How does a non surgical brow lift work?

There are certain muscles that hold the eyebrows down, especially the muscle surrounding the eye, known as orbicularis oculi. Through careful placement of anti-wrinkle injections into the muscles, eyebrows are released from this downward pulling action and the forehead muscles (frontalis muscle) are able to lift the eyebrows up. This typically leads to a few millimetres in eyebrow height, creating the appearance of a lifted brow. The shape of the brow and the lift attained is determined by the placement of the muscle relaxing product.

How long does the treatment take?

Your first consult will include a complimentary facial assessment to determine the best treatment approach for you, so the initial appointment will take about 30 minutes. Thereafter, your maintenance visits will take approximately 15 minutes.

What will happen during my brow lift consultation?

Your clinician will examine your face and brows, in particular your facial features, current brow position, brow shape - and any hollowing of temples, eyelid droop or asymmetry. They will discuss your perception of your face and brows, and your desired outcome from the treatment. They will discuss the potential side effects and complications of the treatment, and your post care instructions. You will be provided with an estimate of the number of ‘units’ of the product that are required to create a brow lift. If you wish to proceed, the next part of your consultation will take less than 5 minutes. You will have pre-treatment photos taken and your brow area will be cleaned with alcohol. The clinician will ask you to raise your brows and frown while they identify the ideal injection points. The injections themselves take a matter of seconds. If this is your first treatment, a review appointment will be booked in 2 to 3 weeks to assess your results and see if any adjustments need to be made; this won’t be required for subsequent treatments.

How much do brow lift injections cost?

Estimates are available upon request (click the contact button above or email info@drdavidsharp.com.au). In most cases, brow lift injections cost $150 to $250.

How long until I see my brow lift results?

Some patients report seeing results within 2 days, while others can take 7 to 14 days for the full effect to be seen.

Is there downtime involved?

No, you can go back to work and normal activities straight after your brow lift treatment. There may be some slight small pimple-like lumps under the injection sites, which quickly dissipate after the treatment.

Are there any post treatment precautions I should be aware of?

During your consult your clinician will explain your post treatment care instructions, and you will also take home a written post care sheet. It is most important not to rub, massage or place pressure on the injection site for 4-6 hours after the treatment - to ensure the injectable produce stays exactly where it is meant to be. Rubbing it or spreading it to another area of your upper face can cause weakening of nearby muscles that can cause unintended ptosis or drooping. It’s important to follow your clinician’s advice and also read your take-home post treatment care instructions carefully.

Are there any side effects of brow lift injections?

Brow lift injections are very safe. The most common side effect is local bruising around the injection site, and a dull headache, which about 10% of patients experience in the days following treatment.  Less common, but possible, side effects can be asymmetry or eyelid droop. If you already have visible facial asymmetry (most people do), sometimes your initial brow lift results may take effect at a different pace and each side of the face adjusts to the treatment. This is very normal and usually resolves within a few weeks; it will be assessed at your review visit and if necessary, can be ‘tweaked’ to adjust the amount of product placed and even out any remaining asymmetry. This is one of the factors our clinicians take into account when treating patients. We would always prefer to under-treat initially, and then add more once your initial results are evident, than to over-treat in your first visit and create an over-injected, undesirable appearance simply just to sell a higher volume of product!

How often will I need maintenance treatments?

The longevity of results can vary from patient to patient, but generally most patients have their treatments every 3 to 4 months to maintain their results and prevent static (permanent) lines from forming in their eye and brow areas.

Do brow lift injection hurt?

We use the smallest possible needles to deliver your treatment, and most people find it very tolerable, at the most like small mosquito bites.

Can I treat only the brow or do I have to have my entire upper face treated?

You can certainly have only the brows treated, and certainly many of our younger patients opt for this just to attain the desirable ‘arch’ to their brows in conjunction with cosmetic brow tattooing. Because cosmetic injectable rejuvenation works on the dynamics of facial muscles (i.e. the push-and-pull of each muscle working in its own direction to animate the face), injecting one area for a long period of time without considering other areas can cause over-activity in adjacent areas, increasing lines and wrinkles in those regions. Therefore optimal long term brow lift results - particularly for people aged over 30 - are obtained when the crow’s feet are injected at the same time. This is because the segment of the orbicular is oculi muscle that causes crow’s feet wrinkling also pulls down the brows, so very subtly treating this area will increase the result.

If the medial (middle) part of your brows is low, creating a heavy or frowning appearance - you may also choose to have this lifted by injecting the procerus muscle and parts of the glabella area. Refer to the facial muscle map above to identify these muscles.

Can dermal fillers also be used for brow lifting?

Yes, by injecting a dermal filler just below the outer part of the eyebrow, support can be given to the brow, elevating this area and softening the bony orbital rim around the eyebrows. While this approach isn’t suitable for all patients, it can be useful for mature-aged patients who are experiencing a skeletal, depleted look in their brow area, due to natural volume loss; small amounts of dermal filler placed appropriately can create a softer, healthier appearance in this region. Dermal fillers are priced from $499.

Can brow lift injections be used alongside cosmetic brow tattooing?

When paired together, cosmetic brow tattooing and brow lift injections are a powerful combination of treatments to achieve visible brow lifting results. Many of our patient choose to have their brows defined and shaped with our brow tattooist, and then lifted with brow injections. Not only does this combination frame the face and help to correct asymmetry - but it also gives a more open, youthful appearance to the entire eye area - with the added convenience of saving time each day shaping or applying makeup to the brows to achieve an ideal shape.

Does your clinic offer anaesthetic cream to numb the area prior to treatment?

Most patients find the injections are so small, quick and tolerable, they don’t require any topical anaesthetic - however we are more than happy to apply our prescriptive topical anaesthetic, if requested. Please let us know if you would like this when booking your consultation, so we can schedule you to come into the clinic 30 minutes prior to your consultation, allowing plenty of time to apply the anaesthetic and for it to take effect before your treatment.