One Year Later: Endoscopic Browlift & Temple Fat Grafting

There is no better testament to a surgical result than a patient who returns — not because something went wrong, but because the outcome was so right that she trusted you for the next step.

One year ago, I treated a London-based medical doctor originally from Iran. Her case was one of the most complex I have encountered in my Istanbul clinic: a face heavily distorted by years of repeated hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite filler injections. We performed a deep plane facelift and neck lift, surgical filler removal, upper and lower blepharoplasty with canthopexy, a temporal browlift, autologous fat grafting, and a liplift — all in a single surgical session. You can read the full story of that first surgery here.

She has now returned to Istanbul for her second stage. And what she said during her video testimonial stopped me in my tracks.

"The Scars from My Facelift Are Completely Invisible"

Before describing what we did this time, it is worth pausing on the long-term result of the first surgery — because this is what patients considering a deep plane facelift in Turkey most often ask about.

In her testimonial video, recorded alongside her new before-and-after photographs at the one-year mark, she is clear: the scars from her face and neck lift are not noticeable. Not faded — not concealed — not noticeable.

This is not an accident. Facelift incision placement is a craft in itself. When planned correctly — running within the natural hairline, tracing the contour of the ear, tucked behind the tragus, and following the posterior hairline — these incisions heal into invisibility. On a patient with good skin quality and no history of keloid scarring, a well-executed deep plane facelift should leave no visible evidence that surgery occurred at all.

Her one-year photographs confirm this. The jaw is defined. The neck is clean. The midface sits where it should. And there is not a line in sight.

Why She Came Back: The Next Step in Facial Refinement

Even the most comprehensive facelift cannot address every concern in one session. After her initial recovery, two areas were still on her mind:

1. The inner brow During the first surgery, I performed a temporal browlift — a technique that lifts and repositions the tail of the brow for a more open, youthful eye shape. It is ideal for correcting lateral brow descent and reducing hooding over the outer upper eyelid.

However, the temporal browlift does not significantly elevate the medial (inner) portion of the brow. The inner brow, when low, can create a heavy, slightly stern expression even when the patient is fully relaxed. After a year of enjoying her results, she decided she wanted to address this as well.

2. Temple hollowing The temples are one of the earliest areas to show volume loss with age — and one of the most overlooked. A hollow temple creates a visible shadow above the cheekbone and gives the upper face a skeletal, deflated appearance. Despite the fat grafting performed during the first surgery, the temples remained an area she wanted further refining.

Procedure 1: Endoscopic Browlift for Inner Brow Elevation

The endoscopic browlift is the gold-standard technique for lifting the full brow — and particularly the inner and central portions that a temporal lift cannot reach.

Unlike traditional open coronal browlifts, the endoscopic approach uses small incisions hidden within the hairline and a small camera (endoscope) to perform the lift with minimal scarring and a faster recovery. The frontalis and corrugator muscles are released under direct visualisation, and the brow is repositioned and secured at a higher point.

For this patient, the goal was precise: elevate the medial brow to create a softer, more symmetrical arch without overcorrecting into a permanently surprised appearance. The inner brow lift also works harmoniously with the blepharoplasty she had in the first surgery — by raising the brow, we reduce the burden on the upper eyelid skin and preserve the longevity of the eyelid result.

Long-tail keyword context: Patients searching for "endoscopic browlift Istanbul," "inner brow lift Turkey," or "medial brow elevation after temporal lift" will find this technique directly relevant. It is also commonly sought by patients who previously had a temporal lift elsewhere and wish to complete the brow rejuvenation.

Procedure 2: Temple Fat Grafting for Volume Restoration

For the temples, I used autologous fat grafting — harvesting the patient's own fat via a small liposuction cannula from a donor site, processing it, and injecting it precisely into the temple depression.

Fat grafting to the temples is one of the most rewarding interventions in facial rejuvenation. A small volume of well-placed fat can:

• Eliminate the hollow shadow above the cheekbone

• Create a smoother, more continuous curve from the forehead to the lateral face

• Restore the youthful convexity of the upper face

• Complement the existing fat that was placed in the cheeks and midface during the first surgery

Because we use the patient's own living tissue, the result integrates naturally with the surrounding structures. Unlike filler — which can migrate, calcify, or create that "airy" distorted sensation she experienced before — fat becomes part of the face. It moves with her expressions, ages with her gracefully, and carries no risk of foreign body reaction.

The Combined Result: A Full-Face Revision at One Year

Reviewing her photographs side by side — before the first surgery, immediately after, and now at the one-year mark after this second procedure — the transformation is complete.

The face that presented with migrating filler masses, scleral show, heavy jowling, and a distorted profile has been replaced by a face that is:

• Sharp at the jaw and neck

• Open around the eyes

• Lifted across the full brow, medially and laterally

• Volumised at the temples with living, natural tissue

• Scarless in all the facelift incision sites

For patients from the UK, the United States, Canada, and Australia who are researching "deep plane facelift long-term results," "facelift scar healing Istanbul," or "natural facelift Turkey one year after," this case offers an honest, unfiltered look at what a well-planned surgical strategy can achieve over time.

The Clinical Lesson: Surgery Is a Journey, Not a Single Event

This patient's story illustrates something I tell every consultation: facial rejuvenation, when done properly, is not a single procedure — it is a considered, staged process.

The first surgery addressed the acute problem: the filler distortion, the structural sagging, the eyelid malposition. The second session refined what was already excellent. And the result at one year is not the end of the story — it is the beginning of a natural, biological aging process that she will navigate with tissue that belongs to her.

This is precisely why I do not advocate for a "catch-all" mega-operation when a more strategic approach serves the patient better. I would rather see a patient twice in two years with two exceptional outcomes than overwhelm them once with compromises.

Why International Patients Choose Dr. CBS in Istanbul

As a double board-certified plastic surgeon — certified by both the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) and the Turkish Board — and a member of ISAPS and ASPS, my practice is grounded in anatomy, long-term thinking, and honest communication.

Patients from London, New York, Toronto, and Sydney travel to my Istanbul clinic because they want a surgeon who will tell them the truth — about what is achievable, what is not, and what the road ahead looks like. This patient, herself a medical professional, understood that distinction better than most.

Procedures in This Second Session

• Endoscopic Browlift — full medial and central brow elevation via hairline incisions

• Autologous Fat Grafting to the Temples — volume restoration with the patient's own fat

Long-Term Results Confirmed at One Year

• Deep plane facelift and neck lift: scars invisible, result maintained

• Blepharoplasty and canthopexy: eyelid position stable, natural appearance

• Liplift and fat grafting from first surgery: integrated, natural, lasting

• Inner brow: elevated, symmetric, soft arch restored

• Temples: full, smooth, shadow eliminated

Are you considering facial rejuvenation surgery in Istanbul — and wondering what the long-term results really look like? Contact Dr. Cem Berkay Sinaci for a private consultation.