By now most everyone is familiar with BOTOX/Xeomin and how those injections can remove the wrinkles in between the eyebrows often referred to as the “11’s.” Those are the two stubborn vertical lines (thus the name the “11’s”) that can make a person look angry even if they’re not. The muscles under the skin that cause those wrinkles are called the corrugator muscles and by injecting BOTOX/Xeomin, the muscles are temporarily paralyzed for 3 to 6 months. It’s great that there’s a treatment but not so great that it’s temporary.
Now there’s a pretty simple treatment, albeit surgical, that can permanently reduce those wrinkles in between the eyebrows. While the procedure isn’t brand new, it’s often overlooked and unheard of by folks that are returning to their plastic surgeon’s office every 3 to 6 months for repeat BOTOX/Xeomin treatments. The name of the procedure is a mouthful – transpalpebral corrugator resection! In layman’s terms, this technique is done as part of an upper eyelid lift. By making incisions that would normally be made to remove excess skin in the upper eyelid, the surgeon can dissect under the skin, towards the area in between the eyebrows to remove the muscles that cause the “11’s,” the corrugators mentioned earlier. This still shot from a Baker Gordon Cosmetic Symposium video demonstrates the location of the corrugator muscles and how to access them from the upper eyelid incision.
After removing these muscles, it’s important to take excess fat from the upper eyelid to put in place of the removed muscle. This is done for two reasons. First, by putting fat in between the two cut edges of muscle, you reduce the chance of the muscle growing back together and leading to recurrence of the 11’s. Second, there’s a potential divot or depression that can appear in the skin when the bulk of muscle has been removed. The fat can help fill in that potential divot so the patient doesn’t have a depression in between the eyebrows after surgery.
Now that you know what a transpalpebral corrugator resection is, find a plastic surgeon near you to see if you’re a good candidate!
