EYELID SURGERY

Eyelid Surgery

The eyes are a center of facial expression, conveying a great deal about your mood and feelings to others. Extra folds of skin, bags and fullness of the eyelids can make you appear older and more tired than you feel.

The eyelid lift procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and takes between one and two hours. Fine incisions are made in the eyelid creases to remove excess skin and treat bulges.

Fine incisions are made in the eyelid creases to remove excess skin and treat bulges. The creases hide the surgical scars from view, especially when effected in the skin creases below the eyelashes of the lower eyelid.

Blepharoplasty is performed to correct sagging of the eyelids, often caused by the effects of age, time and genetics; and for aesthetically modifying the eye region of the face. With the excision and the removal, or the repositioning (or both) of excess tissues, such as skin and adipocyte fat, and the reinforcement of the corresponding muscle and tendon tissues, the blepharoplasty procedure resolves functional and cosmetic problems of the periorbita, which is the area from the eyebrow to the upper portion of the cheek.

The operative goals of a blepharoplastic procedure are the restoration of the correct functioning to the affected eyelid, and the restoration of the aesthetics of the eye-region of the face. This is achieved by eliminating excess skin from the eyelid, smoothing the underlying eye muscles, tightening the supporting structures, and resecting and re-draping the excess fat of the retroseptal area of the eye, in order to produce a smooth anatomic transition from the lower eyelid to the cheek.

Blepharoplasty can alter:

• draping skin that obscures or blocks your vision
• loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid – this can sometimes affect a person’s vision
• excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness beneath the eyelid skin
• bags under the eyes
• droopiness of the lower eyelids – to avoid showing white below the iris
• extra skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid.

If you are concerned about the way you look, or are thinking about cosmetic treatments to boost your confidence, there are alternatives. These may include lifestyle changes or learning to accept yourself the way you are.

Types of Blepharoplasty

There are two types of blepharoplasty: functional and cosmetic.

1. Functional Blepharoplasty: A functional blepharoplasty removes the excess skin that obscures your field of vision. If the procedure is determined to be medically necessary it may be covered by medical insurance. How much vision is affected will be determined by testing your visual field with a Humphrey Visual Field (HVF) Analyzer.
2. Cosmetic Blepharoplasty: A cosmetic blepharoplasty can be performed on either the upper or lower eyelid, or on both. Depending on the type of lower eyelid blepharoplasty, either excess skin in the lower eyelid is removed or a redistribution or removal of excess fat is performed.

You should have realistic expectations before undergoing a blepharoplasty. While the procedure can improve the appearance of your eyelids, it does not dramatically alter your face.

The Best Candidates for Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.

The best candidates for eyelid surgery are men and women who are physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in their expectations. Most are 35 or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age.

A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty more risky. They include thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A detached retina or glaucoma is also reason for caution; check with your ophthalmologist before you have surgery.

Eyelid Lift Procedure

Depending on your needs and desired results, World Hair Centre doctor’s may focus on the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids, or both.

For a lower eyelid cosmetic procedure, our doctor often conceals an incision below the lower lashes. Through this incision, he removes any excess skin, muscle, and fat to create a more refined, refreshed appearance. In some cases, our doctor may redistribute this fat to eliminate puffiness or bulges. For some patients, our plastic surgeon can remove the fat in the lower lid from the inside of the lower eyelid (Conjunctiva), leaving no or limited external visible scars.

After a Blepharoplasty

After surgery the area around the eye may be swollen for about four days and there may be some bruising, especially after lower lid blepharoplasty. Makeup can normally be worn five days after surgery.

The resulting hairline scars that follow the natural contour of the eyelids tend to fade in about two months. The final results of the surgery will be evident after several months. Before and after photographs will clearly show the results.

The anatomic condition of the eyelids, the (wear-and-tear) quality of the patient’s skin, his or her age, and the general condition of the adjacent tissues, consequent to the anatomic conditions of the patient, affect the functional and aesthetic results achieved with the eyelid surgery.