A Botox brow lift is a type of procedure that treats frown lines between your brows. It also elevates the height of your eyebrows with Botox Cosmetic (botulinum toxin type A) injections. These shots work by relaxing underlying muscles to smooth your skin on the outside and relaxing the muscles between the brows.
– How long does a Botox brow lift last? The effects of Botox generally wear off within 3-6 months. It takes effect generally 4-5 days post-injection with peak effects at approximately 2 weeks.
BOTOX injections last about four months, whereas the results from a brow lift can last a decade or more. BOTOX is better if you have just minor drooping, but a brow lift can provide more dramatic results.
The average cost of a brow lift is $3,900, according to 2020 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This average cost is only part of the total price – it does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses.
When Botox is applied to problem areas around the eyebrows, the muscles relax and the skin on top of them becomes smoother. The muscles around the eyebrows are pulled upwards, elevating the eyebrows and making a patient's eyes appear more open.
When Botox Can Help
Certain cases of hooded eyes are due to low eyebrow position or slight brow drooping (sometimes due to genetic factors). In these cases, Botox can be used to lift the outer tail of the eyebrow; elevating the brow subtly lifts the upper eyelid and reveals a small amount of eyelid skin.
How many units does a Botox brow lift take? A Botox brow lift can take 4 to 6 units at the lateral aspect of each eyebrow. Commonly, patients have a vertical frown line at the glabella area which needs treatment and 20 to 25 units of Botox are typically needed there.
Brow lift surgery is used to reduce the appearance of a heavy, sagging brow. The procedure can help patients correct hooded eyes, as well as treat deep furrows. An eyelid lift may be recommended to remove bags from beneath the lower eyelids and excess skin from the upper eyelids.
As your forehead skin is lifted, pay attention to the look of your eyes. If the crease of your eyelid becomes more visible as you raise your forehead skin and your eyes look more youthful, you may be a good candidate for a brow lift. But, if your eyelids still look droopy, you may be a need a blepharoplasty, instead.
Patients typically experience very little pain after a brow lift, but it is common to feel slight discomfort as well as a sensation of tightness throughout the forehead. Swelling and bruising are most common during the first 10 days or so after surgery, and are mostly resolved after about 2 weeks.
While a brow lift can lift your eyebrows and smooth your forehead area, an eyelid lift focuses solely on your eyelids. During an eyelid lift, the surgeon removes excess skin and fat from the lids, making them less droopy and puffy. Eyelid lifts can be performed on your upper lids, lower lids, or both.
Botox has the advantage of being around longer, making it a trusted brand. This means that most patients interested in injectables would opt for Botox. However, Xeomin is just as effective at reducing wrinkles in areas like eyebrows, the forehead, and around the eyes.
If you receive up to 20 units in your forehead, you could be looking at a total of about $200 to $300 for treatment of horizontal forehead lines. Forehead injections are often paired with injections for glabellar lines (lines between the eyebrows, which can also be treated with up to 40 units).
To be perfectly clear, no cosmetic treatment for age-related concerns is entirely permanent, but they can last for a long time. For surgical brow lifts, you can expect to enjoy the results of your procedure for 10 to 12 years on average.
When Botox Is Appropriate for Hooded Eyelids
By elevating the eyebrow slightly, Botox lifts the upper eyelid and reveals a small amount of eyelid skin. Botox is a short-term solution for treating hooded eyelids. The neurotoxin's effects will gradually wear off, and the eyebrow muscles will regain their strength.
Nonsurgical treatments — including hyaluronic acid fillers, or injections like Botox® or Dysport® — can help you look more youthful. These treatments can smooth out wrinkles around your eyes, fill in hollows or tighten sagging eyelids.
Botox will smooth out wrinkles and reduce fine lines, but it can't reduce the amount of skin you have or remedy serious sagging.
There is no definite age when you should start BOTOX®—it's more about the state of your skin, and everyone's timeline is different. For wrinkle treatments, it's best to start when you notice forehead lines, frown lines, or crow's feet even when your expression is neutral.
On average, 15-20 units of Botox are recommended for in between eyebrows.
Botox, on the other hand, is measured in units and typically costs around $10 to $15 per unit. An average dosage of 30-40 units might be used to treat the forehead and eye area, for example, making the total cost around $300 to $600. Keep in mind, however, that these averages can vary based on your location.
Dysport is more diluted than Botox. The difference in concentration typically occurs because Dysport uses smaller protein molecules to induce muscle relaxation. These smaller proteins are less likely to be broken down by antibodies, making the results of Dysport injections quite desirable for patients.
If you stop BOTOX treatments after many years of regular injections, the only effect will be that your wrinkles will return, albeit a bit more slowly than if you had not been using BOTOX. It's true: Even after you stop, you will still look younger than you would have if you had never been injected.
A brow lift can raise the eyebrows and restore a refreshed, more pleasing appearance. You might consider a brow lift if you have a low or sagging brow that's contributing to sagging upper eyelids.
A brow lift does not aim to change your eye shape. However, manipulating your brow may change your eye appearance. For example, a brow lift performed to address the brows' outside corners will lift the underlying tissue and skin, which may make it look like the eye shape changes.