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With review and feedback from CEENTA oculoplastic specialist Catherine Cuite, MD (SouthPark)
One of your friends seems more alert, and their eyes look lovely. It turns out, they got cosmetic surgery on their brows and eyelids. Are you curious about the nature of these procedures?
A brow lift, also known as a forehead lift or forehead rejuvenation, is generally a cosmetic surgery that raises the brow and improves facial appearance, especially of the eye and brow area. Because brows and lids are part of the same continuum of skin, raising the brow helps eyelids look fresher and lighter, CEENTA oculoplastic specialist Catherine Cuite, MD, said. The eyebrow is not only a strip of fine hair, it is also a thickening of the skin with an associated fat pad. Patients often mistake the brow fat pad for eyelid fat, but they are different, and the brow fat pad should be preserved to protect the bones around the eye. Surgery to lift the brow is what you need if, when looking in the mirror, you like the look of pulling up from above the eyebrow hairs. If you like the look of pinching skin below the brow hairs, you may prefer a blepharoplasty.
As you age, the skin around your eyes becomes lax and stretches, which tends to narrow your eyes. In addition to excess skin, there is fat, which normally cushions the eyeball. This can herniate through weaknesses in the fine membranes, resulting in visible lumps or bulges. Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is designed to remove excess eyelid skin and protruding fat, and can be done for either functional or cosmetic purposes.
Mild brow lifts, called brow pexy, may be accomplished through the same incision as an upper eyelid blepharoplasty. Doctors may use fillers to achieve a gently higher brow position with injections into the brow and temple area using a hyaluronic acid product, as there is often loss of brow and temple projection with age. When droopy eyelids are more severe, your doctor can perform surgery directly above the brow, in the forehead creases or hidden in the hair. If you like the look you get from pushing up with your finger above the eyebrow hair, you probably should ask about the specific brow procedures available for your anatomy and decide from there.
Eyebrow and eyelid lifts are only covered if they are needed for vision purposes. Many insurance companies do not cover brow lifts as part of their policies exclusion criteria, in which case they do not pay even if the brows bother your vision. For brow lifts hidden in the hairline, patients can often expect to pay out of pocket.
If you are curious about these procedures, schedule an appointment with a CEENTA facial plastic surgeon. They will work with you to help you see clearly and be the best version of you that you can be.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. You can now schedule an appointment online with Dr. Cuite or any facial plastic surgery specialist in North and South Carolina. You can also schedule through myCEENTAchart or by calling 704-295-3000.
Through the years.
CEENTA oculoplastic surgeon Catherine Cuite, MD, and licensed esthetician Marsha Magasrevy appeared on WCNC's Charlotte Today on June 28, 2023 to discuss eyebrows, microblading, and permanent makeup.
Conditions like drooping eyelids and ptosis may require the steady hands of a CEENTA oculoplastic surgeon in Charlotte.
