Mr Awf Quaba
Consultant plastic surgeon
GMC 3034912
Brow lift in Edinburgh
A heavy or descending brow presses on the upper eyelids and makes the upper face look tired even when you are rested. Brow lift surgery is by consultant plastic surgeons at Waterfront Private Hospital in Edinburgh, and the consultant who operates reviews the result.
- Anaesthetic
- Local anaesthesia, or general anaesthesia where preferred
- Length
- 1-2 hours
- Hospital stay
- Day case at Waterfront Private Hospital
- Recovery time
- Around one week off work; six weeks before strenuous exercise
- Guide price
- from £4,400
- Consultant plastic surgeons on the GMC Specialist Register
- Surgery at Waterfront Private Hospital, regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Your consultation and your operation with the same consultant
Contents
Is it right for me?
A good candidate for brow lift surgery has a visibly low or descended brow, hooding of the upper eyelids that starts at the brow rather than the lid, and good general health.
- Heavy, low or asymmetric brows, often most marked at the outer brow
- A tired or stern look that rest and make-up do not change
- Good general health and realistic expectations of what surgery can achieve
Where the excess is in the eyelid skin itself rather than the brow position, eyelid surgery may be the better operation – and the two can be combined. Your consultant examines both at consultation and recommends the smaller procedure where it will achieve what you want.
Unsure? Try the free AI consultation, or ask at your appointment.
What brow lift surgery involves
A brow lift raises the position of the eyebrows and reduces hooding over the upper eyelids. It treats the descent of the brow that develops with age – often the real cause of a tired or heavy look that patients first attribute to their eyelids.
At Quaba Plastic Surgery the preferred technique is the direct brow lift, which gives the most reliable and predictable long-term result. A minimal access lift using buried sutures is an alternative for the outer brow in selected patients.
Surgery is performed by one of our consultant plastic surgeons at Waterfront Private Hospital in Edinburgh, usually under local anaesthesia as a day case, and takes one to two hours.
Types of brow lift
Two types of brow lift are performed at Quaba Plastic Surgery. The right one depends on the degree of brow descent, the position of your hairline, and where a scar can best be hidden.
Direct brow lift
Direct brow lift
A direct brow lift removes a crescent of skin immediately above the eyebrow, leaving a scar that is usually well hidden at the junction of the upper eyebrow and skin. It gives the most reliable and predictable long-term result, and suits older patients and many men with more severe brow descent.
Minimal access (thread) brow lift
Minimal access (thread) brow lift
A minimal access brow lift uses buried sutures to raise the outer brow and open the upper face and eyes. The scars are minimal – hidden in the eyebrow itself and in the hairline high on the forehead. It suits younger patients with early descent of the outer brow.
What brow lift surgery can and can't do
A direct brow lift moves the brow precisely, under local anaesthetic, in about an hour. The price of that precision is a scar just above the brow, and you should weigh that before anything else.
It can
- Raise brows that sit lower than they used to.
- Reduce heaviness above the eye that adds to upper-lid hooding.
- Correct a difference in height between the two brows.
- Soften a tired or cross look that comes from brow position.
It can’t
- Remove excess eyelid skin. If the hooding comes from the eyelid itself, upper eyelid surgery is the right step, alone or with a brow lift.
- Avoid a scar. The scar sits along the top of each brow. It is usually discreet once healed, but it can be more noticeable in younger people and in fair or sparse brows. With a minimal access lift the scars sit in the hairline instead.
- Smooth forehead lines. Lines may soften if you no longer raise your brows to see, but anti-wrinkle injections do more for the lines themselves.
- Make the brows identical. Small differences between the two sides are normal and often remain.
- Stop the brows dropping again. Ageing continues, and the brows will slowly descend over the years.
Your consultant will tell you at your consultation which of these apply to you.
What is the cost of brow lift surgery?
The full price for your individual case can only be confirmed after a face-to-face consultation with the consultant who will perform your surgery. Our consultation fee with a consultant plastic surgeon is £200.
Quick answers
Will the same surgeon plan, perform and review my brow lift?
Will the same surgeon plan, perform and review my brow lift?
Yes. Your consultant assesses you at consultation, plans your surgery, performs it at Waterfront Private Hospital and reviews you afterwards. There are no handovers between surgeons.
Who will perform my brow lift?
Who will perform my brow lift?
Your brow lift is planned and performed by one of our consultant plastic surgeons, Mr Awf Quaba, Mr Will Anderson, Mr Omar Quaba, Mr John Biddlestone and Mr Ken Stewart, all on the GMC Specialist Register. You choose your consultant, meet them at your first appointment, and the same consultant operates and sees you afterwards.
Can I see results from your surgeons?
Can I see results from your surgeons?
Yes. Our brow lift before and after gallery shows patients treated at Quaba Plastic Surgery, shared with their consent. Results vary between people, and your consultant will show you what is realistic for you at your consultation.
What happens if I have concerns after my surgery?
What happens if I have concerns after my surgery?
Your Quaba consultant stays responsible for your care after surgery. A nurse sees you a week after your operation, more often if you need it, and your consultant reviews you at around six months, when the result has settled. If anything worries you before then, contact us and your consultant will reply directly and see you as soon as needed.
How much does brow lift surgery cost?
How much does brow lift surgery cost?
A direct brow lift under local anaesthesia starts from £4,400 at Waterfront Private Hospital. The price covers the surgeon’s fee, the hospital and theatre fee, and all post-operative reviews until you are fully discharged. A consultation with a consultant plastic surgeon is £200.
All our guide prices are on our pricing page.
What is the difference between a brow lift and eyelid surgery?
What is the difference between a brow lift and eyelid surgery?
A brow lift raises the position of the eyebrows; eyelid surgery removes excess skin and fat from the eyelids themselves. Hooding of the upper lids can be caused by either, or both, so the two procedures are sometimes combined. Examination at consultation establishes which is responsible.
Will a brow lift leave visible scars?
Will a brow lift leave visible scars?
A direct brow lift leaves a scar at the junction of the upper eyebrow and skin, which is usually well hidden and fades over up to a year. A minimal access lift hides its scars in the eyebrow and the hairline.
Can a brow lift be done under local anaesthetic?
Can a brow lift be done under local anaesthetic?
Yes. Most direct brow lifts are performed under local anaesthesia as a day case, which avoids the risks of general anaesthesia. General anaesthesia is available where preferred or where brow lift surgery is combined with other procedures.
How long does a brow lift last?
How long does a brow lift last?
A direct brow lift gives the most reliable and predictable long-term correction. The brow continues to age, but the lifted position is long-lasting. The brow is slightly overcorrected at surgery to allow for the settling that occurs over the first six months.
When can I return to work after a brow lift?
When can I return to work after a brow lift?
Most patients take around one week off work. Bruising can be covered with make-up after the first week, and strenuous exercise should wait six weeks.
Can a brow lift be combined with other procedures?
Can a brow lift be combined with other procedures?
Yes. A brow lift is often combined with eyelid surgery or a facelift, treating the upper face in a single recovery period. Your consultant will advise whether a combination is appropriate for you.
The surgeons who do this
You meet your consultant at your first appointment. The same consultant plans your surgery, carries it out and sees you afterwards.
Risks, and how often they happen
Every operation carries risk. Here they are in three groups. The figures come from UK national guidance and published studies, averaged across many patients, so your own risk may be higher or lower. Your consultant will go through what applies to you, and every risk is in your written consent.
- Expected
- Uncommon
- Rare
- For the long term
Expected Almost everyone, and they settle
- Swelling and bruising, most noticeable in the first few days and largely settled within two weeks.
- Numbness of the forehead above the scars, which usually returns over weeks to months. After a minimal access lift, the numbness is in the hairline above the incisions.
- Brows that look slightly high at first. They are lifted a little more than needed and settle over the following weeks.
- A fine scar above each brow, with stitches removed at about a week, fading over months.
Uncommon Some patients, and some need further treatment
- Numbness that lasts longer than a few months.
About 1 in 20
- A second procedure to adjust the brow height or improve a scar.
About 1 in 30
- A scar that stays noticeable or thickens.
About 1 in 100
- A visible difference between the two brows once healed.
About 1 in 100
Rare but serious
- Bleeding or infection that needs treatment.
- Weakness of the forehead muscle on one side.
Very rare
For the long term
- Scars keep improving for a year. They are permanent, and most people find them easy to hide with brow make-up once healed.
- Final brow position is judged at about six months. If it is higher or lower than planned, your consultant will talk honestly about whether an adjustment would help.
- Your brows will keep ageing. The lift lasts, but the brow slowly descends again with time.
Where these figures come from
- Cho MJ et al. 2018For: lasting numbness; revision; asymmetry
- Booth AJ et al. Br J Ophthalmol 2004For: noticeable scar; expected forehead numbness
- Shu M et al. A novel supra-brow combined with infra-brow lift approach. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2016For: forehead (frontal nerve) weakness
Aftercare and recovery after brow lift surgery
Swelling and bruising around the brow and upper eyelids settle over one to two weeks. Most patients take around a week off work and return to strenuous exercise at six weeks.
Wounds are kept clean and dry in the first week, and any sutures that need removing are dealt with at your nurse review. Scars in the brow line continue to fade for up to a year and can be covered with make-up once healed.
A nurse reviews you at one week, and more often if needed in the early healing period. Your consultant sees you again at around six months once the result has settled. Between then, your consultant is always available – if anything concerns you, they will respond directly and arrange to see you as soon as needed.
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