- A Botox brow lift raises your eyebrows by stopping your brow muscles from contracting too much.
- It may also smooth out wrinkles on your forehead and help fight subtle signs of aging.
- The other option for a lifted brow is surgery, which can be more dramatic but also more involved.
The botox brow lift is a procedure that raises the height of your eyebrows — and it's been called "Hollywood's best kept secret."
In fact, many people cite model Bella Hadid's trademark high-brow look for why this procedure has become so popular. Other celebrities including Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner are also suspected of getting a brow lift.
A brow lift is relatively quick and easy, but there are important tips you should follow to make sure you get the best possible results.
What is botox brow lift?
"As we age, our facial muscles stretch and our skin loses elasticity — causing our eyebrows to drift downward and in," says Dr. Alexis Parcells, a board-certified plastic surgeon and clinical instructor at RWJ Barnabas Health.
A Botox brow lift fights the effects of aging using Botulinum toxin, a muscle-paralyzing substance made from the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This stops your facial muscles from contracting and causing wrinkles.
During the brow lift, a doctor injects Botox into the muscles around your brows. Because these muscles are no longer able to contract, "the brow is ultimately elevated ever-so-slightly," Parcells says.
A surgical brow lift requires an extensive forehead procedure, but Botox offers a quick and noninvasive alternative. However, the effects of a botox brow lift are much more subtle than surgery — you can expect about one to three millimeters of change.
But even a small change may minimize the visual effects of aging — "many women are interested in elevating the brow into its native position in order to open the eye and smooth out wrinkles above the brow," Parcells says.
The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved using Botox for a brow lift, but it is safe and "a common practice among credentialed injectors," Parcells says.
Botox brow lift procedure
The botox brow lift is relatively quick and easy, but there are some important steps you should follow to make sure the procedure goes well.
Before the procedure
One week before your procedure, avoid certain medications and supplements because "they can make you bleed more and cause bruising," says Dr. Debra Jaliman, a board certified dermatologist and professor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.
This includes:
- Blood thinning medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen
- Alcohol
- Fish oil supplements
- Vitamin E
- St. John's Wort
Make sure to check in with your doctor before stopping any necessary medications.
During the procedure
Botox is generally done in a doctor's office by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or trained nurse who is certified in the procedure.
During the visit, here's what to expect from your physician:
1. They'll cleanse and sanitize your brow and forehead area.
2. Then, they'll apply a numbing cream or give you an ice pack to use for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. After that, the doctor injects botox into the glabella — or the central area between your two brows where frown lines appear.
4. The injections continue around each brow, moving out toward the tail.
5. Finally, the doctor may apply arnica, a gel from herbs, to the injected area to reduce bruising.
After the procedure
Your doctor should give you instructions on how best to care for the injected area after your procedure.
But here are some important general tips to know:
- After the procedure, don't lie all the way down for four hours. Lying down too soon can move the botox around your face, Jaliman says.
- Don't rub the area for at least four hours afterward, as this can also displace the botox and increase bruising.
- Don't exercise for 24 hours — the increased blood flow caused by exercise can cause the botox to migrate.
You won't see changes to your face right away — "most results take a full two weeks in order for the botox to fully settle in," Parcells says.
And you can expect the results to last around three to four months, though "this can vary depending on how fast your body metabolizes botox," Parcells says.
Insider's takeaway
A botox brow lift is a quick, temporary procedure that can raise your eyebrows by a few millimeters.
"Lifting the brow is a common strategy for creating a youthful look, and can be attained safely by an experienced injector," Parcells says.
To make your results last and minimize bruising, follow all of your doctor's instructions carefully before and after the procedure.