Blepharoplasty: FAQs

Do your eyes hang low? Do you have bags that aren’t designed to carry anything? Seriously, If your upper lids are drooping and your eyes feel or look hooded, you may be a candidate for an upper blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). And, if you have bagginess below your eyes, that’s what a lower blepharoplasty can help improve.

WHY have Blepharoplasty?

Gravity is not a friend of aging skin. Couple that with the loss of elasticity and the bi-product is excessive skin and fat collecting where you don’t want it. A blepharoplasty helps create a more youthful and refreshed appearance. With aging, you may notice your upper lids feel “heavy.” This can be caused by the eyebrow descending, upper eyelid skin excess, or both. On the upper eyelids, an extra fold of skin forms that can hang and even obstruct your vision. For the lower lids, this is typically a cosmetic procedure designed to target excess skin causing wrinkles and bulges.

WHAT can you expect from the procedure?

I perform blepharoplasty under local or general anesthesia, with your surgery taking approximately 1-2 hours. I cut along the creases of your eyelids to trim sagging/excess skin and muscle, as well as remove fat when necessary. Finally, I close the skin with tiny stitches, which will need to be removed about one week after surgery,

WHERE are the scars?

All eyelid surgeries involve my making incisions into the skin around your eyes. This means you will have scars. However, for upper lids, I place the incisions in the natural eyelid folds, and for bottom lids, I place incisions along the lash line or inside the lid. Doing this makes your scars virtually invisible once you completely heal.

HOW long is the healing process?

As with all surgeries, you will have to give yourself time to heal. This is not a painful procedure and blepharoplasty recovery is relatively easy. Any pain following surgery will usually be slight and can be managed with my narcotics-free recovery process. Your eyelid may be swollen and bruised for 1 to 3 weeks after your surgery. Most people feel ready to go out in public and back to work (without sunglasses to hide bruising and swelling) in about 10 to 14 days. You should see your final results within three months.

WHO is a good candidate?

The best candidates are patients who have excess skin or eye fullness, are in good health, and have no other eye conditions. Eyelid surgery will not alter your facial structure but can enhance your appearance. However, you should not expect the surgery to drastically change your look. Also, it will not stop your eyes from aging, but most patients find that the results last a long time. Typically, lower-eyelid surgery rarely needs to be done more than once. Upper-eyelid surgery may need to be revised as your face ages.

WHAT can it not do?

Blepharoplasty does not eliminate dark circles, remove crow’s feet, or other facial wrinkles. That’s why many of my patients combine eyelid surgery with other facial procedures, such as laser resurfacing or brow lifts.

WANT younger looking eyes?

If your eyes are making you look older and tired, it may be a good time to talk with us about Blepharoplasty. Please contact my patient coordinators and schedule your confidential consultation. Click here or send us an email at [email protected].