What is a blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is a medical procedure that fixes saggy eyelids and may include the elimination of excess skin, muscle, and fat. As you age, your eyelids can stretch. Thus, overabundant fat might assemble above and underneath your eyelids, causing hanging eyebrows, sagging upper lids and bags under your eyes.
The sagging skin can make you look older. The drooping skin around your eyes can impact your side vision (peripheral vision), particularly the upper and external parts of your field of vision. Blepharoplasty can lessen or remove these vision issues and help your eyes to seem more youthful and alert.
What is an Ultherapy brow lift?
Our foreheads act to outline our upper face. As we age, the skin around our temples loses its underlying support because of a steady loss of collagen, proteins and tissues. This can make our eyebrows sink with age, making our eyelids look drained and saggy. By tenderly lifting the forehead, we revive and 'open up' tired, hooded eyes for a more invigorated and appealing look.
Ultherapy uses an ultrasound technology to stimulate collagen and elastin within a targeted area. When collagen and elastin have been established, they will lift the hooded eyelids to give the eyebrow a rejuvenated look.
The Ultherapy brow lift attempts to lift the top eyelid, using modern and non-invasive ultrasound technology. This Ultherapy technique lifts the sagging skin on the temple and brow. This carefully raises the top eyelid while keeping it looking natural. Treatment results typically last 12 months.
What treatment will be best for you?
Your surgeon will look at a number of factors. If your upper eyelids hang over beyond your eye corner, you will probably benefit from brow lift surgery.
The surgeon will then assess your brow profile; if your brows are flat or their outer end is lower than their middle, you would also benefit from a brow lift or temporal lift /hyperlink, which would help rejuvenate the arch of your brows.
Patients, who benefit most from a brow lift are those whose forehead has dropped over time, resulting in a flattening of the eyebrows, a sagging effect and sometimes the upper eyelids hanging over the eyes. A brow lift will help address these issues. It will also help with deep wrinkles on your brow area and the forehead. Old photographs of yourself may highlight that the position of your eyebrows has changed over time, you may be suitable for this procedure.
A candidate for blepharoplasty will have sagging, excess skin in the upper and/or lower eyelids, often including excess fat. With age, you may be experiencing a dropping of your upper eyelids, to the point where they partially cover your eyes and restrict your vision. Another effect of ageing is the accumulation of fat pockets under your eyes, resulting in eye bags. These conditions can be reduced or eliminated with an upper blepharoplasty or eyelid lift.
This treatment is less effective than surgery, lasting aproximately 12 months. However, if you are looking for a less invasive alternative then this might be the best option. It is also a treatment that can take less than a few hours and there is no downtime. An Ultherapy brow lift will lift drooping eyelids and give a more refreshed eye area. It will not however give you the same refreshed look that an upper eyelid removal or lower eye bag removal can achieve and it is not long lasting like a blepharoplasy procedure.
Understanding Brow Lift Options
When it comes to addressing concerns about the brow area, there are several options available. A brow lift is a cosmetic procedure designed to elevate the eyebrows and improve the appearance of the upper face. There are two main types of brow lifts: surgical and non-surgical. Surgical brow lifts or temporal involve making incisions in the skin to remove excess tissue which can lift the eyebrows creating a more refrshed look. Non-surgical brow lifts, such as Ultherapy, use technology to stimulate collagen production and lift the eyebrows without the need for surgery. However this is temporary lasting 12 months and the impact will not be as great as a surgical option. Understanding the different options can help individuals make an informed decision about which procedure is best for what they want to achieve. If you are looking for a more long term option that will be cheaper in the long run then the surgical option may be best to look into.
Eyebrow Ageing and Concerns
As we age, the skin around the eyebrows can lose its structural support, leading to a tired look. The eyebrows can start to sink, making the eyes look tired and sagging. The skin around the eyebrows can also lose its elasticity, leading to the formation of forehead wrinkles and sagging skin on the upper eyelids. This loss of collagen and elastin in the skin can cause the eyebrows to droop, giving the face a tired and aged appearance. Addressing these concerns can help to restore a more youthful and refreshed appearance.
Ultherapy Brow Lift Procedure
The Ultherapy brow lift procedure is a non-invasive treatment that uses micro-focused ultrasound technology to stimulate collagen production and lift the eyebrows. The procedure typically takes an hour to complete and has no downtime. During the procedure, a specialised device is used to deliver focused ultrasound energy to the skin, stimulating collagen production and causing the skin to lift and tighten. The results of the procedure can be seen in as little as six to twelve weeks, with full tightening around the three to four-month mark. The Ultherapy brow lift procedure is for those looking for a non-surgical brow lift option. However results last approximately one year and the effect will not be as great as a brow lift or upper blepharoplasty and for this reason men and women many decide to opt for the surgical brow lift option.
Blepharoplasty: A Surgical Brow Lift Option
Blepharoplasty, also known as brow lift surgery, is a surgical procedure designed to elevate the eyebrows and improve the appearance of the upper face. The procedure involves making incisions in the skin to remove excess tissue and tighten the eye lids. Blepharoplasty can be used to address a range of concerns, including excess skin and sagging upper eyelids. The procedure typically takes less than an hour hour to complete and requires a week of recovery time. It is generally done under a local anaesthesia. Blepharoplasty can provide long-lasting results. It is a more invasive option than non-surgical brow lifts like Ultherapy, however the results will be more dramatic, resulting in a more refreshed look.
Choosing Between Ultherapy and Blepharoplasty
When it comes to choosing between Ultherapy and blepharoplasty, there are several factors to consider. Ultherapy is a non-invasive procedure that offers a natural lift with minimal downtime, with a quick and easy solution. Results appearing after 6-12 weeks and lasting 12 months. Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that offers more dramatic longlasting result that requires a recovery time of about a week of bruising that can be covered with makeup. Individuals who are looking for a more subtle lift and who want a non-surgical procedure may find Ultherapy to be the better option. Those who are looking for a more dramatic lift, with a cheaper long term option may find blepharoplasty the one to have.
Which treatment will maintain a better result over time?
Ultherapy: An Ultherapy brow lift is a non-invasive treatment that requires no downtime. The results take 6-12 weeks to show and treatment will last 12-18 months depending on the patient’s lifestyle and how their skin ages over time. The cost of an Ultherapy brow lift is £2,500.
Blepharoplasty: While the blepharoplasty will require surgery and an incision, the results will last for much longer than an Ultherapy brow lift. A blepharoplasty is a physical change and so the results will last up to 10 years depending on your diet and lifestyle. The cost of a Blepharoplasty is £2,900.
To find out which procedure is best for you call 0204 551 4892 to arrange a consultation with one of our specialist registered facial plastic surgeons or fill in the contact form.
In the consultation, your surgeon will show you before and after photos, discuss the procedures, listen to what you want to achieve and explain the recovery processand aftercare.
Find out more about our expert plastic surgeons:
Mr David Gateley GMC 2939470 MA FRCS FRCS(Plast)