A blepharoplasty, also known as an eyelid lift or eyelid surgery, can take years off an individual’s appearance. It is a quick and easy place to start if you are looking for some facial rejuvenation. With age, it is normal to experience drooping eyebrows, loose skin on the upper eyelids, and bags under the eyes. A blepharoplasty is a minimally invasive surgery that opens the eyes and makes the individual look happy, rejuvenated, and more youthful.
What Exactly is Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)?
A blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) is a surgical procedure that restores the eyes as the natural focal point. Eyelid lifts do not remove every fine line or wrinkle around the eyes, but excess skin from age is removed making the eyes appear more open and youthful.
During an eyelid lift, excess fat on either the upper or lower eyelids is removed along with any extra skin. It is common with age to notice excess puffiness to the eyes. This is because fat underneath the skin shifts or protrudes. The excess eyelid skin is tightened which corrects wrinkles and drooping eyelids. Depending on each individual, we can perform either an upper, lower blepharoplasty or both can be addressed at the same time. Oftentimes an eyelid lift is combined with a facelift for overall facial rejuvenation.
What to Expect with an Upper Blepharoplasty Eyelid Surgery?
An individual suffering from sagging or heavy upper eyelids would greatly benefit from an upper blepharoplasty. With sagging skin on the upper eyelids, it is common for individuals to notice creasing after their makeup has been applied. When the sagging skin becomes more moderate to severe, the natural crease begins to disappear, and the skin begins to rest on the lash line. When an upper blepharoplasty is performed, the incision is made in the natural crease of the eyelid, where it is easily concealed.
Upper eyelids lifts are typically performed in-office in 1 hour under local anesthesia, meaning the patient is awake and the area is completely numbed during the procedure. During recovery, patients can expect swelling and bruising for approximately 7-10 days. Pain afterwards is generally minimal and following the procedure, most patients feel ready to return to work within days depending on the job and the amount of swelling or bruising.
Who is A Good Candidate for Lower Blepharoplasty Eyelid Surgery?
Someone interested in a lower blepharoplasty would have sagging and/or puffy lower eyelids. Tissues that hold the fat pads beneath the eyes prevents an individual from having a sunken appearance. However, with age this tissue becomes weak, causing these pads to protrude and create undereye bags. Those without undereye bags typically have loose, crepey-looking skin. When the lower eyelids are being addressed our surgeons make an incision under the lash line which camouflages the scar afterwards. Once the excess skin is removed and the bags are moved back to their natural position, the lower eyelid is smoother, and the eyes look instantly more youthful.
A lower blepharoplasty is usually done in our operating room under general anesthesia because of the technique and amount of time in the eye area, despite being numbed while awake. If the upper and lower eyelids are being done at the same time, the patient will have to be under general anesthesia as well. Recovery is similar to an upper eyelid lift, swelling and bruising can be expected for 7-10 days. The pain level may be slightly higher, but patients have reported that it is tolerable. View lower eyelid before and after photos at Utah Facial Plastics website.
More Resources
- The Benefits of Eyelid Surgery
- 5 Things To Know Before Considering Eyelid Surgery
- Mom, Why Are You Angry? What Eyelid Surgery Can Do For You
- Three Different Types of Eyelid Surgeries
- A Guide to Fixing Uneven Eyes with Eyelid Surgery
- Eye Plastic Surgery Benefits: Rejuvenate Your Appearance
- How to Tighten Eyelid Skin Without Surgery – 6 Natural Remedies For Improvement
To learn more about the top procedures for eyelid rejuvenation and eyelid surgery, please contact Utah Facial Plastics our Draper or Layton, Utah office at (801)776-2220. Check out our credentialed facial plastic surgeons on our website and schedule a consultation to determine if eyelid surgery is right for you.