Sub-Brow Lift
Lift Heavy Upper Eyelids While Preserving Your Natural Double Eyelid
The upper eyelids play an important role in the overall appearance of the face. As we age, the skin around the eyes gradually loses elasticity, causing the upper eyelids to become heavier, looser, and more droopy. Some people are also naturally born with thicker or heavier upper eyelid skin, particularly toward the outer corners of the eyes.
These changes can make the eyes appear tired, smaller, or older than they actually are. In more advanced cases, excess skin may even interfere with the upper field of vision.
For many patients, especially those who already have a well-defined and attractive double eyelid crease, a Sub-Brow Lift offers an excellent solution. Rather than creating a new eyelid crease, this procedure lifts and removes excess upper eyelid skin while preserving the patient’s existing eyelid shape.
At Sketch Plastic Surgery Korea, our surgeons perform personalized Sub-Brow Lift procedures designed to restore brighter, lighter, and naturally youthful-looking eyes without changing your unique appearance.
What is a Sub-Brow Lift?
A Sub-Brow Lift, also known as an Infra-Brow Lift, is a rejuvenation procedure that removes excess upper eyelid skin through an incision placed discreetly beneath the eyebrow.
Unlike Upper Blepharoplasty, which removes skin through the upper eyelid crease, a Sub-Brow Lift lifts the upper eyelid from above. This allows the surgeon to reduce heaviness while maintaining the patient’s natural eyelid crease and eye shape.
The procedure restores a fresher and more youthful appearance while preserving facial harmony.
Who is a Good Candidate?
A Sub-Brow Lift may be an ideal option if you:
- Have loose or sagging upper eyelid skin
- Feel your upper eyelids look heavy or tired
- Have drooping skin toward the outer corners of the eyes
- Already have a natural and attractive double eyelid crease
- Do not wish to change the height or shape of your existing eyelid crease
- Have good overall health and realistic expectations
During your consultation, our surgeons carefully evaluate your eyelid anatomy, skin elasticity, eyebrow position, and facial proportions to determine whether a Sub-Brow Lift or another eyelid procedure would provide the best outcome.
What Can a Sub-Brow Lift Improve?
Sub-Brow Lift surgery effectively treats a variety of age-related upper eyelid concerns, including:
- Sagging upper eyelid skin
- Heavy eyelids
- Hooded eyes
- Drooping outer corners of the eyes
- Age-related loss of upper eyelid definition
- Tired or older appearance
- Mild visual obstruction caused by excess skin
Many patients notice that their eyes appear brighter, lighter, and more refreshed after surgery while still looking completely natural.
Sub-Brow Lift vs. Upper Blepharoplasty
Although both procedures improve drooping upper eyelids, they are designed for different patients.
Sub-Brow Lift
- Removes excess skin beneath the eyebrow
- Preserves the existing double eyelid crease
- Ideal for patients satisfied with their current eyelid shape
- Particularly effective for correcting heaviness of the outer upper eyelid
Upper Blepharoplasty
- Removes excess skin through the upper eyelid crease
- Can create or modify the eyelid crease
- Often combined with Ptosis Correction when necessary
- Suitable for patients who wish to improve both eyelid appearance and crease definition
At Sketch Plastic Surgery Korea, our surgeons recommend the procedure that best matches your anatomy and aesthetic goals rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Sketch Plastic Surgery Technique
During the procedure, a carefully planned incision is made immediately beneath the lower border of the eyebrow, where the scar is naturally concealed by the eyebrow hairs.
Through this incision, the surgeon:
- Removes excess upper eyelid skin
- Lifts sagging tissues
- Reduces heaviness of the upper eyelid
- Preserves the natural eyelid crease
- Carefully closes the incision using techniques designed to promote fine, discreet scars
Every surgical plan is individually customized to achieve natural rejuvenation while maintaining facial balance and expression.
The Sketch Plastic Surgery Difference
At Sketch Plastic Surgery Korea, we believe the best rejuvenation is subtle and natural.
Rather than dramatically altering the eyes, our surgeons focus on restoring youthful contours while preserving the features that make each patient unique.
Our personalized approach includes:
- Customized surgical planning
- Natural-looking results
- Preservation of the existing eyelid crease whenever appropriate
- Careful scar placement beneath the eyebrow
- Advanced tissue-preserving surgical techniques
- Comprehensive post-operative care
- Dedicated support for international patients
Surgery Time & Anesthesia
Procedure Time
- Approximately 45–60 minutes
Sub-Brow Lift surgery is typically performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sleep sedation, allowing patients to remain comfortable throughout the procedure.
Patients usually return home the same day after a short observation period.
Recovery Timeline
First Week
Mild swelling and bruising are expected.
Swelling generally peaks during the third and fourth days.
5–7 Days
Sutures are usually removed.
Most patients return to office work and light daily activities.
2–4 Weeks
Most swelling and bruising have significantly improved.
The upper eyelids begin to appear lighter and more refreshed.
1–3 Months
Residual swelling continues to resolve.
The incision beneath the eyebrow gradually softens and becomes less noticeable.
Approximately 3 Months
Final results become fully visible as healing progresses.
Healing times vary depending on individual skin quality and overall health.
Aftercare & Medication
Following surgery, patients receive personalized aftercare instructions and medications to support comfortable healing.
These commonly include:
- Antibiotics
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Pain medication
- Stomach-protective medication when appropriate
Our medical team carefully monitors each patient’s recovery through scheduled follow-up visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
The incision is carefully placed directly beneath the eyebrow, where it is naturally concealed by the eyebrow hairs. As healing progresses, the scar usually becomes much less noticeable.
No. One of the greatest advantages of this procedure is that it is specifically designed to preserve your existing double eyelid crease while removing excess upper eyelid skin.
Yes. Depending on your needs, it may be combined with Upper Blepharoplasty, Ptosis Correction, Lower Blepharoplasty, Facial Fat Grafting, or other facial rejuvenation procedures.
Although the natural aging process continues, most patients enjoy long-lasting improvement for many years. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure can help prolong your results.
Refresh Your Eyes with a Personalized Sub-Brow Lift at Sketch Plastic Surgery Korea
Following surgery, patients receive personalized aftercare instructions and medications to support comfortable healing.
These commonly include:
- Antibiotics
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Pain medication
- Stomach-protective medication when appropriate
Our medical team carefully monitors each patient’s recovery through scheduled follow-up visits.
The Upper Lid is made of very thin skin. It is one of the parts of your face that defines how your eyes look. Some people have natural droopiness and sagginess especially towards the outer corners of the eyes and some people develop that kind of condition with aging. To solve such an issue, there are different methods and procedures and one of the easier and shorter downtime procedures is the sub-brow lift.
Sub-Brow Lift Surgery
In this surgery, an incision is made right below the lower end of the eyebrows. Using that incision, the droopy and saggy skin is lifted up, some excess skin is excised and then the stitching is done in particular technique to ensure long lasting lift of the upper lid. This procedure is more suitable for patients who have a nice and symmetric double eyelid line or crease and they do not want to change it. All the want is to remove the excess skin and the heaviness on the upper lid.
Anesthesia
At Sketch Plastic Surgery, the Sub-Brow Lift Surgery is done with Sleep Sedation along with some amount of local anesthesia. You will be in a deep sleep for around 45-60 minutes and once you wake up, you will be moved to the recovery room and kept there for as long as you take to completely recover from the anesthesia. Usually it takes around 45-60 minutes to feel completely fine and be discharged from the hospital. Our staff will put you in a taxi after explaining all post-surgery instructions and handing over the medication
Downtime
The downtime for Sub-Brow Lift Surgery is short because the skin right below the eyebrows is a little thicker and recovers faster. There is stitching involved which needs to be removed on the 5th day. There will be swelling and bruising which will peak on the 3rd and 4th day post surgery. Between 7-14 days, most of the swelling and bruising will be over, however some residual swelling and bruising will be there for 1-2 months. The final result will be visible in around 3 months.
Medication
After the surgery, the patient has to take medications for 5 days. The medications will include antibiotics to avoid any infection, anti-inflammatory, pain-killer, and stomach control medications. These medications must be taken 20 minutes after each meal. With the antibiotic medicines, the patient’s stomach could be upset, so avoiding spicy food for the first 5 days would be recommended by our surgeon. If any patient has an allergy with certain medicines, our surgeon will make adjustments accordingly.
If you are someone with a droopy and saggy upper eyelid skin, please visit Sketch Plastic Surgery and get it fixed by our top tier surgeons. Our team of surgeons, nurses, consultants and translators will make it a great experience and change the way you look. We are looking forward to seeing you soon at Sketch Plastic Surgery Korea.
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