Determinative factors in surgical planning of eyebrow cosmetic and reconstructive surgery

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify the different factors that an oculoplastic surgeon should consider while practicing cosmetic or reconstructive eyebrow surgery in order to have the final patient’s satisfaction.

Subjects and methods

In an observational case series study, five photographs were taken from each of 60 females to show ideal eyebrow positioning with fingers. Eyebrow landmarks, including tarsal plate show (TPS) and eyebrow height, were measured in the ideal position. Brow apex position and brow apex angle were evaluated in the desired position of eyebrow.

Results

The mean desired apex angle of eyebrow was measured as 135±9 mm. In all, 48.33% of our subjects preferred a wider brow angle, 28.33% a narrower one, and 23.33% a brow angle without any change. The location of brow peak was transferred to the lateral canthus in the desired position. The ideal brow peak in the lateral canthus and between lateral canthus and lateral limbus was assigned to 33.3% and 66.6% of cases, respectively. The desired eyebrow apex angle in two age groups of our subjects (>40 years and ≤40 years) was not statistically different.

Conclusion

Landmarks of the eyebrow and its desired position are somehow different between different studies, which may be explained by the variation in race, gender, culture, and age. As there is not any uniform rule in planning of cosmetic surgeries of eyebrow, oculoplastic surgeons should consider the difference in culture, race, age, and desire of the patients and have their surgical plans for every individual patient distinctively.

Keywords:

• eyebrow
• tarsal plate show
• brow apex angle
• desired brow position
• brow height

Acknowledgments

This paper content was presented as a poster at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, November 2013, New Orleans, USA. It has also been presented orally in “IV Annual Congress of Iranian Research Association for Vision and Ophthalmology (IRAVO), February 2014, Tehran, Iran” and “XXII Annual Congress of the Iranian Society of Ophthalmology, October 2013, Tehran, Iran.²¹ This manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.