Brow Lift vs. Eyelid Surgery: Which One Suits You The Best?

Over time, the human skin slowly loses collagen, resulting in a loss of elasticity. It is a part of the natural aging process. People may notice loose skin around the eyebrows, eyes, and forehead, as these signs leave you with an aged appearance.

Are non-surgical methods worth it?

People opt for numerous non-surgical methods to improve the appearance of their eyebrows. Some common methods for fast and easy lift include injectables such as botulinum toxins, or dermal fillers.

FDA-approved ultrasound treatment called Ultherapy is also effective in lifting and tightening the skin around the eyebrows. However, the outcomes of these methods are short-lived. You will have to undergo these procedures at regular intervals to retain the lift. For long-term results, surgical options would be even better.

Surgical methods for brow and eyelid lift

Two of the most common surgeries to improve the areas around the eyes, eyelids, and upper part of the face are eyelid surgery and a brow lift. These two procedures can give you a more youthful and refreshed appearance. To choose from any of these two, consult a professional surgeon. The expert will tailor a plan that will be the perfect fit for you.

Let us discuss some important aspects of these two procedures, to help you single out the most suitable one for your skin.

What is a Brow Lift?

A forehead or brow lift can easily subtract several years from an individual’s facial appearance. However, its focus area is above the eyes, mainly around the eyebrows and forehead. Brow lifts suit those with ‘hooded’, low brows. This procedure is also ideal for patients with a brow area sagging as they age.

Low or saggy brows can give the face a sad, angry, or tired look, which may affect the way society perceives them. Some people may also complain that they cannot see the makeup applied to their eyelids.

A brow lift can refresh the appearance of the area surrounding your eyes, without undergoing eyelid surgery. Thus, many people are now opting for brow lift procedures to look youthful and refreshed. Each year, there are more than 88,000 brow lift procedures done alone in the United States.

People adopt various approaches to undergo brow lift surgery, which include:

Internal browpexy: Done simultaneously with blepharoplasty through the same incision

Endoscopic brow lift: Uses keyhole incisions above the brow line.

Temporal brow lift: Requires doing incisions behind the hairline. Mostly done to lift the outer part of the brow

Direct brow lift: Used for low brows, it requires making an incision above the brow hairline.

When you should not have a brow lift?

Undergoing a brow lift is not a good idea if your brow position naturally sits higher. It may give you a surprised but unappealing appearance.

Moreover, if you do not like any kind of invasive procedure, a non-surgical treatment option to raise the brows, such as using injections would be preferable. However, they will not give the same durable results as surgical procedures.

What is Eyelid Surgery?

Doctors perform eyelid surgery to correct both lower and upper eyelids, as these parts can often sag and turn out puffy with growing age. Droopy upper lids may interfere with vision and make an individual look older than their actual age.

In some cases, eyelids can droop so low that it becomes quite difficult for a person to completely open their eyes. In contrast, lower eyelids may develop dark circles or bags that can make anyone look exhausted, even if they had a good sleep.

To get rid of these issues, many people choose to undergo eyelid surgery. According to the Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, in 2022, surgeons performed more than 115,000 blepharoplasties in the U.S.A. In 2022, eyelid lifts became the most popular facial cosmetic surgery.

Eyelid surgery is a same-day outpatient process, which needs the surgeons to remove excess tissue from the upper or lower eyelids. It can diminish dark circles, and reduce puffiness under the eyes, leaving you with a more refreshed, youthful, and alert appearance.

Individuals having blocked vision due to their eyelids can expect to get unobstructed vision after undergoing successful eyelid surgery. However, you must know that eyelid surgery cannot remove wrinkles around your eyes or ‘crow’s feet.’

When should you not undergo an eyelid surgery?

If you wish to remove the wrinkles and fine lines around the corners of your eyes then, this procedure is not for you. However, an eyelid surgery will be perfect if you have saggy upper eyelids due to excess skin.

You can opt for an eyelid surgery if your droopy eyelids have blocked your vision, or if you have bags under your eyes even after resting for many hours. However, if not much eyelid skin is there to remove, eyelid surgery would be a recommended treatment.

Brow Lift vs. Eyelid Surgery: Which will be perfect for you?

All the people are different and everyone has their own desired outcomes as well. Hence, the decision to choose between these two methods actually depends on the result you wish to get. Brow lifts are perfect for people with low or sagging brows, while eyelid surgery is perfect for sagging eyelids.

However, many people opt for combination methods in order to get a more youthful appearance.

No matter what kind of treatment you wish to undergo, it is crucial to seek advice from a professional and experienced surgeon. Only the professionals will be able to give you a perfect idea according to your needs and preferences.

The table below compares both surgeries side-by-side to enable you to get a better idea about the procedure that suits you the best:

Final Words

Brow lift and eyelid surgery are the two most popular types of surgical procedures to give your face a refreshed and youthful look. Both treatments have their respective procedures and need the guidance of experienced surgeons to perform the surgeries with precision.

It is however not convenient to consider one treatment better than the other since much will depend on the patient’s requirements and budget constraints. Therefore, if you need to get rid of your saggy eyelids or ‘hooded’ or low eyebrows, contact a professional surgeon to undergo the procedure today.