One of the hallmark signs of aging is visible skin sagging. Loose skin can make you look older and can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles. On the upper face, loose skin around the eyebrows can have a drastic impact on your visage. Fortunately, surgical procedures such as a brow lift at Sule Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic in Dallas, TX can help you look younger in no time.
How Long Is Recovery After a Brow Lift?
Your immediate recovery after a brow lift is usually two to four weeks, depending on how well you can follow your aftercare instructions and how quickly your body heals. It will take several weeks for all the swelling and healing to occur after your procedure, so remember to be patient and follow all of your surgeon’s advice closely.
Most people can return to non-strenuous work after one to two weeks. By this time, your surgical site should be healed enough that most regular activities will not disturb the rest of your recovery. For example, after two weeks, you will be able to resume light exercises, such as walking or yoga.
What Are Your Aftercare Instructions?
After any plastic surgery procedure, you will have aftercare instructions to follow to ensure your results develop as desired. It’s important to follow your aftercare instructions as closely as possible, including using any prescriptions that have been prescribed to you for managing discomfort, reducing information, and more.
During the first few days after your procedure, you will need to rest at home as much as possible. One of the best things you can do to facilitate a faster recovery period is to sleep with your head elevated so that your head is above heart level, as this will help reduce inflammation. You should also do your best to avoid placing any pressure on your stitches. Other aspects of your aftercare will include:
Wound Care
Caring for your surgical site is essential, particularly if you want to finish your recovery more quickly. To care for your wound site, you will need to ask your surgeon about how to clean and dress any stitches you may have. As a rule, you should avoid getting stitches wet for at least 24 hours, and you should apply Vaseline to stitches to prevent stitches from drying out.
Water Exposure
Avoiding exposure to hot water is important for a few reasons. Not only do you want to avoid getting stitches wet, but you also want to avoid water to reduce the risk of spreading bacteria into open wounds. For this reason, it’s usually recommended that you avoid taking a shower for at least 24 hours. Furthermore, when you bathe, it’s best to use lukewarm water for the first few days to avoid irritating your skin.
Medication Avoidance
Both before and after your surgical procedure, there are several medications that you will need to avoid. It’s important to avoid anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning drugs, as this can make it easier for your body to develop bruises during your recovery. For this reason, you will need to avoid ibuprofen and aspirin for at least three to five days.
Activity Limitation
Your activities will also be limited, particularly during the first week after your procedure. On the first day of your recovery, you should focus on bed rest so that your body can recover. Although walking around the house for at least 20 minutes every few hours will aid your recovery and keep your blood flowing, you should mainly sleep if you can and avoid any stressful activities.
Skincare Usage
The products you expose your skin to after your surgery are also important. For example, you will not be able to wear makeup for at least 24 hours so you can avoid introducing bacteria to your wound site. During the first few days after your procedure, you should also avoid using retinol, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, or any other AHAs or BHAs that may irritate the skin and slow down your healing time.
When Will You Have Your First Follow-Up Appointment?
Your first follow-up appointment will usually be one to two weeks after your procedure. During this appointment, any stitches used for your brow lift will be removed. You may have an additional follow-up appointment a few weeks later to assess how well your results are developing.
How Soon Will You Enjoy Results?
One of the biggest benefits of a brow lift is the ability to see immediate results. You will notice a younger, tighter-looking brow area on the same day as your surgery. These results will continue to improve as your skin heals.
Are Results Long-Lasting?
The results of this surgical procedure are intended to last for at least 10 years. This is because the skin-tightening effect of this treatment will delay the development of skin laxity in the brow area. However, the results aren’t permanent because aging can never be stopped completely. Your results will start to fade as more collagen and elastin depletes in your skin.
If you are having this procedure as an older adult, such as someone over 50 or 60, your results may not last for as long as 10 years. Genetics may also play a role in how long your results last.
Why Might You Consider a Brow Lift?
There are a few reasons why you may want to consider a brow-lifting procedure. For most people, the primary motivation for using the surgical procedure is to achieve a younger-looking appearance. However, other reasons you may want to consider this procedure can include:
Correct Skin Sagging
Skin sagging on the upper face can make wrinkles appear more severe and can contribute to the appearance of crow’s feet. If you want to correct moderate to severe skin sagging, then this lifting procedure is probably an ideal match for your goals. This procedure may be perfect for you if you have not been able to correct sagging on the upper face with other treatments, such as dermal fillers or microneedling.
Fix Uneven Brows
Sometimes, as a result of aging, the appearance of the brows begins to look uneven. Not only does your eyebrow hair naturally become thinner and sparse as you age, but skin laxity can make one eyebrow appear lower than the other. If you want to return the symmetry of your face, then you can use this procedure to tighten and lift your eyebrows evenly.
Make Cosmetics Look Better
Finally, you can make eye cosmetics look much better when you correct the sagging skin on the brow area. This is particularly true if sagging brows have made your eyes look heavier or older. By correcting the sagging skin on your brows, you can usually achieve a younger-looking eye area that will show off eye cosmetics much better.
Can This Procedure Be Combined With Other Surgical Rejuvenation?
This brow procedure can be combined with many other surgical rejuvenation techniques. For the face, if you are interested in rejuvenating your entire appearance for a more comprehensive result, a brow lift can easily be combined with a full facelift, a mid-facelift, eyelid surgery, or even a neck lift.
Aesthetic treatments also pair very well with this eyebrow rejuvenation procedure. For example, you may consider using microblading to darken and shape the eyebrows or brown tinting for darker brows. You can also use certain facials to rejuvenate the overall appearance of your skin to reduce the visible signs of aging. Even dermal fillers and neurotoxins such as Botox can rejuvenate the face so you can feel more confident about your appearance.
Are You a Good Candidate?
The best candidates for this procedure are those who have moderate to severe sagging on the eyebrow area. The signs this may be a good treatment for you can include increased eyelid creases, deep forehead wrinkles, and the emergence of crow’s feet. The candidates for this procedure will need to attend a consultation to verify that their level of skin laxity is ideal for a surgical procedure.
Feel More Confident About Your Appearance
The visible signs of aging can sometimes make you feel self-conscious, particularly when moderate to severe sagging on the upper face alters the shape of your eyebrows. Luckily, skin tightening procedures such as an eyebrow lift can correct the appearance of uneven brows and help you achieve a younger-looking visage. If you think this procedure is a good match for you, contact Sule Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic in Dallas, TX to schedule your initial consultation today.