Facelift vs. Brow Lift: Do You Need Both?

If you’re researching facial rejuvenation surgery, you’ve probably noticed that facelifts and brow lifts are often mentioned together. But what does each procedure actually do, and how do you know whether you need one, the other or both?

The short answer is that it depends on where your signs of aging are most noticeable. A facelift and a brow lift address different areas of the face, and combining them is one of the most effective ways to achieve a balanced, comprehensive result.

What a Facelift Does

A facelift focuses on the lower two-thirds of the face, which includes the cheeks, jowls and jawline. As we age, the structural tissues of the face descend and volume shifts, creating jowling along the jaw, deeper folds around the mouth and a loss of definition through the mid-face.

A facelift corrects this by repositioning and tightening the underlying tissues, not just pulling the skin. At Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Koehler primarily uses the deep plane technique, which addresses the deeper facial structures for more natural, longer-lasting results.

A facelift does not, however, address the upper face, such as the forehead and brow area. That’s where a brow lift comes in.

What a Brow Lift Does

A brow lift targets the upper third of the face. Over time, the brow descends and the forehead develops horizontal lines and vertical creases between the brows. When the brow drops low enough, it can make patients look tired, stern or older than they feel. A brow lift repositions the brow to a more youthful height, smooths forehead lines and opens up the eye area.

When You Might Need Both

Many patients who are good candidates for a facelift also have noticeable changes in the brow and forehead area. If you’re seeing both lower face sagging and brow descent, addressing only one area can create an imbalanced result.

Common signs that a brow lift might be worth considering alongside a facelift include:

• A brow position that sits at or below the bony ridge of the eye socket
• Horizontal forehead lines that bother you at rest, not just when you’re making expressions
• Deep vertical creases between the brows
• An upper eyelid that appears heavy or hooded, particularly toward the outer corners

When One Procedure Is Enough

On the other hand, not every facelift patient needs a brow lift. If your brow position is still reasonably youthful and your primary concerns are jowling, jawline blurring and mid-face drooping, a facelift on its own may be the best choice.

Similarly, some patients in their 40s have significant brow descent but minimal lower face concerns. In those cases, a brow lift alone can make a dramatic difference without the need for a full facelift.

Combining Procedures: What to Expect

When a facelift and brow lift are performed together, they are typically done in a single surgery, which means one recovery period rather than two. This is one of the many advantages of combining procedures: patients achieve a more complete result with less total downtime than if they staged the surgeries separately.

To find out which combination of procedures makes sense for your goals, we’d encourage you to schedule a consultation. Call our Fairhope office at 251-929-7850 or contact us online to get started.