Blepharoplasty
(Eyelid Surgery)
Eyes often show the first signs of aging, but you can rewind the clock with our blepharoplasty procedure.
Bring Life Back to the Face with a Blepharoplasty
Your eyes are the focal point of your face. They are how we show our feelings and expressions. They can’t hide the life we’ve lived. Dark circles and bags show all those sleepless nights, and the crow’s feet record all the times we’ve smiled or squinted at the sun. As the years go by, wrinkles can make your eyes look tired, angry, or prematurely aged, but blepharoplasty can improve it. A blepharoplasty can refresh your eyes and bring back life and alertness to the face. If this sounds like the solution for you, we will provide everything you need to know about blepharoplasty. This is because we believe an educated patient is an empowered patient and we want you to be informed before you make a decision about your body.
Fresh and Youthful Eyes
Blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery, rejuvenates tired or aging eyes. The procedure targets excess skin, eyebags, crow’s feet, fat deposits, shrunken or hollow eyes, and crepey skin to regain a fresh appearance. The goal of blepharoplasty is to smooth the skin or bulges while keeping a natural appearance. It also restores a youthful appearance in the upper and lower eyelids through subtle adjustments in the eye area. These adjustments include increasing eyelid exposure, fixing asymmetry, removing fat deposits, or tightening sagging skin or drooping lower eyelids. A blepharoplasty can also treat drooping eyelids, also known as ptosis. Your procedure can include an upper or lower blepharoplasty, or both depending on your needs.
How Eyes are The First Sign of Aging
Loss of Collagen
As we age, we naturally lose collagen in our skin. Collagen is a protein that gives our skin structure and volume. The loss of collagen leads causes skin all over the body to wrinkle and lose volume, but because the undereye area is so delicate, aging begins there first. Most people can see fine lines and wrinkles as early as their twenties. If you want to boost your collagen levels, you can get collagen injections; however, they can’t reverse the signs of aging. For more effective results around the eyes eyelid surgery is your best option.
Loss of Elastin
As we age, we also lose elastin which is the protein that gives our skin elasticity. Elastin allows our skin to stretch and snap back into place. For example, when people lose or gain weight, elastin helps skin remold over new contours. When we lose elastin, wrinkles become more prominent because our skin loses its ability to stay taut, like when a waistband is stretched out. Elastin also has other purposes in our body like allowing our lungs to expand and deflate, dilating blood vessels, and providing stretch for our ligaments.
Skincare for Preventative Care
Preventative care of undereye wrinkles often includes eye creams with various anti-aging ingredients. Some of the best eye creams include retinol, which treats fine lines and wrinkles; Vitamin C, for brightening dark under eyes; peptides, to increase collagen, and many more. Which ingredients work best for you depends on your skin type, age, and under-eye appearance. However, creams and skincare should be used as a preventative treatment and not as an anti-aging solution. Eye creams can’t permanently reverse signs of aging like deep-set wrinkles, fat bulges, hollow eye sockets, and drooping eyelids. To correct these problem areas, you’ll need blepharoplasty.
Your Blepharoplasty Consultation
Before your blepharoplasty, you will need to schedule a consultation with one of our providers. This is your time to tell your provider what your concerns are and what you hope to achieve so they can make a customized recommendation for your surgical plan. Your provider may recommend other procedures with your blepharoplasty to meet your goals. Also during the consultation, your provider will be asking you about your health history, previous surgeries, and current medications. For your safety, it’s important to answer your provider honestly, as any unknown health issues could impair your recovery.
Your Blepharoplasty Procedure
After your consultation, you will have your first pre-op two to four weeks before your blepharoplasty. This meeting will be with a nurse who will also go over your medication, health history, and previous surgeries to ensure there are no complications. At this time, the nurse will also discuss your pre and post-op care instructions and answer any questions.
Your second pre-op will be with your surgeon, also two to four weeks before your blepharoplasty. Your surgeon will walk you through your procedure again to make sure you are fully informed about the steps ahead and answer any questions you may have. On the day of surgery, you will meet with the OR nurses who will prepare you for surgery. You will also meet with your anesthesiologist who will discuss any previous past issues you’ve had with anesthesia. Your surgeon will make any necessary markings and answer any other last-minute questions you might have.
Eyelid surgeries are outpatient procedures so you will need someone to pick you up and spend at least one night with you. You and the patient care coordinator will schedule your post-op appointments once you have booked your surgery. After your procedure, you’ll meet with your provider at these appointments to make sure there are no complications.
Other Procedures with a Blepharoplasty
If you want to minimize crow’s feet or vertical lines between your eyebrows you can also get Botox after your blepharoplasty. For hollow or shadowed areas under the eye, you might want dermal fillers. If you want to treat fine lines, we also offer laser skin treatments that can improve fine wrinkles and provide minimal skin tightening. When both nonsurgical and surgical procedures are performed together, our teams work together to provide clear communication and achieve your desired results.
Blepharoplasty Risks
All surgeries come with risks, and blepharoplasty is no exception. Before you commit, you and your provider will discuss all risks so you are well informed about your procedure. If any of the risks are concerning to you, be sure to ask questions and voice your concerns with your provider. Your safety and comfort come first, always. Our team of board-certified surgeons takes every precaution to reduce these risks and provide you with the safest experience.
Recovery After a Blepharoplasty
Your vision might be blurry due to swelling for a little while, but in most cases, you will be able to see soon after your blepharoplasty. Some other common temporary side effects are bruising, tired eyes, and mild to moderate pain. You should be healed and see your full results six months after your blepharoplasty procedure. However, everyone heals at their own pace, so don’t rush the recovery process. Your provider will check in on your healing progress during your post-op appointments. Listen to your provider’s instructions for a smooth recovery and the best results.
Restorative Results
Our board-certified plastic surgeons bring their expertise and knowledge to every patient’s treatment to provide the safest outcome and reach the goals they set out to achieve. We do this through clear communication with our patients and by using the best technologies and techniques for every procedure. What sets us apart at Gayoso Plastic Surgery and MedSpa is that we listen to your goals. Your needs and wants are our priority. Together, you and our expert staff will discuss the best course of action to design your blepharoplasty and get you the restorative results you desire.