Plastic surgery on the eyelid, known as blepharoplasty, was one of the most common surgical procedures in 2011, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s annual poll. So – what is eyelid surgery all about and what problems does it fix?
Tired eyes
As you age, your eyelids stretch and the muscles surrounding them grow weak. As a result, excess fat tends to bulge around your eyelids, accompanied by sagging eyebrows, drooping upper lids and the dreaded under-eye bags. Perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects about aging, sagging eyes can have the unfortunate side effect of making you look tired all of the time.
Eyelift Surgery
Blepharoplasty is a relatively simple procedure performed in an outpatient setting with local anesthesia. Numbing medication injected into the area allows the procedure to be completed without the patient feeling what is happening.
For work on the upper lids, a tiny incision is made along the natural fold and excess skin, and in some cases removal of the muscle and fat as well. The incision is then closed with tiny stitches. For the lower lids, an incision is made just below the bottom lashes or inside the lower lid and your surgeon removes or redistributes excess fat, muscle and sagging skin, followed by a few tiny stitches to close the incision.
Recovery is predictable, with patients resuming light or moderate activity within 1 to 4 days. While swelling and bruising is likely to last up to a week, pain following this procedure is usually minimal. This surgery can provide a wonderful result with very little downtime!