Have you noticed that one or both of your eyebrows seem to be sitting lower than before? This drooping of the eyebrows is medically known as ptosis (TOE-sis).
Eyebrow ptosis can occur due to aging, medical conditions affecting the facial muscles or nerves, or even injury. Whatever the cause, eyebrow drooping can significantly alter facial appearance and make you look tired, sad, or older than your years.
If you have noticed your eyebrows becoming increasingly droopy, you may be wondering – why is my eyebrow drooping? And what can be done to lift drooping eyebrows?
This article will explore the common causes of why your eyebrows drooping suddenly. It will also provide tips on how to fix droopy eyebrows naturally.
The article will also discuss eyebrow ptosis surgery, and give an overview of other treatment options. With several effective solutions available, you can lift your eyebrows and restore a more youthful, alert appearance with ease.
Why Is My Eyebrow Drooping?
When we are young, the facial muscles and tissue around the eyebrows are firm and keep the eyebrows in an elevated position. However, as we age, eyebrows naturally tend to droop due to a few key factors:
➡️ Loss of Elasticity
Our skin becomes less elastic with age. Eyelid skin and muscular fascia around the eyebrows may weaken and stretch over time, allowing the eyebrows to sink downward. Exposure to the sun worsens loss of elasticity, contributing to eyebrow drooping.
➡️ Atrophy of Facial Muscles
The frontal belly of the occipitofrontalis muscle runs from the scalp down to the eyebrows, allowing us to raise our eyebrows. As we get older, this muscle can atrophy and lose tone, leading to eyebrow ptosis.
➡️ Fat Descension
With advanced age, facial fat compartments descend, pushing down on eyebrows. This fat migration fuels eyebrow drooping over time.
➡️ Nerve Damage
In some cases, eyebrow drooping occurs due to nerve damage rather than just aging effects. The temporal branch of the facial nerve controls muscles in the forehead and eyebrow. An injury, stroke, Bell’s palsy, or tumor compressing this nerve can cause temporary or permanent eyebrow ptosis.
Medical Conditions
Certain medical conditions also provoke eyebrow drooping, such as:
- Myasthenia gravis – an autoimmune disorder causing muscle weakness
- Thyroid eye disease – an inflammatory condition where eye muscles/tissue swell
- Horner’s syndrome – nerve damage affecting one side of the face
- Parkinson’s disease – breakdown of nerve cells controlling movement
In these cases, treating the underlying condition may help resolve eyebrow ptosis. Consulting your physician is advisable to determine the cause of your eyebrow drooping and the appropriate treatment approach.
How Can I Lift My Droopy Eyebrows?
So, are you wondering how to fix droopy eyebrows naturally? For mild eyebrow ptosis caused by natural aging, there are several tactics you can try at home to your eyebrows a lift without surgery or injections.
Natural methods likely won’t dramatically elevate severely droopy brows, but may provide a temporary perk:
➡️ Eyebrow Stretching Exercises
Performing repetitive motions that work the muscles above the eyebrows will help tone the muscles over time.
Try raising your eyebrows as high as possible, hold for 5 seconds, lower, and repeat 10 times. Over several weeks, daily eyebrow stretches can strengthen muscles.
You can also place two fingers above one eyebrow, and gently pull the skin upward while resisting the motion with your eyebrow muscle. Hold for 5 counts, relax, and repeat 5 times before switching sides.
➡️ Cold Spoon Massage
Chilled metal constricts blood vessels, while massage boosts circulation. The combination temporarily reduces fluid buildup and inflammation to firm the area:
Chill a metal spoon by placing it in the fridge or running under cold water. Glide the back of the spoon over your eyebrow using light pressure and a circular motion. Repeat with the other eyebrow. Apply daily.
This can make eyebrows appear perkier by draining excess fluid, though the results are temporary. Perform massage before special events along with eye makeup to plump up brows.
➡️ Guide the Brows Into Place
Where gravitational forces are pulling brows downward, you can manually guide them into a lifted position:
- Use medical tape to gently pull droopy brows upward overnight. The skin may temporarily retain the lifted shape.
- During the daytime, brush brows upward with a spooky brush or your fingertips to train hairs into place. Apply brow gel to set it in position.
These methods must be repeated daily and work best for subtly droopy brows, not severe cases of ptosis.
➡️ Brow Ptosis Surgery
For significant eyebrow drooping that does not improve with natural remedies, surgical intervention may be required. There are three main approaches to brow lift surgery:
➡️ Coronal Brow Lift
This technique involves making an incision across the top of the head, from ear to ear. The surgeon elevates the underlying tissue to lift the outer portion of the brows.
An extended version called a coronal approach browplasty also releases the eyebrows from deeper tissue.
Pros
- Produces longest-lasting results
- Lifts entire brow area along forehead
Cons
- More complex procedures and recovery
- Visible scarring within the hairline
➡️ Direct Brow Lift
With the direct approach, the surgeon makes smaller incisions directly above the eyebrows within the hairline. Through these cuts, tissue and muscle are repositioned and excess skin is removed to elevate the brows.
Pros
- Less noticeable scarring
- Shorter recovery time
- This can be done under local anesthesia
Cons
- Only corrects brow droop directly above eyes
- Movement still occurs at the outer ends
➡️ Endoscopic Brow Lift
The endoscope is a thin tube with a camera allowing surgeons to operate through tiny cuts above the brows. The scope visualizes the working area while tools lift underlying structures.
Pros
- Least visible scarring
- Quickest recovery time
Cons
- Not ideal for significant drooping
- More expensive equipment involved
Patients should consult a facial plastic surgeon when considering brow lift surgery. Your doctor will evaluate eyebrow droop severity, facial anatomy, medical history, and expected outcome and recommend the optimal surgical approach.
Conclusion
Eyebrow drooping can be an alarming sign of aging with brows gradually sinking lower over time. However, there are many effective tactics to lift droopy eyebrows – both temporary and permanent solutions.
Natural options like targeted eyebrow exercises, massage, and strategic grooming may help tighten and elevate mildly ptotic brows. But medical management is often warranted, especially when eyebrow drooping occurs suddenly or is pronounced.
With treatment, eyebrow position can often be lifted to a more pleasing contour. Restoring an alert, youthful arch helps rejuvenate the upper face. No longer will droopy eyebrows make you look perpetually tired or sad. Rather, the eyes and entire visage appear refreshed and wide awake.
Have your eyebrows become increasingly hooded over the years? What solutions have you tried to lift them? Consider consulting a plastic surgeon to learn about options to recontour sagging eyebrows. Addressing eyebrow ptosis can take years off your face, restoring a revitalized appearance.
References
- Kwitko GM, et al. (2022). Blepharoplasty ptosis surgery.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482296/ - Pavone P, et al. (2018). Ptosis in childhood.
https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2018/09070/ptosis_in_childhood__a_clinical_sign_of_several.41.aspx - Yadegari S. (2016). Approach to a patient with blepharoptosis.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27329276/
