Our ACA Question of the Week comes from a follower in Boca Raton. This young man is 19 years old and is considering having a brow lift procedure. He asks, “I have a habit of constantly lifting my eyebrows. When I don’t, people ask me if I’m mad or tired. What options are there for correcting low eyebrows? I’m interested in the longest-lasting and best overall results.” Dr. Pane wanted to address this question because it also addresses a broader concern: is there such a thing as being too young for cosmetic surgery?
In this case, Dr. Pane says, photos of the patient’s brow area were included. From studying those, he says this particular patient’s eyebrows do not appear abnormally low. Instead, the upper eyelids appear to hang down more than usual. While this isn’t cause for concern and doesn’t necessarily point to a problem that requires corrective surgery, there are some viral infections and other childhood medical issues and injuries to the face and eye areas that could lead to droopy or low-slung eyelids in adulthood. A complete medical history could help reveal possible causes, if low-hanging upper eyelids are not genetic features of his particular family.
However, Dr. Pane cautions that age 19 is very young for a brow lift. He says he would be more inclined to check the eyelid’s range of motion during an in-office consultation. If there is impairment of the eyelid, a surgical procedure may be indicated to get the eyelid to the correct level. If the patient was older, excess skin building up in the area of the eyelids may be a possible culprit, and this could also be remedied through surgical intervention. Because of the patient’s age, Dr. Pane says an in-person evaluation and complete medical history workup is really the only way to properly assess the cause and from there, determine the right corrective methodology for this patient.
While people who are significantly older often have brow lifts and eyelid correction procedures done, Dr. Pane would be more inclined to consider Botox and similar less-invasive treatments for a patient with this sort of problem, but again he would not feel comfortable doing this at this stage. This is because problems like this in younger people frequently sort themselves out without the need for surgical intervention or the risks that accompany it. If they do not self-correct, it is still likely that they will stabilize at a level that makes less drastic corrective measures feasible. However, a possible medical condition, injury or nerve trauma may be responsible for the patient’s difficulties, in which case it should be evaluated as soon as possible so that a plan for suitable corrective action or treatment can be created.
Cosmetic surgery usually works on treating the obvious: scar remediation, a tummy tuck after extended, substantial weight loss and so on. In situations where the cause is not immediately apparent, or where the patient’s age may militate against having a cosmetic procedure, the first step is always an in-person consultation and evaluation of the patient’s overall medical history, current health and other factors that may influence or directly cause the symptoms. In some cases, addressing the root issue may have nothing to do with cosmetics and everything to do with some other problem that reflects itself in a visible manner.
Every person is different and unique. No two people have the same story, the same genetics or the same body, even if outwardly they look absolutely identical in virtually every respect. Likewise, two people with similar cosmetic issues may find out that wildly different underlying factors influence these issues, making appropriate treatment for one incorrect and potentially dangerous for the other. Especially when the patient’s age is a factor, this makes clinical evaluation of the case and medical history all the more vital to ensuring the best possible outcome for the patient.
Dr. Thomas Pane is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, and firmly believes in the importance of patient education and knowledge about the procedures they are interested in. An informed patient can better advocate for their own care and tends to have more realistic expectations about what is and is not possible. Because of this, we invite you to ask us your cosmetic surgery questions by contacting us at https://acplasticsurg.com, following our Facebook page or calling us at (561) 422-4116. Your question could be an upcoming ACA Question of the Week, answered live on Google Hangouts by Dr. Pane personally and helping us help others while giving you the information you need to make the right choice about your care!