Blepharoplasty or Brow Lift | A Patient’s Guide to Eye Rejuvenation
Explore Whether Blepharoplasty or a Brow Lift Will Best Address Your Concerns
Many patients come to our office saying, “My eyes look tired. Do I need eyelid surgery or a brow lift?” It’s a great question and the answer depends on whether the heaviness is coming from your eyelids or your brows.
While both procedures rejuvenate the upper face, they each target different areas. Sometimes the best results come from combining them.
What Is Blepharoplasty? (Eyelid Surgery)
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, refreshes the eyes by removing extra skin, puffiness, or fat around the lids. Many people notice their eyelids feel heavy or hooded as they age, and in some cases this even blocks peripheral vision.
- Upper blepharoplasty restores a natural crease to the eyelid and smooths heaviness for a more awake and youthful appearance.
- Lower blepharoplasty focuses on the area beneath the eyes. This procedure addresses puffiness, bags, and fine wrinkles that can make the eyes look tired or aged. By carefully removing or repositioning fat and tightening skin, lower blepharoplasty creates a smoother contour between the lower eyelid and cheek.
Together, upper and lower blepharoplasty can rejuvenate the entire eye area, making the face appear refreshed while maintaining a natural look.
The Main Benefits of Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty offers both cosmetic and functional benefits, helping patients look more refreshed while also improving comfort and vision in some cases.
- Removes heavy or hooded eyelid skin that can make the eyes look tired
- Improves vision in cases where drooping lids block peripheral sight
- Reduces puffiness or bags around the eyes for a smoother, more rested appearance
- Restores a natural crease to the upper eyelid
- Helps the eyes appear brighter and more youthful without changing your natural expression
These advantages make eyelid surgery one of the most effective ways to restore a brighter, natural, and youthful appearance to the eyes.
The Art of Blepharoplasty
What Is a Brow Lift?
A brow lift addresses a different problem, which is the position of the eyebrows. Over time, the brows can drop lower, creating a heavy, shadowed look above the eyes. This not only makes the eyes appear smaller, but it can also cause you to look tired, sad, or stern when you are not.
Utilizing advanced techniques, Dr. Balikian can gently reposition the brows to their natural, youthful level while softening forehead creases and frown lines. The result is a more open, refreshed expression that still looks like you.
- The 4 Point Brow Lift carefully lifts the brow in four key anchor points, creating a balanced and natural elevation without an overdone look. The 4 Point Brow Lift restores openness to the eyes, improves symmetry, and subtly refreshes the upper face while preserving natural expression.
- The Temporal Brow Lift, sometimes called a lateral brow lift, focuses on the outer portion of the brow. This is ideal for patients who notice heaviness in the outer corners of the eyes or a drooping, tired appearance in this area. By gently elevating the tails of the brows, the temporal brow lift restores a smoother transition between the forehead and the eyelids for a youthful, refreshed look.
Whether performed as a 4 Point Brow Lift, a Temporal Brow Lift, or in combination with other procedures, a brow lift restores harmony to the upper face and brings back a brighter, more youthful expression.
The Main Benefits of a Brow Lift
A brow lift offers both cosmetic and emotional benefits, helping patients look more youthful, approachable, and refreshed.
- Restores the brows to a natural, youthful position
- Softens forehead creases and frown lines
- Opens the eyes for a brighter, more awake appearance
- Improves symmetry and balance across the upper face
- Creates a softer, more approachable expression
Together, these benefits make a brow lift one of the most effective ways to rejuvenate the upper face while maintaining a natural look.
The Art of Brow Rejuvenation
Key Differences Between the Two Procedures
When considering eyelid or forehead rejuvenation, it helps to understand how blepharoplasty and brow lift differ in their focus and results.
- Blepharoplasty focuses on the eyelids by removing extra skin and fat to make the eyes appear more awake.
- Brow lift repositions the brows to a natural height, opening up the eyes and softening forehead wrinkles.
- Both procedures can be done alone, but they are often combined for the most natural and balanced result.
By knowing the strengths of each procedure, you and your surgeon can decide whether a single surgery or a combination will best achieve your goals.
Combining Blepharoplasty and Brow Lift
In many cases, patients benefit from a combination approach. Lifting the brows restores openness, while blepharoplasty removes any excess eyelid skin that remains. When performed together, the procedures create balance between the forehead, brows, and eyes, resulting in a refreshed and natural appearance.
These surgeries are also often combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures. For example, a preservation deep plane facelift can restore definition to the lower face and jawline, while facial fat transfer can replenish youthful volume and improve overall harmony. Laser resurfacing may also be added to smooth fine lines and enhance skin quality.
By addressing the eyelids, brows, and other areas of the face at the same time, patients can achieve a more complete transformation with a single recovery period.
Final Thoughts
If you are wondering whether you need eyelid surgery, a brow lift, or both, you are not alone. This is one of the most common questions patients ask during consultations. The right choice depends on your anatomy, your goals, and the artistry required to achieve results that look natural.
Dr. Richard Balikian is double board-certified in facial plastic surgery and has years of experience helping patients decide between blepharoplasty, brow lift, or a combination of both.
For many patients, these procedures are part of a full facial rejuvenation plan that can include facelift surgery, fat transfer, or skin resurfacing.
His goal is always the same: to restore a refreshed and youthful version of you, not to make you look different.
Discover What’s Possible
Learn More About Facial Plastic Surgery
Trust Your Face to a Facial Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Richard Balikian is a highly respected facial plastic surgeon serving the San Diego area.
With over 20 years of experience and double board certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Balikian offers a unique combination of technical expertise and artistic vision.
He is part of an elite group of surgeons with extensive training focused exclusively on the face and neck.
Scientific References
Read the Science
- Hollander MHJ, van der Hoeven JH, Verdonschot KHM, Delli K, Vissink A, Jansma J, Schepers RH. Functional outcomes of upper eyelid blepharoplasty: a systematic review. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. 2019 Feb;72(2):294–309.
- Hollander MHJ, Schortinghuis J, Vissink A, Jansma J, Schepers RH. Aesthetic outcomes of upper eyelid blepharoplasty: a systematic review. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2020 Jun;49(6):750–764.
- De Cordier BC, de la Torre JI, Al-Hakeem MS, Rosenberg LZ, Gardner PM, Costa-Ferreira A, Fix RJ, Vasconez LO. Endoscopic forehead lift: review of technique, cases, and results. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2002 Nov;110(6):1558–1568; discussion 1569-70.
- Holzapfel AM, et al. Endoscopic brow-lift is the method of upper face rejuvenation preferred by facial plastic surgeons and patients alike. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2004; review.
- Şibar S, Dikmen AU, Erdal AI. Long-term stability in endoscopic brow lift: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2025 Feb 18;45(3):232–240.
Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
Balikian Facial Plastic Surgery: Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
