whenever possible — such as the endoscopic brow lift procedure — to achieve an elegant result while minimizing swelling, bleeding, and recovery time after the procedure.
- Brow Lift Benefits
- Brow Lift Candidates
- Brow Lift Procedure
- Brow Lift Recovery
- Brow Lift Results
- Brow Lift Scars
- Brow Lift Cost
- Non-Surgical Brow Lift
- Brow Lift Alternatives
What Can a Brow Lift Improve?
Over time, upper facial aging not only makes patients look older — tissue laxity in the brow can also convey feelings of anger, stress, or exhaustion, even when individuals feel perfectly healthy and rested. For this reason, many people turn to brow lift surgery to:
- Lift drooping or sagging brows
- Smooth horizontal forehead creases caused by skin inelasticity
- Improve frown lines (vertical glabellar wrinkles between the brows)
Achieving these goals can generally create a more rejuvenated and refreshed look without sacrificing a natural aesthetic. While brow lift surgery can provide improvements to the upper third of the face, the procedure is not designed to treat signs of aging in the lower face or neck. If you’re also bothered by jowls or loose skin along the neck and jawline, combining a brow lift with a facelift and neck lift can be an optimal way to obtain more comprehensive rejuvenation. Dr. Savetsky can help you formulate the best treatment plan for your needs during a consultation.
Is a Brow Lift Right for Me?
Commonly referred to as a “forehead lift,” brow lift surgery can provide a more rested and healthy appearance by addressing skin relaxation and repositioning weakened tissue on the forehead. If you believe you look older than you feel due to deep frown lines or drooping brows, a brow lift may be the ideal treatment for you. Patients interested in the procedure should also be:
- Healthy and a non-smoker
- Realistic about the outcome of surgery
- Positive about the outlook and potential results
Brow lift surgery is often an excellent complement to blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery — especially for patients whose drooping brows contribute to “hooding.” Whether performed alone or in combination with a brow lift, upper and lower eyelid surgery can correct puffy eyelids and stretched, excess skin making the eyes look aged or exhausted.
How is the Brow Lift Procedure Performed?
During the outpatient procedure, soft tissue is adjusted to lift the brow to a more rejuvenated positioning and to smooth furrows along the forehead. Incisions are typically hidden within the hairline, and Dr. Savetsky’s technique allows patients to achieve beautiful results with less downtime, shorter incisions, and significantly less post-operative discomfort than a traditional brow lift. Recovery times vary from patient to patient, but most individuals are able to resume work and normal daily activities in 7 to 10 days.
Endoscopic Brow Lift
An endoscopic brow lift is among the most advanced and least invasive ways to rejuvenate the brow. During the procedure, Dr. Savetsky uses special surgical instruments to perform brow lift surgery without the need for long incisions. During surgery, Dr. Savetsky places a few tiny incisions behind the hairline. This minimizes discomfort, as well as post-op scarring and bruising. A lighted surgical instrument with a tiny camera on the end is inserted through these incisions, allowing Dr. Savetsky to visualize and reposition the underlying muscles and tissues of the brow. Excess skin causing deep folds and creases in the upper face is also removed. You can rest assured that Dr. Savetsky will walk you through every step of your procedure during your appointment.
What Can I Expect From Recovery After a Brow Lift?
The recovery period after brow lift surgery usually lasts 7 days, with some patients able to return to work within one week. The head may be lightly wrapped with bandages or compression garments immediately after the procedure to help manage swelling and potential bruising. Exercise and strenuous activity should be avoided for one month.
Dr. Savetsky will provide you with comprehensive aftercare instructions so you have a good understanding of what to expect during the healing process. In general, we advise sleeping with the head slightly elevated to reduce swelling and accelerate your recovery. Other information about activity restrictions, incision care, and an approximate healing timeline will be provided after your procedure. You can be confident that Dr. Savetsky will help ensure you’re well-educated on brow lift surgery and the subsequent recovery period.
How Long Do Brow Lift Results Last?
The outcome of brow lift surgery is designed to last for years (even decades), although no procedure can stop the natural aging process. Since both excess skin and drooping musculature in the brow are treated, patients who received a brow lift tend to always look younger than same-aged individuals who did not undergo surgery. If you begin to notice signs of aging appear in the brow again, the following non-surgical treatments and simple preventative measures can help extend the longevity of your results:
- Wear sunscreen and sun protection: A large part of facial aging is caused by sun damage, so protecting your delicate facial skin with hats, sunglasses, and a high-SPF sunscreen can go a long way in preserving your brow lift results.
- Periodic BOTOX® Cosmetic injections: BOTOX® Cosmetic can help relax overactive muscles in the brow, often smoothing frown lines and deep creases in the upper face caused by repetitive facial movements.
- Facials, peels, and microneedling treatments: Non-surgical med spa treatments can be an excellent way to revive dull or rough facial skin, allowing a visible enhancement to the tone and texture of the face.
- Use high-quality skincare products: A strong skincare regimen is often the foundation for healthy, radiant skin. Talk to our board-certified plastic surgeon or medical team about recommendations for effective, medical-grade skincare products based on your needs and concerns.
Will I Have Visible Brow Lift Scars?
Patients generally do not have brow lift scars that are noticeable to outside observers, as Dr. Savetsky typically places incisions along the hairline or in other inconspicuous locations to help ensure a natural look. For those receiving an endoscopic brow lift, scars after surgery tend to be relatively shorter than brow lift procedures utilizing more invasive techniques. Before your procedure, Dr. Savetsky will provide you with a better understanding of where (and how) your brow lift scars are likely to appear.
It’s important to remember some extent of scarring after any surgical procedure is inevitable. However, patients in New York City typically appreciate Dr. Savetsky’s diligent technique in creating the most natural and elegant results possible. With brightening creams, daily sunscreen application, and good incision care during the healing process, scarring from a brow lift can often lighten and fade to some degree over time. Don’t hesitate to ask our team to view before-and-after photos if you would like to gain more insight into what you can expect after a brow lift.
How Much Does a Brow Lift Cost?
The cost of a brow lift includes the standard surgical expenses expected of every procedure, such as fees for the anesthesia, surgical facility, and surgeon, among other costs. The price varies for each patient based on the details of their individual treatment plan, such as:
- The surgical technique used
- The extent of the concerns observed
- The complexity of surgery
- Your aesthetic goals
In NYC, the total cost of a brow lift can range from $10,000 to $25,000 depending on each person’s unique needs. Insurance doesn’t provide coverage for cosmetic procedures, but Dr. Savetsky accepts plastic surgery financing plans via CareCredit® for qualified patients who would rather pay for their brow lift in smaller installments. Our team would be happy to speak with you about the cost of a brow lift in greater detail, so don’t hesitate to contact our office.
Is a Brow Lift Possible Without Surgery?
While brow lift surgery is the only procedure that can reposition an aging brow with long-term results, there are still non-surgical treatments available for temporary improvement. Depending on the extent of your concerns, you may still enjoy noticeable rejuvenation with BOTOX® Cosmetic injections and/or fillers. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a neurotoxin that can help relax overactive muscles in the brow area, softening frown lines and long creases along the forehead. Dermal fillers can also add volume and fullness to regions that look thin or aged.
In other cases, skin tightening treatments like Morpheus8® may be an ideal option. Both of these technologies use radiofrequency energy to tighten loose skin and remodel the collagen structure, giving patients a smoother and more youthful look in the areas of treatment. Dr. Savetsky can help you formulate the right treatment plan for your concerns and desires for the outcome. A combination of treatments and procedures may be an optimal solution for some individuals, and our team would be happy to review your options.
Are There Any Brow Lift Alternatives?
Alternatives to brow lift surgery at our NYC practice may include procedures to rejuvenate the mid-face, lower face, or neck, including:
- Facial Fat Grafting: Fat transfer to the face can replenish volume in areas that appear sunken, flat, or aged. This can help diminish wrinkles and give you fuller, more youthful facial contours with results that last longer than cosmetic injectable products.
- Eyelid Surgery: Some patients believe a brow lift is the most optimal solution to address aging in the upper face when they may actually require an upper eyelid lift. Dr. Savetsky meticulously evaluates your concerns to determine the right procedure for your needs.
- Facelift and/or Neck Lift: If the jawline or neck region is affected by loose, crepey skin, you may consider a facelift or neck lift to treat skin laxity and redefine the lower face. Not only can these procedures get rid of jowls, but they can also improve platysmal bands and a “turkey neck,” among other signs of lower facial aging.
Dr. Savetsky encourages you to discuss all your goals with him so he can identify the most convenient and effective pathway toward achieving your desired results. In some cases, he can combine multiple procedures in the same surgery to save you the time and expense of multiple operations.
Dr. Ira Savetsky has extensive experience achieving natural-looking results with brow lift surgery and other aesthetic facial procedures. Discover an optimal treatment plan for your goals by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Savetsky, or contact our New York City practice to speak with a member of our team.