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Do you look happy? sad? tired? angry?
Have you ever wondered how you know what another person’s
mood is just by looking at his or her face? Studies
have shown that one instantaneously and subconsciously
makes a determination of another person’s mood just
by glancing at the position and appearance of both the
eyebrows and mouth. But what if only the position of
the eyebrows was varied, and not the mouth? Would you
still be able to assess his or her mood or personality
just by seeing the eyebrows?
Observe the four faces shown below. Notice how each
face has exactly the same shape, the same smile, and
the same eyes. The only difference between each of the
faces is the position of the eyebrows.
Low, flat eyebrows that hang over the eyes denote fatigue,
while an eyebrow that is highest in the middle denotes
sadness. Downward slanting eyebrows portray anger, while
highly arched eyebrows portray happiness.
Frequently, malposition of the eyebrows can be overlooked
when considering facial aging and expression. Eyebrow
sagging and upper eyelid fullness occur over time as
a result of gravity and the tug of war of repeated opposing
muscle contractions. In more advanced stages, low eyebrows
and upper eyelid fullness can contribute to peripheral
and upper visual field loss. Furthermore, the heavy
eyebrow skin pushes the eyelid down causing a tired
appearance.
To counteract the eyebrow droop, many people unknowingly
raise their eyebrows to remove the brow and eyelid skin
from their visual space. These people eventually develop
furrows or wrinkles in the forehead due to the constant
contraction of the muscles that raise the eyebrow. In
addition, there are those who are sensitive to light
and frequently “squint and squeeze” their eyes. This
effectively pulls the eyebrows down and leads to wrinkles
between the eyebrows and at the corners of the eyes
(known as crow’s feet).
Botox is an effective,
temporary corrective measure for fine lines of the forehead
and lines between the eyebrows. Botox works by freezing
the muscle movement for several months. However, if
the eyebrow is already positioned low relative to the
brow bone, Botox may contribute to brow lowering since
it will weaken the muscles on the forehead that are
responsible for holding the eyebrow up. In this case
or for the purpose of creating a more pleasant appearance,
the best corrective measure is brow lift surgery.
Most brow lift and forehead
surgery is now performed with the aid of a tiny camera.
This endoscopic surgery
allows the surgeon to make very small incisions hidden
in the hairline thereby causing less nerve damage, swelling,
and bruising than traditional open, coronal browlift
surgery. Because of the minimal trauma with endoscopic
surgery, the patient has an overall faster recovery
time.
Older patients with severe skin excess of the forehead
may be better served by other browlift techniques. Using
the direct brow lift method, an incision is made slightly
above the eyebrow hairs and excess skin is removed.
With a mid-forehead lift, the incision is made in the
prominent wrinkles in the middle of the forehead. Either
incision is barely perceptible once it heals, thanks
to meticulous suturing and careful attention to the
healing process.
To learn more, go to Dr. Jonathan Hoenig's specialist
page or directly to his website at www.la-plastic-surgery.com.
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