Contour Lift
The idea that the brows simply "drop" with age is widespread, but it oversimplifies a far more complex process.
It is not only the skin that is involved in this area. Brow position also depends on the skin and soft tissues of the forehead, which change under the action of different muscles, as well as on the fat compartments and the deep structures that keep all these tissues in balance and on which gravity acts over time.
Over time that balance changes, and not only because of gravity: sustained activity of the facial muscles generates forces in different directions that influence the position and shape of the brow.
Moreover, these changes do not occur uniformly. They often affect the lateral portion of the brow and the crow's feet area in particular, which can descend and change their curvature. The result can be eyes that look more closed, tired or sad, even when the eyelid itself is not the main problem.
That is why, before considering a blepharoplasty, it is essential to assess how much of the aged appearance of the eye area really comes from the eyelid and how much comes from the position of the brow and its surrounding tissues.
The forces that move the brow
Some muscles pull down and others lift, and not with the same strength. The muscles around the eyelids pull downward, medially and laterally; the forehead muscle lifts, but only to a limited extent:
- Pull downward
- Pull medially
- Pull laterally
- Lift, to a limited extent
Elevating capacity is weaker and is not evenly distributed along the brow. That is the key to why the tail of the brow is the first part to drop, followed by the glabellar region and the rest of the structure.
Contour Lift: it is not just about lifting the brow
Traditionally, many brow lift approaches have had one main goal: to raise a brow that has descended over time.
However, aging in this area is more complex. The brow does not descend uniformly or only vertically. What actually descends is the forehead as a whole. The changes are often most evident in the lateral portion of the brow and affect not only its height, but also its curvature, its orientation and its relationship with the eyelid and the temple.
That is why, for me, the goal is not simply to raise the brow, but to understand how the position of the entire forehead region has changed and what movement is needed to restore a more defined anatomy, closer to the one we had when we were younger.
Conventional brow lift
Depending on the technique, the main aim may be to elevate the brow using certain upward traction vectors and, in some approaches, to also remove skin from the forehead or scalp. Other approaches work only on the skin and may use traction sutures.
Contour Lift
The approach is different: we study how the forehead, and therefore the brow, has shifted (comparing with photographs of the patient in their thirties), and reposition all of the tissue as a single unit through a combination of elevation, rotation and lateral suspension tailored to each patient's anatomy. This also improves expression lines on the forehead and glabella.
A different way of approaching the problem
The starting point is understanding that the position of the brow in the upper third of the face depends on a balance between different muscles, tissues and forces. Treatment must therefore be adapted both to the patient's anatomy and to the way that anatomy has changed over time.
Not just lifting the brow
The goal is to restore an anatomy, position, curvature and relationship with the rest of the eye area that look natural for that face. In some patients this requires particular work on the lateral portion of the brow and the temporal region, or on the glabellar region.
Preserving expression
A well-planned correction should open up the eye area without over-elevation or a permanently surprised look. The final shape of the brow matters as much as its height.
Part of a global treatment
The Contour Lift is therefore not planned as an isolated brow touch-up. It is part of the global assessment of the forehead, brows, eyelids, canthus, tear troughs and temples that defines Cirugía de la Mirada®.
The incisions are placed in strategic areas of the temporal region and scalp, so that the scars are well concealed once they have fully matured.
Contour Lift with Dr. Mabel Falguera
I am an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a specialty with specific training in surgery of the face. My practice is devoted exclusively to facial surgery, which gives me detailed knowledge of the structures that determine the position of the brow and the appearance of the eye area.
My approach prioritizes a natural result. The goal is not to transform the expression, but to restore it, respecting each patient's facial identity. Each case is assessed individually, analyzing the real origin of the problem before deciding on treatment.
On video and social media
The technique explained and demonstrated on my own channels (in Spanish).
When is a Contour Lift essential?
The cases in which this technique is not just one option among many, but the one that solves the problem.
YouTube · In Spanish
Contour Lift for the brows, with Dr. Nayak
The technique during a visit to Dr. Nayak, one of the leading surgeons I train with.
YouTube · In Spanish
Result at three months
Preservation face and neck lift with a Contour Lift for the brows, three months after surgery.
July 24, 2026
Related articles
Blepharoplasty or brow lift?
When the problem lies in the eyelid, in the brow, or in both.
Why does the tail of the brow drop with age?
Why the tail of the brow drops more than the rest, explained through anatomy.
Written and reviewed by
Dr. Mabel Falguera Uceda
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon specializing in facial aesthetic surgery. Trained at the University of Navarra, Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid and Chang Gung Hospital in Taiwan. Facial aesthetic surgeon and director of Instituto Facial in Córdoba.