Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. (“Blephar” is the Greek word for eyelid.) Surgery can be performed on either the upper and lower lids, or both and is often performed in combination with a face and brow lift.
Patients considering eyelid surgery often start off noticing a tired look that doesn’t seem to go away. Even after a vacation, long weekend, or a good night’s sleep, they see a “tired” person in the mirror. Unfortunately, as we age, the muscles and skin around the eyes stretches, and fat can accumulate in pockets creating a tired or stressed appearance.
Patients seeking eyelid surgery often feel young, vibrant, and engaged and want their eyes to match the youthfulness they feel inside. Men and women often consider eyelid surgery as a way to maintain a competitive edge either in business or social situations.
Our plastic surgeons utilize a conservative approach to achieve the most subtle, natural-looking results possible. Being conservative ensures that our patients don’t have a “pop-eyed” look that can occur when surgeons are overly aggressive and remove too much of the lid.
Eyelid Surgery FAQs
Eyelid lift is another name for eyelid surgery, and it is designed to create a more youthful, refreshed appearance by removing or relocating excess fat, muscle, and skin from the upper and lower eyelids. Most patients seeking eyelid surgery are 35 years of age or older. However, patients occasionally need correction of a hereditary predisposition or as a result of environmental effects or injury.
Eyelid surgery can provide several benefits, including:
- Remove excess skin on the upper and/or lower lids. Loose or sagging skin can create folds or disturb the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision.
- Reduce bagginess, puffiness, and excess fatty deposits
- Smooth and firm the skin of the upper and/or lower eyelids
- Remove excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid
- Fix drooping lower eyelids that reveal white below the iris
Though eyelid surgery can often produce a rejuvenated appearance, it’s not intended to remove wrinkles, eliminate dark shadows, or to lift sagging eyebrows. Many patients opt for additional treatments, such as a facelift or brow/forehead lift, in conjunction with eyelid surgery for more comprehensive facial rejuvenation. Typically, scarring from the procedure is very minimal and virtually invisible to others.
Men and women who are physically healthy and are looking to improve and rejuvenate tired, aged or drooping appearance or are experiencing functional problems to the eyelids. The majority of patients are age 35 and older, though surgery can be performed at earlier ages, particularly in patients with droopy, baggy eyelids that are hereditary.
In general, good candidates for eyelid surgery include:
- Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
- Non-smokers
- Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for eyelid surgery
- Individuals without serious eye conditions
The appearance of a drooping upper lid may also be due to relaxation of the forehead skin and eyebrow. Sometimes a drooping eyelid is caused by stretching of one of the upper eyelid muscles, the levator. Your Water’s Edge Dermatology plastic surgeon will evaluate your anatomy thoroughly to determine the causes of your eyelid appearance, and what procedures might best remedy them.
Please ask our plastic surgeon any questions you may have. It’s very important to understand all aspects of your eyelid surgery. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don’t be shy about discussing these feelings with your plastic surgeon.
During the initial consultation, your surgeon will discuss which procedures are best suited to achieve your goals. Your consultation should be a comfortable exchange where you speak freely, ask questions, and clearly describe your desired outcome. The doctor will examine you and ask questions related to goals, desired outcomes, and medical and surgical history. Prior to surgery, patients will be asked to:
- Avoid ibuprofen or aspirin for at least two weeks
- Avoid consuming alcohol for at least two weeks
- Abstain from smoking for at least six weeks
- Avoid taking vitamins and herbs for two weeks
- Limit salt intake
- Remain hydrated
- Avoid sunbathing, facials, steaming, masks, and other skin irritants for one week
Our office will provide complete instructions for follow-up care and any necessary prescriptions before surgery.
At Water’s Edge, the cost of blepharoplasty varies based on each patient’s needs and the final price of surgery is contingent upon a number of factors, including:
- Techniques utilized
- The extent of fat, skin, and tissue being reduced or removed
- Additional procedures incorporated (such as facelift or brow/forehead lift)
- Anesthesiology costs
- Postoperative care
Following your initial consultation, our surgeons will provide you with a personalized quote for your surgery. Meanwhile, please explore our plastic surgery financing options, which include CareCredit to help eligible patients pay for their care through installments. A member of our team will gladly answer any of your financial questions.
The decision to have surgery is personal, and you’ll have to decide if it will achieve your goals, and if the potential risks of eyelid surgery are acceptable. Be sure you understand the surgery and recuperation completely, and don’t hesitate to ask our plastic surgeon any questions you may have.
Eyelid surgery risks include:
- Anesthesia risks
- Swelling and bruising
- Bleeding from the incision lines
- Dryness to the eyes
- Sensitivity to sun or other bright light
- Difficulty closing your eyes
- Ectropion, an outward rolling of the eyelid
- Infection
- Lid lag, a pulling down of the lower eyelid may occur and is often temporary
- Temporary or even permanent change in vision, and very rare chance of blindness
- Changes in skin sensation
- Pain, which may persist
- Poor wound healing
- Possible need for revision surgery
- Unfavorable scarring
These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It is important that you address all your questions directly with your plastic surgeon. Patients with certain conditions such as thyroid problems, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and glaucoma may be at an increased risk for complications. A consultation with our plastic surgeon will help to determine if eyelid surgery is right for you.
You can trust the surgical expertise of our plastic surgeons at Water’s Edge Dermatology when you’re ready!
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What To Expect During Eyelid Surgery
There are three types of eyelid surgery procedures to treat different areas of concern, and there is more than one approach for each.
Upper eyelid surgery: Aligning with the natural crease of your eyelid, a small incision is made and skin is separated from muscle and fatty tissues. Excess fat is removed and sagging skin and muscle trimmed, if necessary, before closing the incision with very fine sutures. Because the incision is typically placed in the natural crease of the eyelid, scars are usually barely noticeable.
Lower eyelid surgery: An incision is made below the lashes on the lower eyelid, which is well hidden by the smile creases of your eye. The skin is separated from the muscle and fatty tissue and excess skin is removed. Some fat may be relocated to fill the deep channel in the tear trough and depression that exists below the lower eyelids. The incisions are generally closed with dissolvable sutures.
Transconjunctival blepharoplasty: Deep fat pockets under the eye, commonly called bags, can occur without developing excess skin. In this case, skin does not need to be removed, and the incision is made inside the lower eyelid. This technique can completely avoid visible scars.
Recovery from Eyelid Surgery
During your eyelid surgery recovery, lubricating ointment and cold compresses may be applied, and in some cases your eyes may be loosely covered with gauze, after your procedure is completed. You will be given specific instructions that may include how to care for your eyes, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your overall health, and when to follow-up with your plastic surgeon.
Initial healing may include some swelling, bruising, irritation or dry eyes, and discomfort that can be controlled with medication, cold compresses, and ointment. Irritation at the incision sites is also possible. You must practice diligent sun protection and use darkly tinted sunglasses until the healing process is fully complete.
As swelling and bruising subside, the results of eyelid surgery will reveal a smooth, better-defined eyelid and surrounding region and an alert and rejuvenated appearance. Following your physician’s instructions is essential to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Your Water’s Edge team will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.
The results of your eyelid surgery will be long-lasting. Your final results will appear within several weeks, but it may take up to a year for incision lines to fully refine. While eyelid surgery can be expected to correct certain conditions permanently, you will continue to age naturally. Life-long sun protection will help to maintain your results.