Help! My Eyebrows are Drooping

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Have you ever pulled your brows up slightly toward your hairline and thought, “Wow, I look so much better!”  Everything goes south as we age, including our brows. If you’re noticing you look a little more tired than usual when you look in the mirror, you’re not alone. At a certain age, usually in our 40’s and 50’s, you’ll see a difference in where your brows used to be positioned and where they are now. It’s’ called the ‘Droopy Brow’.

In addition to your brows drooping or sagging, you’re probably noticing a few more lines across your forehead and some laxity on your upper eyelids. You see, our brows, forehead, and upper eyelids are all connected, and as they begin to droop, you begin to look tired or look older than you feel. Another sign of droopy brow is when your brows start to look flat instead of the raised arch you once had. Technically, your brow should be positioned just above your orbital or eyebrow bone.

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What are my options?

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There are several ways to combat facial aging of the upper face, including surgical, non-surgical, and minimally invasive procedures. The first is through plastic surgery. The surgery is known as a brow lift or a forehead lift, and it’s been popular for decades. But now, there are also non-surgical and less invasive ways of treating your aging issues.  We’ll go over all your options to make an informed decision on what’s right for you.

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1.   SURGICAL Brow Lift

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If you want to restore the bright, wide-eyed look of your younger days, reduce forehead wrinkles, and reduce the 11’s between your eyes, a surgical brow lift may be a good option for you. There are several techniques for the procedure. Your plastic surgeon might use different size incisions and different incision placement based on how you’ve aged and your facial anatomy.

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While thousands of brow lifts are performed successfully every year, surgery isn’t for everyone, and many people feel like they don’t have the time to spend in recovery mode. If you do decide on surgery, you need to be aware of the potential risks. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, some of the possible complications with brow lift surgery include:

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• Anesthesia risks

• Bleeding

• Loss of hair around the incisions

• Elevated hairline

• Facial asymmetry

• Facial nerve injury with weakness or paralysis

• Infection

• Poor wound healing

• Possibility of revision surgery

• Unfavorable scarring

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Recovery time for a brow lift is between 1-2 weeks. Depending on your type of work, you may return as early as 1 week. Strenuous physical activity should be avoided for 2 weeks after the surgery.

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2.   NON-SURGICAL Brow Lift

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Another option for restoring your brow placement and reducing wrinkles is with a non-invasive eyebrow lift procedure using the latest technology in ultrasound. In the past, ultrasound procedures have been painful and provided minimal results. But with the newest, FDA cleared ultrasound technology, Sofwave can revitalize the skin without surgery.

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Sofwave is performed in a physician’s office, using topical numbing creme, and it takes only about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. There is no real downtime from the procedure. Patients can immediately go home, go out to dinner, put on makeup, basically do whatever they need to do without any worries. In clinical studies, 88% of patients were marked as “improved” or “significantly improved” 12 weeks later after just one treatment.

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Here’s how it works… The Sofwave device heats the mid-dermal tissue at the right depth and temperature to rejuvenate collagen fibers and improve aging skin’s overall appearance. This collagen stimulation produces a tightening effect or a non-surgical brow lift. In addition to upper face rejuvenation, it is also used on the lower face and neck. And best of all, it’s safe for all skin types and colors.

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One of the world’s experts in non-invasive rejuvenation is Dr. Jason Pozner, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Boca Raton, Florida. He says patients today are looking for results with no downtime, and that’s what Sofwave can offer. Pozner says, “Sofwave’s technology is different from the earlier versions of ultrasound treatments where many patients complained of the pain involved, and some patients, around 20 percent, said they didn’t see any significant difference in their skin.” Sofwave is faster, gentler and you can typically see results after only a couple of treatments.

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3.   MINIMALLY INVASIVE Thread Lift

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An eyebrow thread lift is considered a minimally invasive procedure, and it can tighten your eyebrows’ sagging skin and lift them, giving you a more youthful look. Just as the name implies, physicians insert a small needle and dissolvable thread under the skin, thread it up and attach it in an inconspicuous location such as the hairline. Some threads have tiny barbs that hook into the tissue allowing the thread to ‘pull up’ your underlying tissues.

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As the threads dissolve after about six months, they create new collagen in the area. The procedure is relatively quick and not too painful. However, this procedure is only temporary, and you will most likely need additional treatments. Threads can cause some soreness, bruising, swelling, and puckering of the skin, but most people can go back to their normal activities within a week.

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Which treatment is right for you?

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When asked, most people will say they would prefer to go the non-surgical route if possible. They’re busy, they don’t want to spend time recovering, and they want to get back to their everyday life sooner than later. Talk to your doctor to help you determine which procedure is best for your droopy brows!

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