Are those lines between and above your eyebrows starting to become more pronounced? Do your eyebrows seem lower than usual? It’s only natural to be bothered by these details on your face because a sagging brow can definitely add years to your appearance. A study confirms that aging eyebrows can give the impression of a tired or sad appearance and severe brow ptosis can impair normal peripheral vision. Of course, cosmetic surgery can easily fix these problems, but what if you’re not ready for anything invasive just yet? Botox can be the answer to the eyelift that you’re wishing for without resorting to plastic surgery.
So what do you need to know about Botox for eyes lift? Also referred to as Botox brow lift, it’s a non-invasive procedure that treats frown lines between your brows and elevates your eyebrows as well. Botulinum toxin is strategically injected in certain areas of your face to relax underlying muscles, which smooth the skin on the outside and softens the muscles between the brows. Because the brow muscles are relaxed, your forehead muscles can easily pull them up and therefore elevate your brows and open up your eyes.
Pros and Cons of Botox Injection for Non Surgical Eye Lift
Getting Botox for brow lift or brow elevation certainly comes with lots of benefits. It’s a non-invasive treatment, which means it doesn’t require surgery that comes with a traditional eyebrow lift. You don’t have to deal with incisions and skin removal. The procedure is quick and lasts around 10 minutes depending on the number of injections that you need. Recovery is fast and easy with little to no pain and it’s definitely less expensive than other treatments designed to lift the eyes or brows. Your doctor will typically inject Botox into the frown lines between your brows but he can also inject into other problem areas, such as your forehead and around your mouth or eyes.
Eyebrow lift Botox comes with these more specific benefits:
- Eyebrow and eyelid coordination – furrow brows can result in lowered eyelids. Before, only an eyelid surgery called blepharoplasty is the only procedure that can fix issues with the upper eyelid and lower eyelid. But the problem with blepharoplasty is that it can lead to hyperactivity of the middle brow muscle region. Your forehead muscles will try to maintain the position of your brows by contracting more, which will result in the formation of horizontal furrows on the forehead. Now you can turn to Botox to fix your eyebrow and droopy eyelid problem as it relaxes the facial muscles, causing the skin to smoothen and the lines and wrinkles to get erased.
- Fixing eyebrow position – the position of the brows differs between men and women. Men’s brows should be just on the ridge while women’s brows should be above the edge of the brow ridge or in the superciliary arch. Eyebrow surgery can ruin the ideal balance of the brows, which is why Botox may be the better alternative as brow depressors. The doctor will inject on areas depending on which part of the brow you want to correct. Your doctor will also consider the condition of your other muscles.
- Fast treatment with minimal preparation and recovery – as part of the prepping, you will be asked to stop taking blood thinners, including pain relievers, for a few days. After the cosmetic procedure, you will be advised not to exercise for at least a couple of hours. Some residual redness or soreness around the injected area is expected and should go away after a few hours.
The only downside to the procedure is that results are temporary since Botox lasts around four to six months only. Beyond that, you have to go back for repeat injections if you want to maintain the anti-aging effects. Also, if your lines and droopy brow are already way advanced, Botox treatment may not give you the results you desire in which case your doctor will recommend getting a surgical brow lift or eyelid lift instead from an experienced plastic surgeon.
Botox Eye Lift VS Brow Lift Surgery
In comparison to Botox, eyebrow lift surgery is performed using an endoscope, which is a thin camera that allows your surgeon to look at the inside of your body. Brow lifts come in three types – the endoscopic brow lift, the open brow lift, and the limited incision lateral brow lift. Your doctor will explain the difference between these three to help you decide which is more appropriate in fixing your brow problems.
Just like any other surgical procedure, this traditional brow lift has a considerable recovery time since you need your scalp and hairline to heal completely. The results of the procedure will be noticeable around six months after the surgery. This is why eyebrow lift surgery should be considered only if you have deep wrinkles that can’t be fixed by Botox cosmetic injection anymore or if you’re willing to undergo the recovery process needed post-surgery.
Read more: Can I Get Botox Between My Eyes?
Good Candidates for Botox Eyes Lift
Both men and women with moderate frown lines can get great results from Botox eyebrow lift. If your brow droops or sags because of muscle movement, Botox cosmetic can work better for you. If your brow problems are related to fat loss, Botox can still work for you but worse cases may need surgery for the best results. Your doctor can also recommend getting a traditional brow lift plus Botox if your skin problem needs a little more help than the usual cases. The surgical brow lift will bring the brows up while the Botox injections will smooth the frown lines on your forehead.
Botox injections may not be for you if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, since doctors would rather not risk the baby or the unborn fetus getting harmed by the toxins used in the shots.
What Happens During a Botox Eyes Lift
Botox eyes lift is a quick and convenient treatment since it can be done in a matter of minutes at your doctor’s office. It requires very little or no downtime and discomfort is minimal. Your doctor will inject the Botox into the muscles that pull your eyebrows down and create a hooded or droopy look. The toxin works by keeping your facial nerves from sending signals to your treated muscles which makes the muscles that lift your brows do their function easily without resistance from the muscles that pull your brows down. The amount of lift you will get varies and depends on your age and your muscle tone. Botox will smooth your glabellar frown lines, those deep wrinkles between your brows without surgery.
What to Expect After Botox Eyes Lift
The results and recovery from the Botox cosmetic injections are relatively quick since the procedure takes just minutes and you can already see the results within a week after your session. But the full results will become visible later on and you have to wait around a month to see them. The effects of the injections will last around three to four months. After the procedure, you should be able to go back to your normal routines, save for really strenuous exercises and direct sun exposure, as your doctor will advise against doing those.
Just like any other cosmetic treatment, Botox does come with its own side effects, which are mostly minor. After your injections, you may experience some swelling, redness, and bruising at the injected areas. These symptoms will usually disappear within the week. Some patients also get headaches, soreness, and numbness, which are also normal and not a cause for alarm.
How to Avoid Eyebrow Mistakes That Make You Look Older
Whether you’re considering a Botox eyes lift or not, it helps to know the factors that affect the appearance of your brow area, which in turn can affect how old your face looks. As you age, you tend to make changes in your skincare and makeup and you should put the same effort in maintaining younger-looking brows. Here are some eyebrow mistakes and how to correct them.
- Over-plucking or over-tweezing your brows – there was a time when thinner brows were considered fashionable, so you may have plucked and tweezed your brows to death for many years. Unfortunately, women experience thinning eyebrows as they age, so it’s time that you stop torturing yours and just use eye makeup to make your brows fuller and healthier. But avoid using a pencil that’s too dark and avoid over-defining your brows, since these can also make you look older.
- Not filling in your eyebrows’ tails – brows do recede, so the outer brow or the tails of your eyebrows may need extra attention. So don’t forget to fill in the tail of your brows and set off those arches, which will make your eyes look younger and sexier.
- Letting your eyebrows go full gray – white or gray eyebrows not just age you, they also make your features look unbalanced or disappear altogether. Don’t underestimate how brows can set off your facial features. So if your brows are getting lighter because of age, it’s time to start dyeing them in order to frame your eyes and sharpen your features.
Don’t let your saggy and drooping brows make you look way older than you actually are. Let Ethos Spa give you the kind of brows that will complement your features and take years off your face. By using Botox, dermal filler, and other injectables, We can also treat your other skin issues, such as forehead lines and forehead wrinkles, static and dynamic wrinkles, dark circles, fine lines, and excess skin. Call now to schedule your appointment and start your journey towards a youthful new you.
Learn more: How Many Units of Botox For Eyes Are Needed?