The aging process is inevitable, and it is also a gift. However, you don’t have to settle for the physical signs of aging on your face, and you can restore your youthful appearance with the help of a board-certified plastic surgeon. When it comes to reducing wrinkles and sagging skin across the forehead, brow lifts and dermal fillers often stand out as popular treatments.
Also known as a forehead lift, a brow lift smooths wrinkles and fine lines across the forehead by removing excess skin and tightening facial muscles. This surgical procedure can also resolve the look of sagging brows and frown lines. On the other hand, dermal fillers are injectables that reduce wrinkles and fine lines by adding facial volume to areas of concern. This makes these procedures a bit different in their approach, with each of them bringing their own benefits to the table.
What Are the Key Differences Between a Brow Lift and Dermal Fillers?
There are a few key differences between a brow lift and dermal fillers.
Brow Lift
- Surgical procedure.
- Physically removes skin and tightens facial muscles.
- Results last for many years.
- Post-surgical recovery can take a few weeks.
- Higher treatment costs.
- One-time treatment.
Dermal Fillers
- Non-surgical, injectable treatment.
- Adds volume to the treatment area.
- Results last for 6-18 months.
- No downtime required after the treatment.
- More accessible costs for a single treatment session.
- Ongoing maintenance treatments.
How Do You Know If a Brow Lift Is Right for You?
To determine when to get a brow lift, you need to consider a few factors. This includes the presence of the following signs of aging:
- Skin laxity.
- Sagging or heavy brow.
- Wrinkles around the eyes.
- Deep forehead lines.
- Furrowed lines at the top of the nose.
A brow lift might be suitable for you if you have significant signs of aging across your forehead, especially when they are accompanied by visibly loose skin. With a brow lift, your plastic surgeon can physically remove excess skin and tighten your facial muscles to deliver a more uplifted and youthful appearance to your forehead, brows, and the area around your eyes.
At What Age Should You Consider a Brow Lift Instead of Dermal Fillers?
There is no right age to get a brow lift. Instead, this decision comes down to your aesthetic goals, your overall health, and your budget. If you have it in your budget, are healthy enough for surgery, and feel that your aesthetic goals are going to be most effectively treated with a brow lift, then that’s the right age to consider it. However, if you would rather opt for a more conservative treatment and want to wait to see how the natural aging process progresses before committing to surgery, dermal fillers are absolutely the right option.
Deciding when to get a brow lift can be difficult at first. Many people associate this decision with age and choose to get a brow lift in their 40s or 50s. But the natural process of aging can look different for everyone due to factors including genetics, lifestyle, stress, and environmental factors. Where many people might need a brow lift in their 50s, others might benefit from it in their 30s.
Speaking to a qualified plastic surgeon is the simplest way to determine if you can benefit more from a brow lift or should instead opt for dermal fillers. After assessing factors such as skin laxity, wrinkle placement, and signs of aging around the eyes as well as your personal goals, your plastic surgeon can recommend whether a brow lift is the ideal treatment for you.
What Are the Long-Term Benefits of a Brow Lift Compared to Dermal Fillers?
A brow lift, or forehead lift, has several long-term benefits as compared to dermal fillers. This includes the following advantages:
Long-Lasting Results
When you compare brow lift vs dermal fillers, brow lift’s long-lasting results stand out as one of the most significant perks of this treatment. After getting a forehead lift, you can enjoy its results for many years. For many patients, these results may last for a lifetime.
More Pronounced Improvements
With a brow lift, you can get more pronounced improvements as compared to dermal fillers. This is possible due to the way your plastic surgeon removes excess skin and uplifts your facial muscles during the procedure with surgical techniques, delivering more noticeable enhancements to your appearance.
No Maintenance Treatments
Unlike dermal fillers, brow lift results can last a lifetime without any maintenance treatments. This means that you can save time and hassle by doing surgery once and achieving results that won’t require future treatments or office visits.
Can Dermal Fillers Achieve Similar Results to a Brow Lift?
Dermal fillers can emulate the results of a brow lift by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and adding volume to sagging skin. This is possible in cases where you have minimal signs of aging. However, if you have noticeably loose skin and a sagging brow, dermal fillers can fall short of delivering the results that you need.
How Do Lifestyle and Skin Type Influence Your Choice Between a Brow Lift and Dermal Fillers?
The condition of your skin, including your lifestyle, skin type, skin laxity, and previous procedures will all factor into your choice between a brow lift and dermal fillers. Since dermal fillers are only a temporary solution, more advanced signs of aging or skin laxity or more advanced sun or environmental damage may merit a brow lift over dermal fillers. However, if you have relatively few signs of aging and tend to make choices such as being diligent about sunscreen, you can likely accomplish your goals with dermal fillers.
Dr. Margoles will work closely with you to determine the right choice for your goals, lifestyle, and budget.
What Is the Expected Recovery Time for a Brow Lift vs Dermal Fillers?
When you compare brow lift vs dermal fillers, the expected recovery time of both treatments remains one of their most significant differences.
With a brow lift, your initial recovery time ranges from 7-10 days. While you might return to work after this period, you may need to wait for 3-4 weeks before resuming more demanding activities such as exercise.
On the other hand, dermal fillers do not require any recovery period. You can resume most of your activities right away. This makes them a more convenient treatment that you can even get during your lunch break on a normal workday.
How Do Results from Dermal Fillers and Brow Lifts Differ Over Time?
When you compare a brow lift vs dermal fillers, you have to keep the timeline of results in mind. With a brow lift, you can enjoy results that last for many years and may eliminate the need for any further treatments. But with dermal fillers, you can expect your results to last between 6-18 months. This duration depends upon the type of dermal filler used and your body’s response to it. You may then need maintenance dermal filler treatments to retain your results.
Are There Non-Surgical Alternatives to a Brow Lift That Last Longer Than Dermal Fillers?
If you want results that last longer than dermal fillers but still do not require surgery, you can benefit from a range of med spa treatments. These solutions include but are not limited to thread lift and laser skin tightening. In some cases, you can also combine your dermal fillers with neurotoxins to enhance your results. After a personalized consultation, your Greenwich, CT plastic surgeon can recommend non-surgical alternatives that suit your needs.
How Can You Combine Dermal Fillers with a Brow Lift for Enhanced Results?
While comparing brow lift vs dermal fillers, you do not necessarily need to choose between these treatments. Instead, you can combine your brow lift with dermal fillers to enjoy dramatic improvements to your forehead and eye area.
This personalized combination treatment starts with a brow lift. Once you have recovered from the treatment, your plastic surgeon can strategically administer dermal fillers across your forehead to further reduce wrinkles and frown lines, as well as to give your skin a smoother appearance.
This can deliver a positively glowing look to your upper face that you can maintain with ongoing dermal filler treatments. Besides helping you preserve your youthful appearance, this can also help maintain your brow lift results for a longer period.
Schedule Your Consultation For Facial Rejuvenation In Greenwich, CT
While both a brow lift and dermal fillers can work wonders for enhancing your appearance, it’s important to choose the procedure that meets your aesthetic goals without forcing you to compromise. With her specialization in facial rejuvenation, board-certified female plastic surgeon Dr. Sandra Margoles can help you embrace a more youthful look with a personalized treatment plan.
Dr. Margoles employs a hands-on consultation method that puts your concerns front-and-center and resolves them with thoughtful, targeted treatments. This can help you get rid of sagging brows, forehead wrinkles, or loss of facial volume with a brow lift, dermal fillers, or a combination of both treatments.
To schedule your consultation, call us (203) 869-2939 or fill out our online form today.