A brow lift aims to raise a brow that has dropped over time to a more natural height, lightening the upper lid, opening the eye and softening a tired or cross look. The right method depends on which part of the brow has dropped: the whole brow, or only the tail?
| At a Glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Procedure | Brow lift (eyebrow lift) |
| Duration | 1–2 hours |
| Anesthesia | General or sedation |
| Where it is done | Hospital operating room (Memorial Göztepe Hospital, Istanbul) |
| Hospital stay | Day case or 1 night |
| Back to work | 7–10 days; strenuous sport at 3 weeks |
| Incision/scar | In the hair (endoscopic/temporal) · above the brow (direct) |
| How long it lasts | Surgery aims for a long-lasting effect; Botox about 3–4 months |
| Who it suits | Low brow, heavy outer eye, tired/cross look |
Contents— 25 sections
What Is a Brow Lift?
With age the forehead tissues loosen and the brow slides down. The brow tail drops first; heaviness begins at the outer eye, the upper-lid skin is pushed down by the brow and the lid looks ‘excessive’. The look takes on a tired, sad or cross expression. Many people unknowingly contract their forehead muscles all day to hold their brows up, which can lead to deep forehead lines and end-of-day headaches.
A brow lift addresses this chain at its source. The ligaments holding the brow down are released, the brow is moved to its natural height and fixed there; if needed, the muscles pulling the brow down are weakened. With the brow back in place, the aim is a lighter upper lid, relaxed forehead muscles and softer lines.
The right diagnosis matters here. With a low brow, doing only eyelid surgery does not correct the real cause of the lid heaviness. Studies differ on how upper eyelid surgery affects brow position: in a study of 140 patients, no significant brow descent was seen in women, with a slight trend in men (Huijing et al., 2014). If the whole brow and forehead need lifting, one commonly used technique is the endoscopic method, described in detail on our endoscopic forehead lift page.
Brow Lift Methods
The method is chosen by which part of the brow has dropped, the height of the forehead, the hairline and the thickness of the brow.
With a camera through 3–5 small incisions in the hair; it lifts the whole brow and forehead and aims to soften forehead lines. One of the commonly used surgical methods.
A short incision in the temple hair lifts only the brow tail. Often chosen for outer-eye heaviness; recovery is usually quick.
Done at the upper border of the brow hairs; it lifts the brow directly and leaves a fine scar above the brow. Preferred in men with thick brows and in facial palsy.
If the forehead is very high, the incision is at the hair border; the brow rises without raising the forehead, which can even be shortened.
Non-surgical options (Botox, thread brow lift) can give a mild, temporary lift; marked brow descent needs surgery.
What do studies show? A systematic review of 82 studies found that every method has its own complications (Byun et al., 2013). A 2026 review reported that endoscopic and less invasive methods showed similar or better aesthetic results with lower complication rates, but differences between studies limit this conclusion (Alabdulkarim et al., 2026). There is therefore no single best method for everyone; the choice is made at the examination based on which part of the brow has dropped, forehead height and the hairline.
Which Parts of the Brow Are Assessed?
A brow lift plan looks at the position of the head, body and tail of the brow, forehead height, the hairline and the upper lid together. The drawings below show the most common appearances; which method is needed is decided at the examination.
If only the tail has dropped, lifting the tail through a short incision in the temple hair can be considered; the head of the brow stays in place.
If the whole brow and forehead have dropped, lifting the entire brow with an endoscopic forehead lift can be considered.
If the brow is at its natural height, the problem may be excess lid skin; eyelid surgery is assessed.
Further reading: temporal lift or brow lift? · eyelid surgery · endoscopic facelift
Who Is Suitable — and Who Is Not?
Good candidates
- People whose brow has reached or fallen below the bony rim
- Those with a low brow tail who feel heaviness at the outer eye
- Those who are told they look tired, sad or cross
- Those who constantly use their forehead muscles to lift their brows
Situations to postpone or review
- People whose brow is already at its natural height (the problem may be the lid)
- Uncontrolled systemic disease or a bleeding disorder
- Active scalp disease
- The endoscopic method in a very high forehead (the hairline method is considered)
Before surgery the hairline and forehead height are measured; this is decisive in choosing the method so the forehead is not raised unintentionally.
Comparing the Methods
| Method | Suitable for | Advantage | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endoscopic | Whole brow + forehead | Incisions in the hair; aims to soften forehead lines too | Care with a very high forehead |
| Temporal | Brow tail | Short incision, fast recovery | Does not lift the head of the brow |
| Direct | Thick brows, men, facial palsy | Lifts the brow directly | A fine scar above the brow |
| Botox | Mild descent | No incision, a 10-minute procedure | Limited and temporary (a few months) |
In short: endoscopic for the whole brow, temporal for the tail, direct for thick brows, Botox for a mild, temporary lift.
Decision Guide: Which Brow Lift Method?
The decision rests on three questions: which part of the brow is low, how high is the forehead, and do you want a lasting result or a mild, temporary effect?
This table is a pre-assessment. The target brow height and direction of lift are set at the examination, together with the hairline and the upper lid.
Combined Procedures: What Can Be Added in One Session?
The brow, eyelids and midface age together. In suitable patients these areas can be addressed in one session; the aim is a more balanced, natural result.
A common combination. The brow is moved into place and the remaining lid excess removed with eyelid surgery; the brow is planned first, then the lid.
If the midface has also dropped, an endoscopic facelift can be added through the same incisions in the hair; the aim is to lift cheek and brow together.
With volume loss at the temple and under the brow, fat injection can be added to restore volume under the brow.
If the jawline and neck have sagged too, a deep plane facelift can be planned at the same time.
A combination adds operating time and swelling, and recovery takes a few days longer. Which procedures are combined depends on your age and expectations.
How Is a Brow Lift Done? (Step by Step)
Marking and access
The target brow height is marked; access is through small incisions in the hair according to the chosen method.
Release and lift
The ligaments holding the brow down are released; the brow, especially the tail, is raised to its natural height.
Fixation and result
The brow is fixed in its new position and the incisions closed; the aim is a lighter upper lid and a relaxed forehead.
Assessment and marking
Anesthesia
Access
Release
Lift and fixation
Closure
The Day of Surgery: Hour by Hour
Uncertainty is the biggest source of anxiety. Knowing in advance how your day will go makes it a far calmer one.
No food or drink from midnight. Make-up, nail polish and jewellery come off; you shower.
You come with your ID; final tests and the anesthesia consultation are completed and consent forms signed.
Marking is done standing and archive photographs are taken. This is a good moment to ask any remaining questions.
It takes 1–2 hours. The anesthesia team is with you the whole time; anesthesia ensures you feel no pain during the procedure.
You open your eyes in the recovery room. Pain and nausea control start here.
You take your first steps with a nurse; moving early helps reduce the risk of clots.
Cold-compress, hair-washing and medication instructions are given in writing; the suture/staple removal appointment (day 7–10) is booked.
After a brow lift you have a light forehead dressing and cold compresses; swelling moving down around the eyes is normal in the first days. It helps to have someone with you. For the first 24 hours after discharge, do not drive or make important decisions; the anesthesia may not have fully worn off.
Recovery — Day by Day, Week by Week
Temporary scalp numbness and itching during healing are common; they usually pass within weeks to months.
Aftercare: Do and Avoid
✓ Do
- Apply cold compresses for the first 48 hours
- Sleep with the head raised (two pillows)
- Wash your hair gently from day 2
- Come to your check-ups and suture removal on time
✕ Avoid
- Hot hair dryers, hair dye and perms in the first weeks
- Scratching or rubbing the incision line
- Strenuous exercise, bending and lifting for 3 weeks
- Smoking — it harms healing and hair roots
Back to Daily Life
- Hair care: You can usually wash your hair gently from day 2; hot hair dryers, dye and perms wait for the first weeks.
- Exercise: Light walking from the first days; strenuous exercise, bending and lifting are usually postponed for about 3 weeks.
- Driving: Once painkillers have worn off and you can turn your head comfortably.
- Flying: Usually after the sutures/staples are out and the first check-up is done.
- Back to work: Desk work usually after 7–10 days.
Timings vary with the person and the procedure; your surgeon sets the exact schedule.
Check-up Schedule and When to Call Immediately
The first check-up is usually in the first days and sutures/staples come out on day 7–10; further check-ups are planned over the following weeks and months depending on how you heal. If you travel from elsewhere, remote follow-up and photo assessment are agreed in advance.
Call without waiting if you notice
- Rapidly increasing, firm swelling and growing pain in the forehead, temple or scalp
- Bleeding that does not stop with pressure; fever of 38 °C or higher, increasing redness or discharge at the incision
- Skin around the incision turning dark or black
- Being unable to close your eyes fully, or increasing dryness and grittiness in the eye
- New and increasing weakness, such as being unable to raise your brow
In an emergency such as shortness of breath, chest pain or sudden loss of vision, call 112 in Turkey (or your local emergency number) first, then let our team know.
Possible Risks and Safety
A brow lift is a planned operation and, like any operation, carries risks; it is important to know them in advance:
- Scalp numbness and itching: common and temporary; resolve within weeks to months.
- Swelling and bruising: can move down around the eyes; settle in 7–10 days.
- Asymmetry: two brows are never identical; measurement helps reduce it.
- Over-lifting: can cause a surprised look; not over-lifting the head of the brow reduces this risk.
- Hair thinning at the incision: rare and usually temporary.
- Temporary weakness of brow movement: can occur if a nerve branch is affected; mostly recovers within weeks.
- Relapse: the brow dropping back somewhat; correct fixation lowers the risk.
In a systematic review of 82 studies, the most common problems were unacceptable scarring and numbness. With the endoscopic method, numbness was reported in 6.2%, asymmetry in 3.6%, hair loss at the incision in 3.0% and incomplete eye closure in 2.7%; with the hairline method, hair loss in 8.5% and numbness in 5.4% (Byun et al., 2013). A 2026 meta-analysis following 2,127 brows from 22 studies for about 21 months on average reported that the brow stayed significantly higher in the long term, with a favourable safety profile (Karanfilian et al., 2026). Rates vary with the method, the patient and how a complication is defined. The warning signs are in the “Check-up Schedule and When to Call Immediately” section above.
Stopping blood thinners with your doctor’s approval and not bending for the first 48 hours help reduce swelling and bleeding.
What a Brow Lift Can and Cannot Correct
What it can correct
- A low brow and a low brow tail
- Upper-lid heaviness caused by brow descent
- Softer forehead lines caused by the forehead muscle constantly working to hold the brow up
Its limits
- Excess lid skin does not go away with a brow lift; eyelid surgery is planned together if needed
- Deep forehead lines and crow’s feet may not disappear completely; non-surgical treatment may be needed
- The lift is measured in millimetres: a 2025 meta-analysis of endoscopic brow lifts found the brow on average 3.25 mm higher at its inner end and 4.35 mm higher at its outer end in the long term (Şibar et al., 2025)
- Ageing continues; the brow can drop back somewhat over time and results vary from person to person
What to Look For When Choosing a Clinic or Surgeon
Is the lid heaviness from the brow or the lid? A plan made without asking this may fall short.
In a high forehead the wrong method can raise the forehead even further.
Not over-lifting the head of the brow prevents a surprised look.
Ask in advance where sedation or general anesthesia will be given and by which anesthesia team.
Expected Change (Medical Illustration)
The images in this section are not photos of real patients. The diagram below shows the typical change: a low brow returns to its natural height, forehead and frown lines soften and the upper lid lightens.
The illustrations are schematic drawings for information only. The results of any surgical or interventional procedure vary from person to person. Individual results depend on forehead structure, skin quality and the method chosen, and are not guaranteed. Please seek detailed advice from your doctor before any procedure.
Brow Lift in Istanbul: Examination, Surgery and Check-ups
Many patients travel to Istanbul for a brow lift; what matters most is the surgeon’s planning, where the operation takes place and the follow-up. The examination takes place at the practice in Ataşehir, and the operation in a hospital operating room (Memorial Göztepe Hospital).
Brow position, forehead height, hairline and upper lid are assessed together; the method is decided at the examination.
In a hospital operating room under general anesthesia or sedation; a day case or one night.
Your return date is confirmed after the sutures/staples are removed (day 7–10) and you have been checked.
Op. Dr. Ali Çetinkaya: Specialty and Professional Background
Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (2017); working in plastic surgery since 2012, including specialty training. Member of TPRECD (Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons), EPCD and ISAPS — member record. Biography: about me.
Preparing for the Procedure
Brow position, forehead height and hairline are photographed from the front and side and measured.
Aspirin, blood thinners and some supplements are stopped 7–10 days before, with your doctor’s approval. Tell us about all medicines and supplements you take; do not stop regular medication without medical advice.
No haircut is needed; wash your hair the day before surgery and finish any colouring 2 weeks before.
Arrange help and cold compresses for the first 2–3 days.
What to bring
- A front-buttoning or zip-up top
- A wide, soft headband or scarf
- Sunglasses
- Your medication list and any reports
- A phone charging cable
- ID/passport
Questions to Ask at the First Consultation
These questions help you make the right decision at the pre-assessment:
- 1Is my problem the brow, the eyelid or both?
- 2Which method suits me and why?
- 3Exactly where will my incisions be?
- 4Will my forehead become higher?
- 5Will the head or the tail of the brow be lifted?
- 6Would Botox be enough for me?
- 7When can I return to work and to sport?
- 8How long is the effect expected to last?
- 9How do I reach you if there is a problem?
For Patients Travelling From Abroad or Other Cities
If you are coming to Istanbul, the online pre-consultation, surgery, suture/staple removal, check-up and travel home are planned together. Because sutures/staples usually come out on day 7–10, a stay of about 7–10 days in Istanbul is advised.
Front and side photos of the face or a video call give preliminary information; they do not replace a face-to-face examination.
The planned procedure, where the operation takes place, the type of anesthesia and what the fee includes are confirmed in writing.
A day case or one night; sutures/staples are removed in Istanbul on day 7–10.
Plan your flight home after the surgeon’s check-up; agree in advance how remote follow-up will work and how to reach us if there is a problem.
Brow Lift Price: What Determines the Cost?
A firm price is given after examination, because the method (endoscopic, temporal, direct), the type of anesthesia and added procedures such as eyelid surgery vary per person. So you know what is included:
Usually included in the fee
- Surgeon, anesthesia and operating-room fee
- Medication and cold compresses
- Suture/staple removal and check-ups
- Aftercare guidance
The temporal method usually costs less than the endoscopic one; a Botox brow lift is not surgery and is priced separately. If you see a very low price, ask in writing where the operation will take place, which anesthesia team will be involved and what is included.
Confirm in Writing Before Booking
- Who will perform the operation and who is on the surgical and anesthesia team
- The hospital where the operation takes place and the type of anesthesia
- The planned procedure(s) — endoscopic, temporal, direct or combined with eyelid surgery — and what is not included
- Post-operative check-ups, including remote follow-up after you return home
- Medication and cold compresses
- What happens, and what it costs, if a complication needs further treatment or a revision is needed
- Transfer or accommodation — only if offered, and exactly what it covers
- Payment, deposit and cancellation terms
No prices or packages are published on this page; the fee is given after the examination, based on your individual plan.
Glossary
- Brow ptosis
- The brow falling below its natural height; brow descent.
- Brow tail
- The outer (temple-side) end of the brow; usually the first part to drop.
- Endoscopic method
- A brow lift done with a camera through small incisions in the hair.
- Temporal method
- A technique done from the temple that lifts the brow tail.
- Frontalis muscle
- The forehead muscle that lifts the brow; as the brow drops it works constantly and causes forehead lines.
- Orbital rim
- The upper edge of the eye socket; brow position is assessed against it.
- Paraesthesia
- Numbness or tingling of the scalp or forehead; usually temporary.
- Lagophthalmos
- Incomplete closure of the eye; rare after a brow lift and usually temporary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a brow lift?
How should I read brow lift reviews?
How do I know my brow has dropped?
Which brow lift method suits me?
Will there be a scar?
How long does brow lift surgery take?
When can I return to work?
How long does the effect last?
Will I look surprised after surgery?
Brow lift or eyelid surgery?
How does a Botox brow lift work?
I am coming from abroad — how does it work?
Will my hair fall out after a brow lift?
Does a brow lift raise the forehead?
What is a thread brow lift and how long does it last?
Can I move my brows after a brow lift?
Is a brow lift done differently in men?
Does eyelid surgery also fix a low brow?
Does a brow lift leave a long scar across the forehead?
What are the risks of a brow lift?
Videos
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Medically reviewed by
Specialist in Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Specialist since 2017
- Member of TPRECD, EPCD and ISAPS
- Ataşehir, Istanbul
- Türkçe · English
Op. Dr. Ali Çetinkaya is a specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. Member of TPRECD (Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons). He completed his residency in 2017 and practices at his private clinic in Ataşehir, Istanbul, specializing in deep plane facelift, neck lift, rhinoplasty, and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty). He offers consultations in Turkish, English, and German for international patients.
Last updated:
This page is for information and does not replace medical advice.
Sources
- ASPS — Brow Lift
- TPRECD — Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
- Byun S, Mukovozov I, Farrokhyar F, Thoma A. Complications of browlift techniques: a systematic review. Aesthet Surg J 2013;33(2):189–200. doi:10.1177/1090820X12471829
- Alabdulkarim A, Altamimi LA, Alharbi AM, Aldor SM, AlQhtani AZ. Comparative Outcomes of Traditional Versus Endoscopic Brow Lift Techniques: A Systematic Review. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2026;14(2):e7477. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000007477
- Karanfilian T, Zong AM, Delbourgo Patton C, Gupta L, Barmettler A. Long-Term Brow Lift Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 2026;42(2):138–150. doi:10.1097/IOP.0000000000002989
- Şibar S, Dikmen AU, Erdal AI. Long-term Stability in Endoscopic Brow Lift: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature. Aesthet Surg J 2025;45(3):232–240. doi:10.1093/asj/sjae225
- Huijing MA, van der Palen J, van der Lei B. The effect of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on eyebrow position. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2014;67(9):1242–1247. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2014.05.022
- Schlager S, Kostunov J, Henn D, Stark BG, Iblher N. A 3D Morphometrical Evaluation of Brow Position After Standardized Botulinum Toxin A Treatment of the Forehead and Glabella. Aesthet Surg J 2019;39(5):553–564. doi:10.1093/asj/sjy205
Related procedures: forehead lift, forehead reduction, forehead filler, glabellar filler.
