Eyes
Sub-brow lift in Korea
A sub-brow lift removes loose upper eyelid skin through a cut just under the eyebrow, so hooded eyelids look lighter and your double eyelid line stays. It takes about 1 hour, using local anesthesia or sedation, and you go home the same day. Stitches come out on day 5 to 7; plan 5 to 7 days in Seoul.
Who is a good candidate for a sub-brow lift?
- Your upper eyelid skin has loosened and hangs over your crease, often more at the outer end
- You like your current double eyelid line, or you have no crease, and you want to keep it that way
- Hooded skin narrows the upper or outer part of your vision
- Your eyebrows sit at a fairly normal height, so the extra skin is below them rather than the brows having dropped
When it may not be the right choice
- Your eyebrows have dropped a lot, so the brow position, not extra lid skin, is the main problem. Ask about a brow lift first
- Your lid droops because the muscle that opens it is weak (ptosis). Removing skin does not fix that, so ask about ptosis correction, which can be combined with a sub-brow lift
- You want a new or higher crease. Upper blepharoplasty or double eyelid surgery does that
- Your brows are very thin or sparse and you do not want to tattoo or fill them, because the scar sits along the lower edge of the brow
Which method fits you?
Three operations treat heavy upper lids. They differ in where the cut is and what they change, and some people combine two of them.
| Method | What happens | Suits | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-brow lift | Skin, and sometimes a little muscle, is removed through a cut along the lower edge of the eyebrow. | Hooded skin with a crease you want to keep, or thicker skin near the brow | Stitches out on day 5 to 7 |
| Upper blepharoplasty | Skin, and sometimes fat, is removed through a cut in the eyelid crease. | Hooded lids where you would like the crease defined or redone | Stitches out on day 5 to 7 |
| Endoscopic forehead and brow lift | The brows are raised through small cuts inside the hairline. | Low brows that push the lid skin down | Stitches out on day 5 to 7 |
What happens on the day of a sub-brow lift?
- Consultation. The surgeon checks your brow height, your crease and how well your lids open, then marks the strip of skin to remove while you sit up.
- Local anesthesia numbs the area, often with sedation as well.
- The surgeon removes the marked skin along the lower edge of each brow and closes the cut with fine stitches. It takes about 1 hour.
- You rest briefly and return to your hotel the same day.
What is recovery like after a sub-brow lift?
- Days 1 to 3
- The brows and upper lids are swollen, and bruising can settle down into the lids. Cold packs and sleeping with your head raised help.
- Days 5 to 7
- The stitches under the brows come out. Most people return to daily life, and brow makeup can soon cover the line once the surgeon agrees.
- Weeks 2 to 4
- Bruising fades. The scar under each brow is pink and can feel firm or numb.
- Months 1 to 6
- The scar fades along the brow edge and feeling returns. The lids look lighter as the last swelling goes.
How long should you stay in Seoul after a sub-brow lift?
Plan a 5 to 7 day stay in Seoul. Stitch removal under the brows, sometime between day 5 and day 7, is the one visit the clinic plans after surgery, so you can usually fly on about day 6. Because the scar sits under the brow rather than on the lid, makeup or sunglasses can help cover it on the trip home, though it may still show, especially with thin or light brows. Skip saunas, swimming and alcohol for two weeks.
What are the risks of a sub-brow lift?
- A scar along the lower edge of the brow that stays visible, especially with thin or light brows
- Numbness or tingling of the brow or forehead, which can last for some time and sometimes does not fully go away
- Some loose skin left, often near the inner part of the lid, or a difference between the two sides
- Removing too much skin, which can make it hard to shut the eyes completely and leave them dry
- Swelling and bruising that settle down into the eyelids
- Bleeding or infection. The eye itself can also be affected: for sudden blurred vision or severe pain, get emergency care first, then tell the clinic
What affects the cost of a sub-brow lift in Korea?
No sub-brow lift price appears here yet. The clinic quotes after reviewing photos of your eyes and brows. The quote changes with how much skin is removed and with anything added, such as ptosis correction or double eyelid surgery. Make sure the written quote names the surgeon and includes the anesthesia and stitch removal.
More questions
Is a sub-brow lift the same as a brow lift?
No. A sub-brow lift, sometimes called a below-brow lift, removes eyelid skin just under the eyebrow and leaves the brow at about the same height. A brow lift raises the eyebrow itself, for example through small cuts in the hairline. If your brows have dropped, a brow lift may suit you better.
Will a sub-brow lift change my double eyelid?
It is designed not to. The cut is under the eyebrow, away from the crease, so your crease stays where it is. With less skin hanging over it, the crease can show more.
Where is the sub-brow lift scar?
Along the lower edge of the eyebrow. The brow hairs help hide it, and it fades over months. It shows more if your brows are thin or light, so tell the surgeon if you plan brow tattooing.
Is a sub-brow lift a good option for men?
It can be. It treats hooded lids without creating a crease, which suits men who want to keep the look of their eyes. Thicker brows can also help hide the scar. The surgeon checks first whether your brows have dropped.
Related procedures
Sources
- Clinic figures as published by Urban Plastic Surgery, collected October 3, 2026. Your surgeon confirms your own plan.
- Infraeyebrow blepharoplasty for blepharochalasis of the upper eyelid: its indication and priority. PubMed, US National Library of Medicine
- Infrabrow Skin Excision Associated With Upper Blepharoplasty to Address Significant Dermatochalasis With Lateral Hooding in Select Asian Patients. PubMed, US National Library of Medicine
- Subbrow Blepharoplasty to Augment Blepharoptosis Repair in East Asian Patients. PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine
- Eyelid Surgery Risks and Safety. American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Cases and clinic figures come from our partner clinic, Urban Plastic Surgery. The partnership does not change what we publish about risks and recovery.