I usually write about aesthetic conundrums, which pop up frequently during consultations at my derma-aesthetic practice at Al Tababah Specialized Clinic and reading this eyebrow intervention you can bet — brows have been at the heart of my conversations a lot lately. They say eyes are the windows to the soul — and if that is true I’d say eyebrows are the window dressing of the soul. This declaration makes the shape, position and beauty of eyebrows very vital for a divinely attractive face. Keeping aging and genetics in mind today we will explore what options we girls have vis-à-vis improving the proverbial frames of our beauty.

Lets Analyze — Some people are genetically endowed with high arched brows and some are not. To add further insult to the genetic shortcomings, over time collagen and volume loss around the brow coupled with intricate changes of aging and gravity the eyebrows are further pushed into an unpleasant southward slump. We compensate for this by contracting the Frontalis muscle at the center of our forehead, which raises the eyebrows. Contraction of this muscle causes wrinkle lines across the forehead. Eventually the muscle relaxes and the eyebrows become further lower. This typically makes us look slightly sad and tired. It can also increase the fold on the upper eyelid making it difficult to apply makeup.

Brow lift treatmentsare aimed at elevating the eyebrows. They help widens the eyes and makes you look less tired. After a brow lift procedure people are often asked if they have been on a holiday, as they look refreshed. The effects are subtle and most people are not able to pinpoint the exact change in your face but they can clearly notice that you look fresher and younger.

Eyebrows — Anatomical & Gender Truths

The eyebrow in females should be gently arched with its’ highest point lying 2/3rds of the way out from the centre. In men the eyebrows are usually flatter and raising them is not usually appropriate as this can make them look slightly surprised.

Surgical Brow Lift

In the past, the only satisfactory way to perform Brow lifts was with a surgical operation. The procedure is normally carried out by keyhole surgery. Small incisions are made within the hairline and the tissue is gently separated allowing the eyebrows to rise. Most people recover quickly from the procedure and are back at work within +/- 10 days.

Chemical Brow Lift

More recently, however, medical aesthetic injection techniques are being used to lift the eyebrows. Selectively weakening the muscles, which pull down the eyebrows using Botulinum toxin results in a brow rise. Use of hyaluronic acid fillers along with botox can add further finesse and definition to the results.

The group of muscles, which pull down the inner part of the eyebrows cause frowning in the centre of the forehead, few strategic jabs of botox can remedy that very easily while lifting the inner corner of the brows.The muscles, which pull down the outer part of the eyebrows cause the crows-feet and smile lines on the temples and around the sides of the eye. Aiming to numb these muscles helps to elevate the eyebrow tail and at the same time smoothes out the laugh lines or smile crinkles.

Unlike surgery, injections to weaken these muscles can be performed as a quick and easy outpatient procedure. Most people have the treatment during work breaks or at the end of the day. The effects are not immediate it usually takes 3-15 days to see the muscles get completely relaxed. Most people notice the gradual softening of the frown lines and crows feet wrinkles within a week or so following their treatment. This effect lasts up to 3-5 months and needs to be repeated periodically accordingly. Usually after 3 treatments in a year the muscles relax more permanently and the effect lasts for a longer time.

Injecting a touch of hyaluronic acid filler at the tail of eyebrow and in the temporal region can improve the brow shape even further while complimenting the lifting effect.

Non-Surgical Thread Lift

Botox or chemical lift of the eyebrow is dependent on the strength of your Frontalis muscle, if the muscle is not very strong and the forehead skin is drooping you might not be the right candidate for the chemical brow lift. The thread lift is an exciting new non-surgical approach to brow or face lifting and represents a significant advance in minimally invasive facial rejuvenation.

A lunchtime procedure, the thread-lift uses plastic non-absorbable, biocompatible and degradable threads to lift and support sagging skin. The threads used in this type of lift are lined with numerous small directional fibers, which are able to fix onto the soft tissues underneath the skin. Once the threads are inserted the sagging tissue is lifted the fibers anchor the soft tissue in the corrected position. Over the next few months, new collagen forms around the threads strengthening their support and causing further elevation of brows. Accordingly, the threads are able to lift and support a drooping eyebrow.

When I talk about the thread lift to my patients a lot of them are concerned about the safety and downtime issues. Let me take this opportunity to reassure you that the thread lift is a very safe procedure as the threads are made of biocompatible material and their safety has been established over the years as permanent sutures used in routine surgeries. Unlike face lift surgery results are natural and there are no scars. It’s a simple walk-in-walk-out procedure, which takes around 30 minutes or so to perform. Recovery is quick and you can get back to work in 2-3 days time. Talking about the effectiveness of the procedure, studies have shown that the threads stimulate collagen formation around them making results more long lasting. And the bonus feature is unlike surgical lift this procedure can be reversed if requested.

With all this information at your disposal it is important to remember that everybody’s face is different and the consultation process is important to assess which treatment is most suitable for your face and brows. This should ideally start with a skin analysis and discussion of the treatments available.