What is the best way to lift the eyebrows?
By Dr Rachael Syvret
As we get older, we can sometimes start to feel as though our eyes are becoming more “hooded”. This can lead to us looking more tired and not as refreshed as we once used to.
So, what can be done to help this?
Unfortunately, there are no treatments that will restore our brows to what they were in our youth, but fear not, all is not lost! WE can help to lift the brows slightly with the use of botox.
How does botox work?
Botox, as we know, is used to stop muscles from contracting. To consider the effect botox will have on a muscle, we must first consider what the action of said muscle contraction normally is.
There are three main muscle areas that we treat with botox:
Orbicularis Occuli – this is a circular muscle that surrounds the eye.
Frontalis – this is a large muscle that cover the large majority of the forehead.
Procerus and Corrugator – the glabellar area which consists of procerus right in the centre of the nasal bridge and the corrugators that sit to either side of procerus.
What are the muscle functions?
When contracted, Orbicularis Occuli fibres pull tighter together to make the circular muscle around the eye smaller and tighter. Frontalis muscle fibres pull up towards the hairline. Procerus and Corrugator fibres shorten and pull down and inwards towards the nose.
When we understand the muscles, where their fibres run and what happens when they contract; we can then look at which muscle contraction we would like to stop occurring, and therefore help to lift the eyebrows.
As Frontalis contracts, it pulls up towards the hairline and as such bring the eyebrows up with it. We therefore want to leave Frontalis well alone. As Procerus and the Corrugators contract, they pull down and inwards, towards the nose, and with it pull the eyebrows down and in too. By placing botox in these muscles, it therefore stops this down and in pull on the brows.
As Orbicular Occuli contracts, the fibres close the muscle ring around the eye and as a result pull the outer (lateral) part of the brow downwards. By placing botox here, it releases the outer aspect of the brows, allowing that to raise up too.
Sadly, the “lifting” effect is not as major as some patients might like. But by placing botox in the right muscles in the right places, we can achieve a fresher, less hooded appearance to our eyes.
