A surgical blepharoplasty – pronounce blef-uh-roe-plas-tee – is a cosmetic surgery operation aimed at removing loose skin over the upper eyes to correct droopy eyelids, as well as removing excess fat and skin from lower eye bags under the eyes.
A surgical blepharoplasty – pronounce blef-uh-roe-plas-tee – is a cosmetic surgery operation aimed at removing loose skin over the upper eyes to correct droopy eyelids, as well as removing excess fat and skin from lower eye bags under the eyes.
One of the first places we notice ageing of the face is in the eyes. This may start with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, in the form of crow’s feet, but with time will lead to more pronounced sagging on the periorbital skin, around the eyes. The skin around the eye and eyelids is very delicate and starts to sag quite quickly from our 30s onwards.
The upper eyelids will start to get heavy and droop down over the eye and eyelashes, which can cause vision problems, particularly with peripheral vision, in the worst cases, when you can’t open your eyes fully due to the excess of skin.
Similarly, the skin and fat in the lower eye lid area can start to droop and bulge, creating so called eye bags. All of this combines to give a tired and older look to the individual.
The cause of this is simply weakening and stretching in the skin and muscles that control the eyelids. Where the skin gets stretched, this can cause the gathering of excess fat cells in the upper and lower eye areas, causing the tell-tale drooping of the eyebrows and upper lids, and the under eye bags. Although generally considered to be a cosmetic option to enhance the appearance of the eyes and restore a more youthful look, if the eyelid drooping is impacting on your vision, it is important that you discuss a blepharoplasty procedure with an experienced surgeon.
Although non-surgical options such as anti-wrinkle injections can be used to treat dynamic lines around the eyes like the crow’s feet, and treatments such as Plexr can be used to achieve a non-surgical blepharoplasty in cases of mild skin drooping in the upper eyelid, once there is a significant amount of extra skin or large bags under the eyes, the only real option for treatment is a surgical blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery which will remove excess tissue and reshape the eyes.
Blepharoplasty is one of the most popular facial cosmetic procedures, especially for men, as it can have a significant impact on the perceived age of an individual, removing the tired look.
Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure which is used to correct and repair droopy eyelids and eyebags by removing excess skin, fat and sometimes muscle where the muscles have stretched and weakened over time.
A surgical incision is made in the skin and the eye area is reshaped to restore a more youthful look. Usually absorbable stitches are used to close the incisions. The removal of excess tissue tightens the eye area and restores the normal shape of the upper eyelid so that it no longer droops over itself.
Your suitability for a surgical blepharoplasty will be assessed by our surgeon who will decide if you are the correct candidate for the procedure. A full medical history will also be taken to make sure that there are no contraindications for you to have the procedure, such as any medication that you may be taking.
In general, both men and women are suitable for eyelid surgery, as long as they are in good health. The ideal patient should have significant lax and excess skin in the upper eyelid area which can be combined with lax skin or fatty deposits or bags beneath the eyes. This tends to occur in individuals over the age of 40.
Some people have an asymmetry in their eye area, so one eye may suffer more than the other from heaviness, and the correction is performed to make the eyes more symmetrical.
Pregnant and breast-feeding women are not suitable for surgical procedures
The blepharoplasty procedure itself will be painless as it will be performed using anaesthesia. More often than not a general anaesthesia is not required, and the procedure can be undertaken using local anaesthesia which numbs the area whilst you remain awake. This means that you can also go home again after the operation and will not be required to stay overnight.
The operation can take up to two hours to perform, depending on the extent of correction required.
After the surgery, and once the anaesthesia has worn off, your eyes will feel sore and tight. In fact, a feeling of tightness is the most reported sensation after eyelid surgery.
There will be some bruising and swelling of the eye area and it may feel itchy, tender, dry, sticky or watery. You may also find that your eyes feel sensitive to light so many people choose to wear sunglasses to relieve any light glare. In the first few days you may feel more comfortable keeping your eyes closed as much as possible. Any pain and discomfort post-surgery can be managed with over the counter pain medication or medicines prescribed by our surgeon.
You may wish to use cold compresses on your eyes to relieve any discomfort and you will be advised to try and sleep at night with your head in a more upright position to reduce swelling and discomfort.
The post-surgical effects will last up to 5 days, when you should be able to return to normal activities.
Residual bruising, swelling and surgical marks will remain for up to 10 days, but these can be camouflaged with make up if required.
The full results of eyelid surgery will be visible after approximately a fortnight once all the bruising and swelling has subsided.
The aim of blepharoplasty surgery is to remove sagging skin in the eyelids, this will mean that the eyes have a more youthful aspect and appear less tired. They will no longer have an overhanging upper eyelid which can cover the upper eyelashes and impede vision.
Results of this surgery should last at least ten years, depending on your ageing rate and will make both a practical and cosmetic improvement to your eyes.
