Open Your Eyes to the Possibilities of Eyelid Surgery
Are you tired of waking up and looking tired? (Even though you got your eight hours of quality shut-eye.) Do you have excess or wrinkly skin on your eyelids? Are there bags under your eyes or deep tear troughs that make you look like you have dark circles under your eyes? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you might want to take a closer look at eyelid surgery.
Whether performed on the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both, eyelid surgery (or blepharoplasty) involves making small, precise incisions to remove skin and/or reposition fat and tissue. Most people interested in upper eyelid surgery are over 40; that’s typically when you see age-related changes to your eyes as your skin loses elasticity and starts to sag. Younger people who see the signs of aging a bit sooner can also opt for surgery.
As you age, your skin thins and muscles weaken. Candidates for upper eyelid surgery often have drooping eyelids that can block their vision and cause them to look older. The surgery requires an incision that follows the natural crease of the upper eyelid and may extend to the outer corner. Over time, the incision typically fades to a faint line that’s camouflaged in your natural upper eyelid crease. After the procedure, the upper lids look more open and alert, making a dramatic difference in the overall look of the face.
The ideal candidate for lower eyelid eye surgery has loose skin, puffiness in the undereye area, and/or deep troughs under their eyes that worsen over time. With a lower blepharoplasty, your board-certified plastic surgeon will remove or redistribute excess fat and skin through an incision below the lower lashes or inside the lower eyelid. If a patient has good skin tone, typically just the fat can be removed. The goal of lower eyelid surgery is to produce a smooth contour from the lower lash line down to the midface. In some cases fat or fillers can also be added to the cheek areas below the eyelids to smooth the transition between the eyelids and the cheeks. In some cases, laser resurfacing can improve skin tone and tautness to the eyelid skin as well
Blepharoplasty (both upper and lower) can be performed under local anesthetic, light sedation, or general anesthetic, depending on your unique circumstances. Surgery has a fairly easy recovery. You can expect a couple of weeks of swelling and bruising. Within a week or two many patients are able to apply makeup to help cover any remaining bruising, and the final healing will occur over the following months.
Some patients feel some discomfort at the incision sites for a day or two; your vision may also be slightly blurry due to temporary swelling and your eyes might feel drier than normal. Your stitches will usually be removed within about a week after surgery.
When your blepharoplasty is performed by a skilled surgeon, you can look forward to seeing a more confident you in the mirror for years to come. If you’ve been considering eyelid surgery, you owe it to yourself to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced board-certified plastic surgeons.