Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Your eyes can make you look much older and more tired than you actually feel. The skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face and is often the first place to show signs of aging. As you age, the eyelid muscles weaken, the skin sags and fat accumulates around the eyes creating bags. Heredity, sun damage, smoking, stress and fatigue are factors that affect the appearance of your eyes.

Eyelid surgery can remove excess skin and fat from the upper and lower eyelids. Both men and women, young and old, can benefit from this cosmetic surgery procedure. It can make a big difference in how you look and feel about yourself.

While eyelid surgery can correct those drooping tired eyes and puffy bags, it can't eliminate dark circles under your eyes, remove crow's feet, or lift sagging eyebrows. A forehead lift, another procedure that often accompanies eyelid surgery, can lessen wrinkles and creases, and raise sagging eyebrows.

Before surgery, your surgeon marks the natural skin lines and creases of your upper and lower eyelids. These marks will be used for the incisions. Both the upper and lower eyelids are usually done at the same time. Some patients only need either upper or lower eyelid surgery. Surgery takes from one to two hours and can be performed under local or general anesthesia.

Once the incisions are made, your surgeon separates the skin from the underlying muscle and fatty tissue. The sagging skin and muscle are trimmed and the excess fat is removed. The incisions are then closed with very tiny sutures, which are removed in four or five days. Your scars will be pink at first and will gradually fade to a nearly invisible line.

After surgery you may experience some soreness and discomfort. This can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. You should rest with your head elevated for a couple of days. Cold compresses help to reduce swelling and bruising. Bruising will peak during the first week and will gradually subside over the next two to four weeks. Makeup can be applied after ten days to hide any discoloration.