Blepharoplasty, also known as an eyelid “lift,” is an eyelid surgery procedure. The name “eyelid lift” is a bit inaccurate, because the procedure doesn’t technically raise your eyelids. Rather, the procedure treats your upper eyelids to address sagging skin that impairs vision or is not aesthetically pleasing. It can also treat your lower eyelids to remove under eye bags, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Excess skin and fat in your upper eyelids can make your eyelids look heavy, give you an aged appearance, or cause puffiness. It can also impair your vision. Blepharoplasty addresses each of these issues.
What Should I Expect Before Eyelid Surgery?
You will need to schedule some time off work for after your blepharoplasty. As a bare minimum, you should take the day of your procedure and the day after off, but a day or two more is ideal if feasible. The more active your job requires you to be, the more days off you should take.
What Should I Expect During Eyelid Surgery?
The surgery is simple. If applied to your upper eyelids, we will make an incision in the folds of your eyelid. Then, we remove any excess skin, muscle, and fat before stitching you back up.
If your lower eyelid is the subject of the procedure, we will make an incision beneath the eye’s naturally occurring crease. Then, we will remove or relocate any excess fat or sagging skin before closing the incision. The entire procedure usually takes less than two hours.
We will likely apply some ointment during your surgery and use gauze to cover your eyes afterward loosely.
What Should I Expect After Eyelid Surgery?
After your eyelid surgery, we will provide you with detailed instructions on how to take care of your eyes and what medications to apply or take to minimize the risk of infection. We will also inform you of anything to look out for in the treatment area or your general health in the days and weeks after your procedure.
You will need to have someone available to drive you home. You will most likely not be able to drive for 24 hours after your procedure. You can bring a friend or family member with you or hail a cab or ride-sharing service.
Once you arrive home, your doctor will most likely recommend that you apply cold compresses on your eyes on the day of the surgery to help reduce the swelling. It is perfectly normal to experience some swelling, bruising, irritation, dry eyes, and discomfort after surgery. You can control these things with medication, ointment, and cold compresses. It is possible to experience some degree of irritation at the surgical site as well.
It is important to avoid exposure to bright sunlight and use sun protection and dark sunglasses after your blepharoplasty. This will help you avoid any sun damage or sensitivity and preserve your results.
Finally, you can expect to be presentable in public about 10-14 days after your surgery. Your results should last a long time, provided you care for your eyes properly after the surgery.
Follow these guidelines after your blepharoplasty:
- Don’t rub your eyes
- Be very careful when washing your face
- Don’t smoke
- Sleep on a stack of pillows to keep your head elevated
- Don’t take blood-thinning medications
- Use prescription eye-drops or ointments as directed
- Use glasses instead of contacts
- Avoid any strenuous activity or heavy lifting for the first week to 10 days
Does Blepharoplasty Have Any Side Effects?
Most medical operations have some side effects, and in this regard, blepharoplasty is no different. Most side effects are temporary and minor. You should give your doctor a call if you experience anything that feels unexpected or unusual.
Because we are modifying your eyelids, you can expect some temporary bruising to occur. The bruising that comes with blepharoplasty resembles a set of black eyes and should subside naturally over the next couple of weeks after your procedure.
You will likely experience some normal swelling in the area as well, which should also subside, after initially increasing for the first 48 hours after the surgery.
You may also notice your eyes being more swollen in the mornings. This swelling should calm down throughout the day.
Typical side effects that follow a blepharoplasty are:
- Sensitivity to light
- Pain
- Puffy eyes
- Double vision
- Blurry vision (caused by post-surgery ointment)
- Watery eyes or dry, sticky feeling eyes
One week after your procedure, you will be able to come back in for us to remove your stitches. We will also have you come in one last time a few months later for a follow-up checkup to see how you are doing and examine the results. Your incisions should heal by that point, so you can see normally and enjoy your results!
It is important to follow your post-surgery guidelines. This will help your results to last for a long time. Blepharoplasty can even resolve some issues permanently. Be careful to avoid excessive force, abrasion, or motion during your recovery, and to wear adequate sun protection for your eyes as well. Lastly, enjoy your new look! Call us today for more information and a consultation.