Ptosis Surgery: What’s the Difference Between Eyebrow Lift Surgery and Upper Blepharoplasty? [Garnet Plastic Surgery Press Coverage]

Eye sagging often starts from the outer side due to the influence of the frontalis muscle in the forehead.

As people begin to age,

the eyes can also sag, and the eye shape may change into a triangular form.

The methods that can help correct drooping eyelids include

upper blepharoplasty and eyebrow lift surgery.

Upper blepharoplasty removes sagging eyelid skin

and pulls the muscle before suturing along the crease,

which creates a double-eyelid line.

Eyebrow lift surgery removes an appropriate amount of

loose skin and part of the muscle,

then lifts and fixes the skin and muscle upward before suturing.

It can be performed without changing the double-eyelid line,

allowing for a more natural-looking transformation.

To learn more about

the differences and effects of upper blepharoplasty and eyebrow lift surgery,

please see the press article below.

Eye sagging often starts from the outer side due to the influence of the frontalis muscle in the forehead. The frontalis muscle does not exist in part of the outer eyebrow area, so the outer side of the eyes, where the force is relatively weaker, begins to sag first. As a result, when eyelid drooping becomes more severe after the age of 50, it starts from the outer side of the eyes, and the eyelid shape changes into a triangular form.

When the eyelids sag, not only does the face look older, but aesthetic and functional problems can also occur, such as eyelashes poking the eyes or vision being obstructed due to loose eyelid skin. In severe cases, it can become difficult to open the eyes, so it is advisable to correct it with an appropriate method.

Methods for correcting sagging eyelids include eyebrow lift surgery and upper blepharoplasty. An eyebrow lift is an eyebrow lifting method that addresses sagging eyelid skin through an incision in the eyebrow area. It is performed by removing an appropriate amount of loose skin and part of the muscle, then lifting and fixing the skin and muscle upward before suturing. Since it is not surgery performed directly on the eyes, it can improve sagging eyes without changing the eye shape, and it has the advantages of barely visible scarring and a short recovery period.

Eyebrow lift surgery can be divided into eyebrow upper lift and eyebrow lower lift, depending on the patient’s condition. The eyebrow upper lift is performed through an incision above the eyebrow and is suitable when the space between the eyes and eyebrows is narrow. The eyebrow lower lift is an eyebrow-under lift performed through an incision below the eyebrow and is suitable when the space between the eyes and eyebrows is wide.

Upper blepharoplasty is a surgical method in which the eyelid is designed and incised, then sagging skin or fat is removed and loose muscle is tightened before suturing along the crease. Similar to eyebrow lift surgery, it can address sagging eyelids, but the incision range is longer, so scars may be more noticeable, and after surgery it may feel similar to having had double-eyelid surgery.

Therefore, if you want to correct only a sagging eye shape while reducing scarring concerns without touching the double-eyelid line, eyebrow lift surgery is appropriate. However, if there are other eyelid problems such as ptosis in addition to sagging skin, it is better to undergo ptosis surgery through upper blepharoplasty.

Director Baek In-su of Garnet Plastic Surgery (board-certified plastic surgeon) said, “Eyebrow lift surgery is often chosen by people over 50 who have skin sagging and want a quick recovery period. Not only for middle-aged eye plastic surgery, but also for younger people who are satisfied with their double-eyelid size yet feel slight skin sagging is a concern, it can relatively simply address only the skin sagging,” and added, “It can correct eyelid sagging even without double eyelids to create clearer-looking eyes, and by strengthening the eyelid muscles, it can also help prevent forehead wrinkles that form when people strain their eyes due to sagging eyes.”

He continued, “After surgery, the eyebrows grow back and cover the surgical area, so the scar is not noticeable, and the incision site can be determined according to the eyebrow makeup method to further minimize scarring,” adding, “When combined with non-incisional double-eyelid surgery such as buried suture double-eyelid surgery, it can address both skin sagging and double eyelids while promoting faster recovery, creating a synergistic effect.”

Dr. Baek advised, “Since the degree of eyelid sagging, skin thickness, muscle strength, and other factors differ from person to person, and some cases may involve other problems besides sagging eyelid skin, it is best to decide on surgery after sufficient consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive surgical experience.”

Source: Medi Consumer News