What is the Best Age for a Brow Lift?

Cosmetic surgery is legal for anyone over the age of 18. However, some procedures are more popular among people of certain age groups. In the case of brow lifts, this is often because of natural changes that the body undergoes over time, such as sagging skin. Most patients seek a brow lift procedure between the ages of 40 and 65 with the goal of retaining a more youthful appearance. There may not be a 'best' age to have a brow lift procedure, but patients with sagging skin may see more noticeable results than younger patients or those who have tighter skin to begin with.

While there is stigma around the appearance of sagging skin, it is a natural part of the ageing process and can begin to happen in different people at different ages. Before you consider brow lift surgery, you should be aware of the risks that it brings and ensure you understand how to properly care for yourself during the healing process, and whether ageing can affect the success of this.

In the following guide, the brow lift experts at Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors explain what you should know before getting a brow lift at any age.

Should you get a brow lift?

Brow lifts are often used as a way to avoid signs of ageing and tighten the loose skin around the brow area. Additionally, if the brows are causing your upper eyelid to sag and it is bothering you on a daily basis, brow lift surgery could alleviate this.

While getting a brow lift is ultimately your decision, it is important to know that the procedure is not guaranteed to permanently fix the aspects of your face that you want to change, but it may help you to feel more comfortable with your appearance. The process will yield different results for each person and everyone's skin is different, so you should consult with your doctor or surgeon as to whether it will be beneficial for you to undergo the procedure.

One US study on the effects of surgery found that younger patients typically heal more quickly from cosmetic procedures than older patients, but others have found that older people's scars become less visible. When deciding whether to undergo surgery, you should consider your needs and health. If you are concerned that the healing process will take a considerable length of time and do not want to take time out to recover, you may want to consider how a brow lift may affect you.

Know the risks of brow lift surgery

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks to undergoing a brow lift that you should be aware of beforehand.

Scarring

Cosmetic procedures are carried out to change the features of a person to look more desirable to them, but the surgeries can leave scars. Scars that are left by brow lift procedures are typically hidden under bushy eyebrows or above the hairline, and fade over time, but they will never completely go away and may still be visible.

Brow asymmetry

Directly after the brow lift procedure, you may find that your eyebrows are resting in asymmetrical positions. This may be caused by swelling which is common after a procedure, and the brows are likely to return to the desired position after this swelling has gone down. However, there is a risk that the brows will not return to the desired position and you may require further surgery to correct this.

Hair loss

You may find that your hair falls out around the scars. This may alleviate on its own as they heal, but if you find that your hairline remains elevated or the hair covering and around your scars does not return, you should speak to your doctor or surgeon.

Numbness in the scalp

Even after the healing process is complete, you may have a loss of sensation in the affected area. This numbness may alleviate or it may be permanent. Depending on how deep the incisions made were and whether they cut through nerves, this may be normal, but is worth speaking to yur doctor about as permanent nerve damage may have been avoidable.

Choose the right type of brow lift for you

Depending on what you want to achieve, your surgeon may recommend you undergo a specific type of brow lift surgery. Each type of brow surgery is performed in a different way depending on the physical attributes of the patient's face, so certain methods will yield better results on certain people than others.

The five types of brow lift methods performed in the UK are:

• Endoscopic brow lift - incisions are made behind the hairline and the surgery is performed through them using a tiny camera. The forehead is lifted and pinned in place
• Temporal brow lift - small incisions are made behind the hairline and closer to the temple. A similar technique is used to lift the brows as done in an endoscopic lift
• Coronal brow lift - a long incision is made across the head, above the hairline. The forehead is then lifted into a new position and the excess skin is removed
• Direct brow lift - incisions are made just above the eyebrows. This does not take long and is appropriate for brow lift patients with bushy eyebrows that can hide the scarring
• Hairline brow lift - an incision is made just below the hairline to correct a high hairline

Brow lift candidates of any age may be able to undergo any of the above methods. Which is most appropriate for you will depend on your unique physical attributes.

Make sure you follow the healing process

To have the best chances of healing from your surgery, you should make sure to follow the recommended brow lift healing process provided by your surgeon. If you fail to do this, you could find that your brows become asymmetrical, begin to sag again or that your wounds become infected, causing you significant pain and may require you to have corrective surgery.

Your surgeon should inform you of the full healing procedure, but here are some key points to be aware of:

• You should keep any bandages and pins on until your surgeon says it is okay to remove them - your surgeon should do this themselves
• Ensure you do not submerge your wounds in water - this may lead to the wounds reopening or becoming infected. Take showers instead of baths and avoid the water getting close to your brow
• Use clean, cold compresses to relieve pain and swelling when you notice that it is especially bad
• Avoid any physical strain that may affect the wounded area. This includes lifting heavy objects, stretching or performing sports, including running

Speak to a medical professional if you believe something has gone wrong

If your swelling does not go down or you notice that your wounds have gotten worse after several weeks, you should speak to your surgeon. However, if you believe that your issue has been caused by your surgeon, you should instead seek help from a different medical professional, such as your GP.

If you believe that your surgeon has caused you to suffer due to their incompetence or blatant neglect, you should speak to a cosmetic surgery solicitor. By making a successful compensation claim, you will be able to secure funds to cover any costs you have incurred due to the issues with your surgery.

At Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors, we regularly help patients of all ages who have been treated with medical negligence. For more information on how we can help you, call us as soon as possible on 0808 120 5180, or fill out an online contact form and we will return your call at a time convenient for you.