What is Blepharoplasty?6 min read
- , Eyes, Face, Plastic Surgery
Caroline Hedges
Caroline Hedges is a critically acclaimed researcher, writer and serial entrepreneur.
With a knack for making the obscure plain, she is able to distill her research
in writing both fun and engaging posts.
Are you someone that likes to wear their sunglasses at all times? Even when the sun isn’t shining? You would do anything to hide your eyes from the prying eyes of others.
Maybe you are someone that speeds past the eye shadow displays steering clear of anything that draws attention to the one area of your face you would like to keep hidden. Eyelids are cruel; they are delicate beings that don’t take well to be being prodded and slathered in anti-aging creams. Your bathroom cabinet could be full of eye creams and lifting serums; but when eyelids want to drop, they are going to drop. And that’s just your upper eyelids. Your lower ones can sag too and get puffy and darken.
But don’t despair! You don’t need to resort to celebrity style sunglasses in ridiculous settings anymore. You can rid yourself of these pesky face agers through blepharoplasty, or an eyelid lift. Read on to find out.
Why is Blepharoplasty Done?
Blepharoplasty directly targets the aging around our eyes.
As we age our eye muscles weaken and the skin becomes thinner causing the upper eyelid to droop down, sometimes over the eyelashes, and the lower eyelid to sag and become puffy. Many researchers have wondered why. Scientists at the University of California believe it is due to an increase in fat in the lower eyelid others believe it could be connected to sleep apnea. It is most likely related to genetics, if your parents have those saggy bags under their eyes and extra upper eyelids, then you could be enjoying them in later life too. People with a bad diet, who smoke, have sun damage (those sunglasses are essential when outside) and are male are also more likely to get them.
What Does Blepharoplasty Mean?
Blepharoplasty is the medical term to describe eyelid surgery. The surgery alleviates droopy upper lids by removing the excess skin and can help reduce baggy lower eyelids by removing the fatty tissue and excess skin there.
Droopy eyelids not only make you look older, but they can also cause vision issues and skin infections.
The term BLEPHAROPLASTY was coined in 1818 by Karl Ferdinand von Gräfe who used the technique for repairing deformities caused by cancer in the eyelids. The origin of the word is from Greek; Blepharon - meaning eyelids and Plastikos meaning to mould.
Who Needs Blepharoplasty?
You would be a good candidate for blepharoplasty surgery if:
- Your upper eyelids are droopy and folding over.
- The excess skin is affecting your vision
- Bags under your eyes
- fat pockets under your eyes
- darkened skin under your eyes
What to Expect During Blepharoplasty
The surgery is generally performed under local anesthetic in the surgeon’s own surgical room. The anesthetic is injected around the eyelids, and you are given a relaxant to make you feel comfortable.
The surgeon will then cut away excess skin along the fold of your upper eyelid, remove fat if needed and some muscle. The incision is then closed with the scar hidden in the natural folds. If you are having your lower eyelids done too, they will then do the same to the lower eyelid. The cut will be just under your lashes, helping to hide the scarring.
The surgery will take between 1-2 hours depending on whether you have upper and lower and both eyes done. Your sedation will be monitored to ensure you stay comfortable and relaxed throughout. Once finished you will be cleaned up and you are ready to go home. You should arrange a ride home because of the sedation and your eyes may be blurry. This will settle down quickly.
Can Blepharoplasty be Combined with Another Procedure?
It is a very good bed fellow with a mini facelift or full facelift. Combining the surgeries would help with costs and reducing infection risks and surgery complications that multiple surgeries could increase.
Nonsurgical options can also be added such as Botox and a laser therapy treatment to help even out skin tone.
What is the Belpharoplasty Recovery Time?
Expect to have some bruising and swelling – the eye area is delicate and will respond to trauma in this way. You should be able to return to work and low level activities around 7 days after your surgery.
To help with your recovery you should:
- Follow the after plan given to you by your surgeon – use the ointment, eye drops. And if there is any oozing, DAB the area with sterile gauze.
- Protect your eyes from the sun.
- Don’t strain your eyes during this time. Limit your screen time and don’t read for long periods. Let your eyes rest and heal.
- Be patient. You may look like you have gone 2 rounds with Mike Tyson but that’s expected. By a month you should see the new you!
- Avoid strenuous activities for at least 4 weeks. Activities such as exercise, lots of bending and even spending too much time laying flat can increase blood flow to your eye area which you want to avoid.
- Let others help you!
- Prepare ahead of time. Make sure you have lots of pantry items, don’t book anything into your calendar that isn’t essential.
Can Blepharoplasty without Surgery be Done?
Blepharoplasty is by nature a surgical procedure. But if the sagging isn’t too severe, there are other options that can be performed. Botox can help tighten sagging skin and reduce wrinkles and fillers can be injected into the lower eyelid to fill out hollows that may be an issue.
And then there are the non-cosmetic options: cold teabags or cucumbers applied to the eye area, egg whites wiped over the eyelid, hold ice to your eye for as long as you can take it, and eat grapes. You can also do eye exercises: I stopped writing this to have a go but ended in an argument with my other half because we disagreed on how to do them!
Blepharoplasty is the Most Effective Way to Eliminate Baggy, Saggy Eyelids
The eye creams and exercises aren’t going to do much damage and if you drink the Chamomile tea before using the teabags you will feel calmer for sure. But for the most effective results, eyelid surgery wins. Yes, it is scary to have eye surgery but if you are really unhappy with how your eyes look and finding your vision affected, maybe it’s time to book a consultation with a surgeon to talk things over.
Ready for younger eyes?
If you want to know more about Blepharoplasty, we invite you to simply come in for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Chang or one of the cosmetic laser and injection nurses to explore whether you would make a good candidate. To find out more whether Aesthetica can help you, contact us online or at 703-729-5553 to arrange an appointment. Dr. Phillip Chang is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Northern Virginia near Leesburg, Virginia and an expert in a wide variety of cosmetic treatments.
Let Us Help You!
Our office can provide you will helpful information, schedule a free consultation, and walk you through the process of having the procedure covered by your insurance.
Contact Dr. Chang's Office:
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