Botox Brow Lift vs. Surgical Lift

As you get older, changes to your face can occur. Your skin starts to lose collagen and elasticity, and you can notice fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. Your brow is one area that can be affected by the natural process of aging. We will take a look at the differences between a botox brow lift vs. surgical lift options.

If you want to have a more youthful brow, there are a couple of options for you to consider. Cosmetic surgery is one possibility; having a surgical brow lift is a permanent but invasive way to change your appearance. There are a few types of surgical brow lifts that exist. Another option is to have a Botox brow lift, which allows you to lift your brow without surgery. This involves injecting the Botulinum toxin to relax muscles and smooth out the skin. If you are considering a brow lift, comparing these two procedures can help you to find the best option.

What Is a Brow Lift?

An eyebrow lift is designed to lift up your brow and smooth out the skin on your forehead. It helps to improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles between the eyebrows and eyes, and on the bridge of the nose. It raises your eyebrows to help them look more youthful, and prevents you from looking tired. All of these changes can help to boost your confidence and self-esteem by giving you the look that you want.

A Botox brow lift and a surgical brow lift are two fantastic options to consider if you are looking to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin on your forehead. Comparing the two options, including their recovery time and price, can help you to decide which one is right for you.

How a Surgical Brow Lift Works

A surgical brow lift can be carried out in a few different ways. There are three types of surgical brow lifts: endoscopic brow lift, open brow lift, and limited incision lateral brow lift. These involve making incisions in different locations and at different lengths, so that the skin can be lifted into the right position.

An endoscopic brow lift uses a number of small incisions in the hairline to lift the brow.

An open brow lift uses an incision at the border of the hairline, leaving a visible although discreet scar.

A limited incision lateral brow lift is also called a mini brow lift, and uses incisions in the temple – it is less common than other methods.

A surgical brow lift is often performed under general anesthesia, meaning you will be asleep during the procedure, but it can sometimes be performed under local anesthetic too. This means you can stay awake but you won’t feel anything.

Surgical Brow Lift Pros and Cons

There are both pros and cons to consider if you’re thinking about getting a surgical brow lift. As with any surgery, there are risks involved, so it’s important to be aware of them, as well as the potential benefits.

Pros

• The results of a surgical brow lift are permanent, or as much as they can be – they will last for many years, and often over a decade
• Surgery can be used to address deeper signs of aging, providing more dramatic results
• Lifts the actual soft tissue of the brow

Cons

• The usual complications and risks associated with surgery
• Longer recovery time and more pain
• Longer treatment time
• More costly than other options

How a Botox Brow Lift Works

A Botox brow lift uses the toxin Botulinum type A to perform the brow lift. Botox is used to relax the muscles between your eyebrows.

The muscles in your forehead that haven’t been relaxed can then lift up the relaxed muscles. This lifts your eyebrows and opens up your eyes, helping to deal with lines and wrinkles.

The word “toxin” might seem worrying, but Botox is approved by the FDA and is perfectly safe to use for both cosmetic purposes and even some medical reasons.

Botox is injected, so it’s minimally invasive compared to surgery. A local anesthetic can even be used to reduce the discomfort of the injection. There is little need for downtime after the treatment, and the results can last for a number of months.

Botox Brow Lift Pros and Cons

Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages to choosing a Botox brow lift over the surgical option.

Pros

• Non-invasive procedure
• Fast procedure that can take just a few minutes
• A temporary procedure, so you can try it out once to see if you like it
• More affordable than other options such as surgical brow lifts

Cons

• Might only last for four to six months
• Repeated procedures are required to maintain results
• Doesn’t always provide a large lift – might not be suitable for deeper signs of aging

Recovering from a Brow Lift

One of the biggest differences between a surgical and Botox brow lift is the recovery time. If you choose the surgical option, you can expect that the recovery time is going to be much longer. Recovering from the surgery can be painful, and it could take weeks for you to see the real results after the swelling and bruising has healed. However, a Botox brow lift requires very little recovery time. You can start to see results within a week with a Botox brow lift, and you can quickly get back to your normal activities.

Comparing the Costs

Another significant difference between surgical and Botox brow lifts is the cost. A surgical brow lift is much more costly than a Botox brow lift. Even though Botox treatments are required more often, they can still make more sense financially. You could spend thousands on a surgical brow lift, whereas a Botox brow lift could cost only a few hundred.

Contact us at Vargas Face & Skin Center if you want to learn more or schedule your brow lift consultation today!