Expert article

Brow lift: giving a tired gaze back 10 years

Forehead lines plus dropped brows equal a tired, cross expression. Endoscopic and classic brow lifts — how do they differ from Botox?

Dr Plasty TeamMarch 30, 20266 min read

Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Elvin Əliyev.

After the age of 35 the brows and forehead descend by a few millimetres — which can make a person look tired, tense and even cross. A brow lift is the surgical answer to that appearance.

3 main methods

1. Endoscopic brow lift (the gold standard)

4-5 incisions of 1.5 cm in the hairline
The brow muscles are seen through the endoscope and lifted
They are secured with screws or threads
2 weeks of recovery

2. Classic (coronal) brow lift

A long incision along the hairline from ear to ear
Now barely recommended at all (the endoscopic method is better)
3-4 weeks of recovery

3. Temporal brow lift (lateral brow lift)

Only the outer 1/3 of the brows is lifted
Small incisions in the hairline
1 week of recovery
Ideal for younger patients

The difference from Botox

Botox	Brow lift
Temporary (3-4 months)	Permanent (8-12 years)
Relatively inexpensive	Relatively expensive
No surgery at all	A surgical operation
10 minutes	1-2 hours
Dynamic wrinkles only	Static + dynamic

The ideal candidate

40-60 years old
The brows have dropped and the look is "sad"
Botox no longer corrects the forehead lines
An active way of life (does not want payments at the Botox rhythm)

Risks

Nerve injury (rare) — on one side the brow temporarily does not lift
Hair loss along the incision lines (rare)
Asymmetry (corrected with a revision)

About the price

The price depends on the method chosen (endoscopic, classic or temporal). The exact amount can only be found out at a consultation.

Recovery schedule

Day	State
1-3	Swelling, cold compresses
4-7	Brow "shock" — they look lifted too far
14	The sutures come out, the look becomes natural
30	Recovery completes
90	The final, natural result