Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Aging is most noticeable around the eyes. As age progresses, the area around your eyes begins to collapse and sag. These collapses and sagging make the individual look older, sluggish and exhausted. To get rid of these deformations, it becomes a necessity to have eyelid aesthetics. Eyelid surgery is not a painful surgery like other surgeries. No damage is caused to the eye during anesthesia.

Am I a good candidate for eyelid surgery?

Here are some common reasons why you may want to have eyelid surgery;

You have excess skin covering the folds of the upper eyelids.
You have sagging upper eyelid skin that obstructs your vision.
You have a puffy appearance on your upper eyelids that makes your eyes look tired and sad.
You have excess skin and fine-type lower eyelid wrinkles.
You have bags and dark circles under your eyes.
Your upper eyelid surface is too small or not flat enough for makeup.
If you are in good general health, have a positive attitude and realistic expectations, you are probably a good candidate for eyelid surgery.

Most people who decide on eyelid surgery also undergo brow lift, facelift, fillers and botulinum toxin injection.

Advantages of Eyelid Surgery

You will get rid of bags and swelling under your lower eyelids and drooping upper eyelids, giving you a younger and healthier appearance.
You will not have vision problems caused by drooping eyelids
All scars from the eyelift will be hidden in the natural eyelid folds so that they are almost imperceptible.

Disadvantages of Eyelid Surgery

It takes time to see the results of the surgery.
You will probably have bruising and swelling, and your eyes will be itchy and dry after the procedure.
If your eyebrows are drooping and you have wrinkles on your forehead, you may also need a brow lift. A laser can also be used to reshape and smooth wrinkles in the eyelid and brow area.

How is eyelid surgery performed?

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can be performed on the upper eyelids, lower eyelids or both. After evaluating factors such as your lower facial muscle structure, bone structure and brow symmetry, your surgeon will decide how much skin, muscle and/or fat should be removed.

Your surgeon will make markings to determine where on the upper and lower eyelids the excess tissue will be removed.
On your upper eyelid, your surgeon will make an incision that can be hidden in the natural fold of the upper eyelid.
On the lower eyelid, the incision is hidden just below the eyelashes. Alternatively, when excess skin is to be removed, the incision can be made in the lower eyelid (transconjunctival incision). Sometimes a laser can also be used to tighten the lower eyelid skin.
Your surgeon will remove tissue through these incisions using surgical instruments such as a scalpel, surgical scissors, radio frequency cutting device and sometimes a cutting laser.
Sometimes fat needs to be distributed to remove puffiness or bags in the lower eyelid. Your surgeon may make other adjustments to correct special conditions such as muscle laxity.
Your surgeon will then smooth and readjust the area around the eyebrows and eyelids with sutures and tissue adhesives. The stitches may be visible and will usually disappear on their own. In most cases, there is no visible scarring. Less tissue is removed in patients suffering from dry eye to avoid exposing the eye to more air, as this can worsen symptoms. Your surgeon may also use a laser to resurface the skin and smooth wrinkles in the eyelid and brow area.

Eyelid Aesthetic Recovery Process

Although bed rest is not required after eyelid surgery, you should rest and stay at home and apply cold compresses to your eyes the day of surgery and the day after. The length of the recovery period varies. Some useful information is given below:

Follow your surgeon's care instructions. In the first few days after eyelid surgery, apply ointment to the incisions to keep them lubricated and apply cold compresses to the eyes to reduce swelling. It is recommended to use eye drops to prevent dry eyes. If dry eyes persist for more than two weeks, contact your doctor.
Sleep with your head above your neck. You can use a regular pillow, wedge pillow or sleep on a folding chair. Keep your head elevated for the first few days of your recovery to reduce swelling and bruising.
After upper and lower blepharoplasty surgery, you will feel your eyelids narrowing. There is usually a significant amount of bruising, but it will disappear within two weeks.
Avoid exerting yourself, heavy lifting, swimming and other strenuous activities such as aerobics and running. In particular, avoid activities that require you to move your head and may increase the blood pressure in your head. This includes, but is not limited to, bending over with your head lower than your heart and lifting objects that are heavy enough to strain you. This restriction applies for three to four weeks.

You will find that your eyes tire easily during the first few weeks of the healing process. Rest often. Avoid activities that can dry out your eyes, such as reading, wearing contacts and using the computer.
Wear dark sunglasses for the first two weeks after eyelid surgery to avoid being bothered by the sun and wind.
Your plastic surgeon will remove the stitches between two and seven days after your eyelid surgery.
Around the tenth day of your recovery, you should feel well enough to resume your normal activities.
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, unusual heartbeat, new pain, bleeding or visual disturbance.

How long is this treatment permanent?

Your eyelid surgery results will be long-lasting. In most cases, the removal of the upper eyelid skin is performed only once. As aging continues, your eyebrows may fall and lower again, causing excess skin to form again on the upper eyelid. However, the solution in this case is a brow lift, not a second upper blepharoplasty. Lower blepharoplasty is usually done to remove eye bags and swelling around the eyes and only needs to be done once.