Blepharoplasty

Your eyes are one of your most prominent facial features; they express your emotions and are the first area to show damage when your youthful appearance begins to deteriorate. Age, sun damage, hereditary factors, and physical stresses all contribute to wrinkles, sagging skin, and bags beneath the eyes. Since the skin around the eyes is thin, the signs of aging usually manifest in this region earlier than the surrounding areas.

Blepharoplasty restores a youthful appearance to the eye region by tightening loose tissues and removing or redistributing pockets of fat.

What Can an Eyelid Lift Improve?

Tired Appearance

Natural aging, sun damage, and repeated eye movements contribute to the breakdown and loosening of the eyelid tissues. This causes us to look older and more fatigued than we are. Blepharoplasty can be performed on the upper and lower eyelids to restore a refreshed and youthful appearance.

Ability to Express Emotions

Your eyes are responsible for conveying your emotions. As you age and the tissues around the eyes begin to break down, your range of available emotions becomes limited to those of stress, sadness, and fatigue. Blepharoplasty allows patients the ability to express a full range of emotions once again.

Range of Vision

The drooping of the upper eyelid obstructs your vision when your eyes are open. This can make driving and other activities difficult and dangerous. Blepharoplasty opens up the eyes and reduces visual impairment and emotional distress.

Your Blepharoplasty Procedure

Dr. Wald will evaluate the current extent of your eyelid aging to determine the best technique or combination of techniques for your condition. Depending on your needs, you may require upper blepharoplasty, lower blepharoplasty, or a combination of both.

Upper Blepharoplasty

Upper blepharoplasty is an outpatient procedure performed at our surgical center under local or general anesthesia.
An intravenous line may be placed for sedation.
Incisions are made in the crease of the upper lid.
Skin is trimmed, and pockets of fat are redistributed or removed.
Laser resurfacing is an alternative that can delay the need for a surgical eyelid lift by tightening the skin; however, it will not affect deposits of fat around the eyes.

Lower Blepharoplasty

Lower blepharoplasty is an outpatient procedure performed at our surgical center under local or general anesthesia.
An intravenous line may be placed for sedation.
Incisions are made along the bottom lash lines.
Skin is trimmed, and excess pockets of fat are removed.
The transconjunctival approach is available for patients to remove fat pockets without trimming the skin. The incision is made inside the lower lid to reduce scarring.

You’ve Just Had Blepharoplasty! Now What?

Immediately After
1 Week After
2 Weeks After

Immediately After

Following your blepharoplasty, you will need someone to drive you home and help care for you for the first 24 to 48 hours. During this time, you will be asked to rest comfortably with your head upright—even when sleeping—as this will encourage circulation and reduce swelling.

You will be prescribed oral pain medication, but over-the-counter medicines and cold compresses will often suffice. You can expect bruising and swelling, and, in some cases, your eyes may be temporarily swollen shut.

While rare, additional complications can include bleeding, delayed wound healing, infection, double vision, and dry eyes. Contact your surgeon right away should these persist.

You’ve Just Had Blepharoplasty! Now What?

Immediately After

While rare, additional complications can include bleeding, delayed wound healing, infection, double vision, and dry eyes. Contact your surgeon right away should these persist.

1 Weeks After

Stitches are removed after 4 to 5 days; however, noticeable swelling and bruising may persist for 7 to 10 days. You can begin wearing makeup to conceal bruising and swelling after 1 week and can resume normal activity after 7 to 10 days.

2 Weeks After

Most blepharoplasty patients are fully recovered after 2 weeks, and, at this point, you can usually resume all activities. It may take up to 6 months for the swelling to subside completely and for the scars to lose their redness.

Results from your blepharoplasty will be long lasting; however, additional wrinkling may occur later in life. To prolong your results, protect your eyes from the sun by wearing glasses and a broad-spectrum sunscreen and keeping your skin moisturized.

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male patient before and after blepharoplasty surgery

Before & After Patient #01

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Questions and Concerns

Dr. Wald and his team are available to answer any questions or concerns you may have about blepharoplasty. If you want to learn more about rejuvenating your eye appearance, schedule your consultation with us today!