Brow Lift Surgery in Singapore

Brow Lift Surgery

Over time, natural ageing causes the skin and supporting soft tissues of the forehead to lose elasticity, and the eyebrows settle lower on the face. This descent can create a heavy look over the upper eyelids, deepen forehead creases, and impart a tired, stern, or sad resting expression that doesn't reflect how you actually feel.

At Argent Plastic Surgery (located within Mount Alvernia Hospital), brow lift surgery, also known as a forehead lift, is performed by Dr Lee Hanjing, a fellowship-trained female specialist plastic surgeon. By repositioning the forehead tissues and smoothing underlying muscle tension, a brow lift restores the eyebrows to a naturally rested height, opening up the eye area and refreshing the upper face.

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What Is a Brow Lift?

A brow lift is a surgical procedure to elevate the eyebrows by repositioning the skin and underlying soft tissues of the forehead. The aim is not a stretched or "surprised" look, but a natural correction that restores the brows closer to where they used to sit. This softens the overall expression and reduces heavy shadowing over the eyes.

The concerns that bring people to consider a brow lift differ from one person to the next. Women often want to restore a gentle arch, or ease a heaviness that has crept in around the eyes. Men more often notice that a sagging brow makes them look tired or severe, and want that corrected without changing the character of their face.

What a Brow Lift Can Address:

  • Drooping Brows: Helps bring the brow back to a soft, natural arch.
  • Forehead Furrows: Horizontal forehead lines soften as the tissue is repositioned.
  • Glabellar Lines: The vertical frown lines ("11" lines) between the eyebrows become less pronounced.
  • Eyelid Hooding: Heavy, excess skin gathering over the upper eyelids is lifted.

In all cases, Dr Lee aims for the same outcome: a natural brow position to restore a rested, approachable, and confident expression, never an operated or surprised one.

Signs You May Benefit from a Brow Lift

You might begin to consider a brow lift if you have noticed some of the following:

 

  • Drooping Brow Line: Your eyebrows sit lower than they did in earlier photographs
  • Upper Eyelid Heaviness: There is a heaviness over your upper eyelids that seems to come from the brow itself rather than the eyelid
  • Misleading Resting Expression: Your resting expression looks tired, stern or downcast, even on days when you feel none of those things
  • Persistent Forehead Creases: Lines across your forehead, or between your brows, have become more settled and no longer ease when your face relaxes

 

Brow position, eyelid skin and forehead tone are deeply interconnected, which is why these changes often appear together.

During consultation, Dr Lee evaluates factors including:

  • Eyebrow height and shape
  • Forehead muscle tone and skin elasticity
  • The interplay between brow position, eyelid appearance, and forehead contour

Based on the consultation, Dr Lee will recommend whether a brow lift on its own, or a brow lift combined with upper blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) or forehead volumisation, would more accurately address your goals. For some people, good skin quality and general health make surgery a reasonable option to weigh; for others, Dr Lee may recommend a gentler or more conservative approach.

Brow Lift Techniques

There is no single eyebrow lift technique that suits everyone. Dr Lee selects the approach based on your facial anatomy, the degree of brow descent, where that descent is most pronounced, and how much recovery time fits your circumstances. The four options below are the ones most commonly considered for brow lifts.

Surgical TechniqueIncision LocationBest Suited ForKey AdvantagesTypical Downtime
Endoscopic Brow Lift3–5 small incisions hidden within the hairline.Mild to moderate brow descent across the entire forehead.Minimal scarring, camera-guided precision, faster recovery.3 – 5 Days
Coronal (Open) Brow LiftSingle continuous incision across the top of the scalp (behind hairline).Significant brow ptosis, deep furrows, and heavy forehead tissue.Maximum lifting capability and complete smoothing of deep lines.10 – 14 Days
Temporal (Lateral) LiftSmall incisions within the hairline near the temples.Isolated drooping of the outer (lateral) brow edge.Targeted lift for lateral hooding; often combined with eyelid surgery.5 – 7 Days
Sub-Brow / Infrabrow LiftIncision placed right beneath the brow in its natural skin crease.Specific tissue laxity directly under the eyebrow; suitable under local anaesthesia.Direct excision of thick upper skin without altering the main hairline.5 – 7 Days

Each brow lift technique carries its own scar profile and recovery, and Dr Lee will openly discuss any possible trade-offs during the consultation so you can make a fully informed decision.

Brow Lift and Upper Eyelid Surgery

The brow and upper eyelid are closely connected, and both parts need to be assessed together before going ahead with any surgical procedures. When the brow descends, it pushes excess skin downward so that skin can appear to belong to the upper eyelid when its true origin is the brow above. Operating on the eyelid alone in this situation, without addressing the brow, can draw the brow lower still and produce a result that looks unnatural.

For this reason, Dr Lee evaluates the upper face as a whole during the initial consultation. This assessment includes distinguishing genuine excess eyelid skin from what is sometimes called pseudoptosis, the appearance of eyelid heaviness that is in fact being caused by the descended brow. Where the eyelid alone is the issue, droopy eyelid repair may be the more direct answer.

Where both the brow and the eyelid contribute, a combined brow lift and upper eyelid surgery can address both in a single procedure and a single recovery period, which is often what is meant by comprehensive upper face rejuvenation.

This is a matter of honest assessment rather than adding a procedure for its own sake. Dr Lee’s full-face assessment enables her to recommend only what will be suitable to help achieve intended treatment goals, and Dr Lee will be upfront about when only one procedure is enough.

Non-Surgical Options for Brow Lifting

Brow lift surgery may not be the right starting point for everyone. Where brow descent is mild, or where you would prefer to begin with something less involved, less invasive non-surgical options can be assessed at consultation with Dr Lee. These do not achieve what surgery achieves, and their effect is temporary, but for the right person at the right stage they can be a sensible step.

The first is a botulinum toxin brow lift. By relaxing the muscles that pull the brow downward, the brow is allowed to sit slightly higher. It suits mild descent and gives a subtle change that typically lasts around three to four months before it needs to be repeated.

The second is a thread lift for brow elevation, similar to a facial thread lift. The procedure uses fine absorbable threads to lift and support the outer brow with no downtime. The effect is temporary, as the threads are gradually absorbed by the body, but it offers a gentle lift for those not yet ready for a surgical operation.

Which of these, if either, is appropriate depends on your anatomy and what you hope to achieve. That is established during your consultation with Dr Lee rather than assumed in advance.

What the Procedure Involves

A brow lift is usually carried out as an outpatient procedure under intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia, depending on the technique and what is most appropriate for you. The operation generally takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

During surgery, Dr Lee:

  • Makes the incisions within the hairline or, for a sub-brow lift, within the natural skin fold beneath the brow
  • Lifts and repositions the forehead tissues and muscles
  • Removes excess skin or tightens deeper layers as the technique requires
  • Secures the lifted position before the incisions are closed with fine sutures

Throughout, Dr Lee’s aim is a natural brow height that suits your face, in order to avoid the over-elevated or surprised appearance that comes from lifting too aggressively.

The procedure is performed at our day surgery facility at Mount Alvernia Hospital, with full anaesthetic and surgical support. Most patients are able to return home the same day once the effects of sedation have settled. You will be looked after by an experienced clinical team throughout, from preparation to discharge to post-operative recovery.

Recovery After a Brow Lift

Recovery for brow lifts varies with the technique used. The timeline below reflects a typical course after a minimally invasive endoscopic brow lift, where downtime is usually in the region of 3 to 5 days before most everyday activities can resume. A coronal lift will involve a longer settling period; Dr Lee will give you guidance specific to your procedure.

  • Days 1 to 3: Most patients notice some swelling, bruising and a sense of tightness across the forehead. This is expected and eases steadily.
  • Week 1: Sutures are typically removed during this period, and the early swelling begins to subside.
  • Weeks 2 to 3: Most patients are comfortable returning to work and light activities by this stage.
  • One month: The majority of swelling has usually resolved by now, and the incision sites should continue to fade.

In the first one to two weeks, it helps to keep your head elevated while sleeping. Heavy exercise, alcohol and heat exposure such as saunas are best avoided until Dr Lee assesses and advises accordingly, and the incision sites should be cleaned gently as instructed to support healing. A degree of temporary numbness or tightness across the forehead is normal and tends to resolve gradually over the following months as the tissues settle.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brow Lift Surgery

* Please note that for cosmetic procedures, the Ministry of Health (MOH) requires a minimum one-week cooling period between the initial consultation and surgery for all Singapore residents. Exceptions may apply for minor procedures performed under local anaesthesia, subject to clinical assessment.