The minimally invasive approach

As we age our skin loses its natural elasticity causing our faces to droop. One of the most common and aging of features is a heavy brow which descends under gravity over time causing narrowing of the eyes and a masculine appearance. This can make us look old, tired and even sad when we feel the opposite.Some patients say people around them perceive them as aggressive or angry when they are simply in a relaxed, resting position making them feel socially isolated and unapproachable. These patients may well benefit from a brow lift.

By lifting the brow and subtly restoring it back into its natural position we can widen the eyes and create a more open, happy and youthful resting expression.

Lifting of the eyebrows to create more open, brighter and youthful eyes has been traditionally performed using either threads or by an invasive operation with dissection to bone and removal of a flap of skin.

Threads are ineffectual in this region and usually fail after a few months. The surgical option of removing a flap of skin can leave a large scar and does not lift the temporo-zygomatic region (corner of the eye) which is the site of crow’s feet. Invasive surgery is also associated with significant downtime.

Using the Elasticum suture we can achieve effective lift and leave no visible scar, widening the eyes, reducing crow’s feet and balance a more youthful and aesthetically pleasing face: minimal trauma, maximal results.

The Procedure: what to expect

During your consultation, your doctor will evaluate the upper face / brows and assess the direction the sutures need to travel (vectors) and how much lift is required to maintain a subtle yet effective result. This tailored approach takes into consideration the anatomy of each individual patient in order to achieve a rejuvenated appearance and avoid an ‘overdone’ or unnatural look.

Once the vector lines are marked you will receive a twilight sedation and local anesthesia so you feel relaxed and pain free throughout.

This procedure involves a small incision above the hairline of the forehead and insertion of the two-tipped needle with elasticum suture to grip tough fibrous tissue before it is directed towards the eyebrow. It then grips subcutaneous tissue before it is redirected towards the hairline where it re-emerges in the original entry point. It is tensioned correctly (often at this point the patient is asked to sit up and relax their face so that precisely the right tension is applied to the suture before tying.) The knot is buried and the skin closed with a fine stitch leaving no visible scar. Over time the Elasticum suture will transform into a natural suspensory ligament of the face making the results permanent.