Eyelid surgery vs. brow lift
I see many patients with drooping brows and eyelids and often get the question “do I need both blepharoplasty eyelid surgery and brow lift surgery or could one procedure take care of both problems.”
Normal eyelid and brow positions
First of all, we need to look at the normal position of both the eyebrows and the eyelids. In a female face the eyebrows are normally 1 cm above the edge of the brow bone (superior orbital rim), with a nice arch.
Average female brow position
A male brow is right at the bone edge and is more flat in shape.
Average male brow position
Over time the brows descend, pushing the skin down with them and blocking our superior vision. The normal position of the eyelids, when open, is about 1mm onto the cornea, or covering the colored part of your eye. If the eyelid margin or the adjacent skin are below this point, they are sagging and may need to be lifted.
Normal position of open upper eyelid
Eyelid surgery goals
The goal of eyelid surgery and brow lift is to both open up your peripheral vision and to have a nice cosmetic result. If the brows are in good position or have only minimally come down, but the eyelids are droopy, eyelid surgery may be all you need. If the brows are also droopy but only eyelid surgery is performed, the brows may come down further and the facial proportions will appear unnatural. The best option is often a brow lift, followed by a simultaneous eyelid surgery. This allows us to get both the brows and eyelids in their most ideal positions to allow you to see better and have normal cosmetic proportions.
If you have questions about brow lift or eyelid surgery, call our office at 801-264-4420, or see our other videos at utahoc.com.