A blepharoplasty is a simple surgical procedure that rejuvenates the eye area by removing excess skin and tightening lax muscles.
The eye area is often the first place affected by the natural ageing process and droopy lids and under-eye bags can make you look much older and more tired than you feel.
Read on to discover how our surgeons can restore your wide-eyed, youthful appearance with this straightforward procedure.
Rejuvenating the ageing eye area
The facial aging process often affects the eyes first. Skin loses its elasticity and resilience, resulting in folds on the upper eyelids that give the eyes a hooded appearance. Upper eyelid heaviness is an aesthetic concern, but significant excess skin can also cause complications affecting vision.
At the same time, the loss of firmness in the under-eye area creates hollows and dark circles, or allows protruding fat pads and excess skin to bulge forward, resulting in prominent under-eye bags.
In the hands of our specialist plastic surgeon, upper and lower eyelid surgery can reverse these changes and create a refreshed appearance.
You can see some before-and-after pictures here.
Upper vs lower blepharoplasty
Quite simply, an upper blepharoplasty focuses on the upper eyelids, while a lower blepharoplasty addresses skin laxity and under-eye bags.
The upper blepharoplasty procedure
An upper blepharoplasty typically involves removing excess skin and fat from the upper eyelids.
Your cosmetic surgeon will make an incision in the natural eyelid crease of the upper lid. The incision will be used to remove excess fat, and then the excess upper eyelid skin will be trimmed away.
Upper blepharoplasty procedures are performed using a local anaesthetic and take one to two hours.
The lower blepharoplasty procedure
The surgeon will make an incision along the lower lash line to access the tissues under the eye. Loose skin will be trimmed away. Your surgeon can reposition fat under the eye to create a smooth appearance.
Lower eyelid surgery is performed under local anesthesia to ensure your comfort, and the procedure lasts about 90 minutes.
The recovery process after upper and lower eyelid surgery
The recovery process after lower and upper blepharoplasty typically takes around a week.
Initial swelling after your upper or lower blepharoplasty may last around a week. You may find cold compresses useful to reduce swelling. The bruising and tenderness will peak after about 48 hours and be significantly improved after a week. Many patients report blurred vision, a result of localized swelling that will soon disappear.
You will return to the clinic 5 – 7 days after surgery to have the sutures removed and can return to work and your normal activities after two weeks.
The full benefits of your procedure will be visible after a month to 6 weeks, once all the swelling has resolved.
Can I have an upper and lower blepharoplasty at the same time?
Both procedures can be performed separately, but many patients opt for a combined blepharoplasty so they only have to endure a single recovery period.
Next Steps
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of upper and lower blepharoplasty, you can book a consultation today.
Call us on 01274 921 121 or by email at [email protected]
