A thread lift of the outer brow and the outer corner of the eye, angled upwards and outwards so the eye looks longer and more open: the shape people call the fox eye. Barbed threads of polydioxanone, the dissolving suture material, are passed from small entry points in the hairline at the temple down to the brow and drawn back, so the barbs hold the tail of the brow higher. It is the same technique and the same threads as a thread lift of the cheek or jawline, applied to a smaller area. At PDO Threads Clinic, 8 Exhibition Road, the doctor examines your brow at a free consultation before recommending it.
Where the name comes from
The name describes the direction of the lift, upwards and outwards towards the temple, which lengthens the line of the eye. The fox eye is the same lift as a thread brow lift, angled towards the temple.
The threads
Barbed (cog) and cone threads do the lifting; mono, screw and twisted threads carry no barbs and are placed for lines and texture. For the brow the barbed kind is used, one to two a side in our practice. PDO absorbs in about six to eight months, so the lift fades as the thread goes. The how it works page explains the thread types.
What the studies found
Only a handful of papers cover the brow. A 2025 chart review of 29 patients treated with PDO threads alone measured the brow raised by about 1.2 to 1.3 centimetres at three months, with 26 of 29 satisfied or very satisfied. A 2023 study of 15 patients found the brows lower than before treatment at one week, and the brows and upper eyelids significantly higher than before at twelve weeks. Neither followed patients beyond three months. The one series that tracked a thread lift for a year, 160 patients treated on the cheek and jaw, found the lift had declined noticeably by six months and was absent by a year. So the honest expectation is a lift that is clear for a few months and fades over about a year as the threads dissolve. The how long it lasts page sets out the figures.
No US clearance covers the brow or the eye: the thread clearances that mention lifting are for the cheek and mid-face.
Who it suits
A brow tail that has begun to drop, in skin with some thickness to it. A heavy, dropped brow is more than threads lift, and the doctor says so at the free consultation. Very thin skin, which would show the threads, and heavy sagging are not suited. Not in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with an active infection, a bleeding disorder or blood thinners that cannot be paused, keloid scarring, or autoimmune disease without the doctor's advice first.
Not sure you are suitable? Ask the clinician, it is free
The procedure and the days after
Local anaesthetic along each thread's path, then small entry points at the temple. Each thread is passed to the brow, drawn back to engage the barbs, trimmed and buried, in about 30 to 45 minutes. Expect swelling and tightness at the temple for a week or two, a pull on raising the brows for the first days, and bruising in some. Sleep on your back with the head raised for about a week, no hard exercise for about a week, and no massage or facials for one to two weeks. The brow page has the aftercare for the brow, and the full guide the complication figures for thread lifts.
Book a free consultation
Call PDO Threads Clinic on 0207 043 8107 or use the form below. Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, examines your brow and temple, says whether a fox eye lift would suit it, and gives you the plan in writing. Our patients review the clinic on review.clinic, where it scores 4.8 out of 5 from 53 reviews in October 2026.
