Brow Lift Before and After the Procedure – What to Expect

Has this ever happened to you? You keep getting asked “what’s wrong?” or “what are you mad about?” and all you want to do is scream “this is just how my face looks!” 

A lot of people develop sagging brows as they age. It can cause you to look grumpy, unapproachable, tired, older than you are, or perpetually angry. This might be how your face looks now, but you don’t have to settle for looking like Ebenezer Scrooge. A brow lift can help smooth out wrinkles and open up your eyes. 

What is a Brow Lift?

A brow lift is a permanent medical procedure that tightens the skin on the forehead. Whereas a facelift only focuses on the bottom two-thirds of the face, it targets the top third of the face.

At Qazi Cosmetic Clinic, brow lifts are performed by Dr. Nadir Qazi’s team of experienced plastic surgeons. This team uses the latest surgical techniques to give all patients the results they want. This means that you can enjoy a more youthful appearance that is natural-looking and has no visible scarring.

The technique is very straight forward:

For a surgical brow lift, all patients are given general anesthesia. The surgical team will then make an incision along the top of the forehead; this incision is normally placed in the hairline in order to hide any scarring. Excess skin and tissue is removed and the facial muscles may be tightened. 

Two possible variations on the traditional brow lift procedure. 

1. An endoscopic brow lift is a surgical procedure that utilizes smaller incisions to perform the brow lift. 
2. There is also the Botox brow lift, which is non-surgical and non-invasive; 

Dr. Qazi performs Botox brow lifts himself in his comfortable Orange County office.

What Do the Results of a Brow Lift Before and After Look Like?

After a brow lift, patients will have smoother skin along the forehead, no more wrinkles, and the brows may appear raised. The forehead can have an unexpectedly large impact on the overall shape of the face. It can be difficult to pinpoint the change, but the key difference that patients notice after the procedure is that their face looks much more open. This change can be seen clearly in brow lift before and after photos.

The simple act of tightening the brows can make a world of difference in how you are perceived. For women, it can take 10 years off the face. For men, a it can reverse a perpetual frown and make you look younger, more approachable, and more friendly. 

It can be especially beneficial for people whose brows appear to be crashing into their eyes. The dangers of sagging brows go beyond the aesthetic. In severe cases, sagging brows can limit a patient’s field of vision, making activities like driving less safe.

8 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Brow Lift

Brow lifts are most popular among people ages 40 to 60. It is around the age of 40 that most people begin to feel their age and dislike how their face has changed over time. 

Depending on your genetics, lifestyle habits, and sun exposure, you may not need a brow lift until later in your 50s. 

Regardless of your age, the best time to get a brow lift is when you start to dislike what you see in the mirror.

Patients who have gotten brow lifts at Qazi Cosmetic Clinic often cite one of the following reasons for why they decided to get a brow lift when they did: 

1. Their appearance made them feel old and they wanted to look as active and youthful as they felt. 
2. Sagging brows made it difficult to see properly, which made activities like driving, cycling, and reading difficult. 
3. They looked in the mirror one day and realized that they looked far too much like their elderly parents. 
4. A brow lift was like the icing on the cake for the facelift that they already planned on getting.
5. Frown lines were making them look grumpy, unapproachable, and mean, which was negatively affecting their enjoyment of social functions.
6. Actors and performers frequently get brow lifts because they don’t want to be relegated to boring roles playing grumpy grandparents. 
7. A brow lift can make patients seem younger and more energetic, which can cause coworkers and bosses to view them as more competent and more deserving of a promotion. 
8. How people perceive themselves has a big impact on their overall self-esteem and sense of self-worth; liking the way you look can translate to an overall more positive mindset.

Before and After Brow Lift: Preparation & Recovery

A brow lift is a surgical procedure, so the quality of your results are heavily influenced by how well you care for the treatment area before and after the procedure. 

During your consultation, Dr. Qazi will talk you through what to expect and give you instructions regarding how to prepare for the procedure. Because your body and health history is unique, your preparation instructions will be specific to you. 

In general, most patients are instructed to prepare for their brow lift by doing the following: 

• Stop smoking and consuming alcohol 2-4 weeks before the procedure; this is because smoking can adversely affect the body’s ability to heal properly. 
• Avoid taking any medications or supplements that have blood thinning or anti-inflammatory properties. For example, aspirin. These medications can increase your risk for bleeding and excessive bruising.
• You may be asked to get a physician exam or blood tests.The purpose of these tests is to ensure that you have no underlying conditions or infections that may complicate the procedure.
• Arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home after the procedure. It is best if someone stays with you for the first 24 hours to monitor your health.
• Prepare for the recovery by stocking up on food and painkillers, get time off work, reschedule any social obligations, and make sure that you have something to do.
• Patients will also have their photo taken at the consultation. This is to help prepare the medical team and for use as a brow lift before and after photo.

What Is the Recovery Like After a Brow Lift?

After your procedure, you will wake up in the recovery room where a team of experienced nurses will be taking care of you. At this time, your designated support person will be allowed to sit with you. It is normal for patients to be a little out of it as they come out of general anesthesia; it is common to ask the same questions repeatedly or make ridiculous statements. After you wake up, the nursing team may have you walk around a bit to help lower your risk of blood clots. 

All patients will have a dressing applied to their foreheads to support the treatment area. Certain types of less invasive procedures, like an endoscopic brow lift, may require less bandages than a traditional brow lift. It is also normal for there to be drains – small, plastic tubes – in your dressing to help fluid drain from the treatment area. These drains may be removed soon after you wake up or they may be left in for a few days. 

Before you are sent home, you will receive the following: 

• Instructions regarding how to change your dressing.
• Prescriptions for painkillers and an antibiotic.
• Information regarding who to contact if you have side effects or concerns.
• Instructions for when you can safely shower and wash your face.
• Extra bandages and dressings for changing.
• The date and time for your first post-op check up. 

On average, it takes between 10 and 14 days for patients to be healed enough to return to work and to go out in public. 

After your brow lift, it is normal for your forehead to be swollen, bruised, and sore. The best way to alleviate this is to keep your head elevated, including during sleep, and apply a cold compress to the treatment area.

After 48-72 hours, you will be safe to carefully shower and to gently rinse your forehead. Cosmetics, harsh cleansers, and exfoliants should not be used until after your medical team gives you the go-ahead. While your skin heals, it is important to avoid sun exposure and to keep all activity light.

Depending on the types of stitches used, you may need to make an appointment for the stitches or staples to be removed. In some cases, dissolvable stitches are used for a brow lift and a medical professional will not need to remove them. 

On average, patients make a full recovery after 6 weeks. Once the body is completely healed, you can resume all normal activities, including: 

• Swimming
• Sitting in saunas
• Wearing makeup
• Being in the sun
• Strenuous exercise
• Getting facials

It can take an additional 6 months for your results to be finalized. During this time, your skin will settle into its new position, your hair will grow around the incision points, and the incisions will heal to the point that they are invisible to others. Once your results are final, you will be able to take your after photo. Most patients get used to their new look fairly quickly, but it can be fun to see how they changed when they see their before and after brow lift photos. 

Is There a Non-Invasive Alternative to a Brow Lift?

For some patients, a traditional brow lift can sound a little intimidating. There is a non-invasive alternative: a Botox brow lift, which is also called a liquid brow lift or a temporary one.

This type of procedure utilizes Botox, Xeomin, or Dysport to paralyze the forehead muscles and erase wrinkles. Compared to a traditional one, this option is a walk in the park; the procedure has no down time and can be performed in under an hour in Dr. Qazi’s Orange County office. 

There are, however, some trade offs when you choose a Botox brow lift instead of a traditional brow lift. 

How Long the Results Last

When you get a traditional brow lift, the results can last for 10 to 15 years. On-going aging may affect how your forehead looks over time, but the results of your procedure will not wear off. This means that you can enjoy your new look for a very long time. For many patients, this trade off is well worth it because they are willing to undergo a more involved procedure and a longer recovery in order to keep their youthful look for a long time. 

A Botox brow lift does not last nearly as long. Botox will eventually wear off and your wrinkles will return. For most patients, their first Botox treatment lasts between 3 and 4 months. Later treatments can last up to 6 months. This means that, if you go the liquid brow lift route, you will need a follow up procedure every 6 months minimum.

Botox Brow Lift Before and After: The Quality of Your Results

When you look at brow lift before and after photos, you will notice that the procedure opened up the face and restored the look of both youth and joy to the patient. A traditional procedure can be a bit of an undertaking for a patient who is getting it as their first procedure, but the results are well worth it. A well-done brow lift can be like a time machine for your face. 

On the other hand, a Botox brow lift is far more convenient, comfortable, and quick. The trade off is that the results from a Botox brow lift before and after are not nearly as transformative. It is only able to smooth wrinkles and prevent new ones; it does not have the power to lift the brows and open up the face. 

Even if you do decide to take the liquid brow lift route and schedule follow ups every 6 months, the ongoing quality of your results cannot be guaranteed. This is because Botox can lose its effectiveness as the body produces antibodies to fend it off. It is also possible for patients to develop an allergy to the extra ingredients found in Botox. To retain the results that you saw when you first got Botox, it may be necessary to switch to Xeomin or Dysport to keep your forehead wrinkles at bay.

Are You Ready to See Your Brow Lift Before and After Results?

If you are interested in getting a traditional brow lift or a Botox brow lift, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation at Qazi Cosmetic Clinic. All brow lifts are performed by Dr. Qazi’s experienced team of plastic surgeons.