# Temporal Brow Lift in Istanbul

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By Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Medically reviewed September 2026

A temporal brow lift — also called a lateral brow lift or temple lift — raises the outer third of the brow through a short incision hidden in the temporal hair, opening the outer eye without touching the central forehead. It is the smallest of the endoscopic lifting operations, and for the right patient it does more for a tired-looking eye than any larger procedure would.

- **Surgery:** 1–2 hours
- **Hospital stay:** 1 night
- **Time in Istanbul:** ~7 days
- **Socially presentable:** ~2 weeks

## What a Temporal Brow Lift Corrects

A temporal brow lift treats the outer third of the brow: a brow tail that has dropped with age, heaviness at the outer corner of the eye, and the flat or downturned outer eye that makes an otherwise rested face look tired. The same operation appears as lateral brow lift, temple lift or temporal lift — all describe lifting the outer brow and temple through a short incision in the hair.

Just as important is what it does not treat. A temporal lift does not raise the central brow, does not soften frown lines between the brows, and does not remove eyelid skin. If the brow is heavy across its full width, the correct operation is a full [brow lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/brow-lift) rather than this one.

## How the Temporal Lift Works

Through an incision of one to two centimetres inside the temporal hairline, I release the tissues of the temple in the deep plane under camera vision, lift the outer brow along a vertical vector and fix it in its new position while it heals. The whole lift comes from repositioning deep tissue — no skin is removed and nothing is pulled at the surface.

The amount of lift is small by design and measured in millimetres. A temporal lift that is overdone reads immediately as surgery, because the outer brow is where an unnatural result shows first; the aim is an open, rested eye that still looks like your own.

## Real Temporal Lift Results

In temporal lift cases the change is subtle and local: look at the height of the brow tail, how much upper eyelid shows at the outer corner, and whether the eye looks open rather than heavy. Every photograph I publish is an unretouched patient of mine, shown with written consent.

A temporal lift is very often performed alongside eyelid surgery or a facelift, so the clearest examples are in the [results gallery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results), where each case lists the full set of procedures performed.

[See all before & after cases](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results)

## Temporal Lift, Brow Lift or Endoscopic Facelift?

These three operations share one endoscopic principle and differ only in how much of the face they release. The right one is decided by where your descent actually is, not by which sounds smallest.

| Aspect | Temporal lift | Brow lift | Endoscopic facelift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifts | The outer brow and temple only | The whole brow and forehead | Brow, temples and midface together |
| Best for | A dropped brow tail, heavy outer eye | Heaviness across the full brow, frown lines | Brow, temple and cheek descent together |
| Incisions | 1–2 cm in the temporal hair | 1–2 cm, hidden in the hair | 1–2 cm, hidden in the hair |
| Surgery time | 1–2 hours | 1–2 hours | 4–6 hours |
| Does not treat | The central brow and frown lines | Eyelid skin, cheeks, jawline, neck | Jowls, jawline and neck |

If the brow is heavy across its full width rather than only at the tail, the operation you need is a full [brow lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/brow-lift). If the cheeks have descended along with the brow and temple, the [endoscopic facelift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/endoscopic-facelift) treats both in one operation. And when the jawline and neck are the real complaint, none of the three is the answer — that is the territory of the [extended deep plane facelift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/deep-plane-facelift).

## Threads, Trends and the Lifted Outer Eye

Much of what is sold online as a lifted outer eye is done with barbed threads passed under the skin of the temple. I do not offer thread lifts, and the reason is simple: threads suspend skin rather than release and reposition the deep tissues, so the lift they create is modest and temporary — the tissue settles back as the threads dissolve, and the patient returns for repeat treatments rather than for a result that holds. What a temporal lift does in one operation, threads do repeatedly and incompletely.

Patients also arrive asking for the elongated, lifted eye shape they have seen under various social-media names. That look is a change in eye *shape*, which comes from the outer corner of the eye itself rather than from the brow — a different operation, described on my [almond eye surgery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/almond-eye-surgery) page. On examination I will tell you which of the two your face actually calls for, and often the honest answer is that the brow tail alone needs lifting.

## Who Is a Good Candidate — and Who Is Not

The ideal candidate has a brow that has descended at the tail while the central brow still sits where it should, reasonable skin quality, and a complaint that is genuinely about the outer eye looking heavy or tired. It suits younger patients whose descent is early, and it suits older patients as one component of a wider plan.

I advise against a temporal lift when the brow is heavy across its full width, when the real problem is [excess upper eyelid skin](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/blepharoplasty), or when what the patient wants is a change of eye shape rather than a lifted brow tail. Saying that clearly costs a case now and prevents a disappointed patient later.

## How the Operation Is Performed

A temporal brow lift is performed in a fully equipped hospital in Istanbul with an anaesthesia team present throughout, and takes one to two hours when it is done on its own — under local anaesthesia with sedation if it is the only procedure, and under general anaesthesia when it is combined with a larger operation, which is the more common situation. Through a short incision inside the temporal hair I release the temple in the deep plane under endoscopic vision, lift the outer brow and fix it securely; no visible skin is removed.

You spend one night in hospital. When the temporal lift is combined with eyelid surgery or a facelift — which is common, because the outer brow rarely descends alone — the operating time is that of the combined plan, and the recovery is a single shared recovery rather than two.

## Recovery and Your Time in Istanbul

Plan roughly seven days in Istanbul. You arrive one or two days before surgery for consultation and tests, spend one night in hospital, and recover at your hotel with scheduled follow-up visits before I confirm you are fit to fly.

Swelling and bruising sit around the outer eye and temple and settle faster than after a full brow lift; most patients are socially presentable within about two weeks. Tightness and numbness at the temple are normal for several weeks and resolve on their own. The full day-by-day timeline is in my [facelift recovery guide](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/facelift-recovery).

## Scars and Hairline

The incision is one to two centimetres long and sits inside the temporal hair, so it is not visible in daily life, including with the hair tied back. Because the incision is short and away from the frontal hairline, the forehead height is essentially unchanged — one of the reasons this operation suits patients who are wary of a higher hairline.

Some temporary thinning along the incision can occur as the follicles recover; permanent visible hair loss is uncommon with careful planning and closure.

## Risks, and How I Reduce Them

The specific risks are temporary weakness of the temporal branch of the facial nerve, numbness at the temple, asymmetry between the two sides, hair thinning at the incision, and over-elevation of the brow tail. Serious complications are rare, and endoscopic vision is part of the reason: in the temple the nerve runs in a known plane, and the dissection is carried out where it can be seen rather than by feel.

I reduce these risks the same way as in every facial operation: staying in the correct anatomical plane, lifting both sides against the same measurements, secure fixation, and honest patient selection. If a problem occurs it is managed openly and immediately — including [revision surgery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/revision-facelift) in the rare cases that need it.

## How Long a Temporal Lift Lasts

Because the deep tissues are released and fixed, the change is structural: the brow tail returns to a younger position and continues ageing from that better starting point rather than from where you began. This is the difference between surgery and threads or injections, which lift briefly and then let go.

I do not attach a number of years to that, because skin quality, genetics and expression habits differ from patient to patient. The goal I set is different — that after surgery you belong to the best ten percent of your own age group, and that you keep that advantage as the years pass.

## What a Temporal Lift Costs

The cost of a temporal brow lift depends on its scope: whether it is performed alone or with eyelid surgery, a brow lift or a facelift, the operating time, the hospital and anaesthesia fees, the night in hospital, and the follow-up plan for an international patient. That is why I quote only after reviewing your photographs.

You receive an itemised quote covering the operation, hospital stay and follow-up — with no hidden items added later. For how facial surgery pricing works in Istanbul more broadly, see the [facelift cost guide](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/deep-plane-facelift-cost).

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is a temporal brow lift?**

A temporal brow lift raises the outer third of the brow through a short incision hidden in the temporal hair, releasing and repositioning the deep tissues of the temple. It opens the outer eye without touching the central forehead, and no visible skin is removed.

**What is the difference between a temporal lift and a brow lift?**

A temporal — or lateral — brow lift raises only the outer brow and temple; a full brow lift raises the whole brow and forehead and can also address frown lines. If only the tail of your brow has dropped, the temporal lift achieves it with less surgery; if the brow is heavy across its full width, the full [brow lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/brow-lift) is the correct operation.

**Is a temporal lift the same as a “fox eye” lift?**

Not quite. The lifted, elongated eye that is marketed under that name is usually a change in eye shape, which comes from the outer corner of the eye rather than from the brow — that is a [different operation](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/almond-eye-surgery). A temporal lift raises the brow tail. On examination I will tell you which of the two your face actually needs, and sometimes the answer is both.

**Do you perform thread lifts for the outer brow?**

No. Threads suspend skin instead of releasing and repositioning the deep tissues, so the lift is modest and temporary and the treatment has to be repeated. I would rather perform one operation that holds than sell a course of treatments that does not.

**How much does a temporal brow lift cost in Turkey?**

There is no fixed price, because the scope varies — a temporal lift alone is a different operation from one combined with eyelid surgery or a facelift. The cost is determined by operating time, hospital and anaesthesia fees and your follow-up plan, and you receive an itemised quote after I review your photographs. Istanbul remains substantially less costly than comparable expertise in the UK or US.

**How long does a temporal brow lift last?**

The improvement is structural: the deep tissues are released and fixed, so the brow tail returns to a younger position and continues ageing from that better starting point. Rather than quoting a number of years, my goal is that you belong to the best ten percent of your own age group — and keep that advantage over time.

**Who is a good candidate for a temporal lift?**

Patients whose brow has dropped at the tail while the central brow still sits at a normal height, with a complaint about the outer eye looking heavy or tired. If your brow is heavy across its full width, or the problem is excess eyelid skin, a different operation is the right one.

**Will the scar show, and will I lose hair?**

The incision is one to two centimetres long and sits inside the temporal hair, so it is not visible in daily life, including with your hair tied back. Some temporary thinning along the incision can occur; permanent visible hair loss is uncommon with careful planning and closure.

**Can a temporal lift be combined with eyelid surgery or a facelift?**

Yes, and it usually is — the outer brow rarely descends on its own. Combining the temporal lift with upper eyelid surgery or a facelift means one anaesthesia and one recovery instead of two, and it allows the brow height to be set before any eyelid skin is judged.

## Request a Personal Assessment

If you have been offered threads for a heavy outer eye, or you are not sure whether your problem is the brow tail or the eye itself, send me your photographs and I will tell you [which operation your anatomy actually calls for](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/am-i-a-candidate). You can share your photographs over WhatsApp, or simply send the form; the patient coordination team will request them from you afterwards.

[Request a personal review](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/contact) [See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results)

*Every enquiry is reviewed personally by Dr. Yilmaz; scheduling is handled by the patient coordination team.*

## About Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz

Written and medically reviewed by Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS — Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon. Last medically reviewed: September 2026.

Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz is a **double board-certified plastic surgeon** (FEBOPRAS and the Turkish Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) practising in Istanbul, Türkiye. His practice is focused on facial and neck rejuvenation, centred on the deep plane facelift — around 150 facelift operations per year, performed at Acıbadem Kartal Hospital. He is a member of TSPRAS and ISAPS, and is registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health for international health tourism. Read his [full profile](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/about-us).

## References

- Hunt JA, Byrd HS. The deep temporal lift: a multiplanar lateral brow, temporal, and upper face lift. *Plast Reconstr Surg.* 2002;110(7):1793–1796. [doi:10.1097/00006534-200212000-00028](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006534-200212000-00028)
- Sozer O, Ersan M, Kachare MD, Cakmakoglu C, Sibar S, Rojas E. Extended gliding brow lift: an effective solution for brow and periorbital rejuvenation. *Plast Reconstr Surg.* 2026;158(2):237–247. Published online November 2025. [doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000012611](https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000012611)
- Chen T, Matarasso A. Lateral temporal brow lift: a 20-year experience and surgical outcomes. *J Craniofac Surg.* Published online June 2026. [doi:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012992](https://doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000012992)