blepharoplasty (eye lift)

• facelift / necklift
• blepharoplasty (eye lift)
• brow (endobrow, forehead lift)
• nonsurgical face

The eye area  is one of the first places to show aging. You may notice your eyes look tired, sad, or older than you feel. Blepharoplasty removes fat and drooping skin of the upper eyelid, minimizes bags under the eyes, and tightens the skin of the lower eyelid. It will help “open up” the eye so the upper lid’s natural crease is visible and remove loose skin and wrinkles of both lids. For the upper lid, I do remove some fat during blepharoplasty. To remove lower lid puffiness, I perform a fat sparing eyelid surgery technique to preserve the fullness and youthfulness of the lower eye.

When assessing your eye aging, the position of your eyebrow is important. Frequently your brow has fallen and is contributing to the upper eyelid fullness, so for a full correction you may need a browlift or endobrowlift. In addition to skin removal, skin resurfacing with a chemical peel is sometimes needed to help “iron” the skin around the eye for an optimal, smoother result.

Other problems with the eyelid can also be improved. In addition to the cosmetic appearance of excess skin, the lateral part of the eyelid can start to “hood” and block lateral vision. If this is severe enough, as documented through visual field testing, insurance may help pay for the procedure. Another condition, ptosis (where the muscle that lifts the eyelid is stretched), can be repaired at the same time. Extra caution needs to be taken in patients with Graves’ disease, laxity of the lower eyelids, glaucoma, and dry eyes.

The scars hide in the natural creases of the upper eyelid. For the lower eye, incisions are made immediately under the lash line. When fat is removed from the lower lid, the incision can be made inside the lower eyelid through a “transconjunctival” approach.

Eyelid surgery is easily done under local anesthesia. Scars heal beautifully. The procedure lasts about two hours for all four lids. The surgery is done in an operating suite nearby, in either the Palo Alto or Menlo Park surgery center, to maintain strict sterile technique near the eye. Recovery time varies, but is about one week to 10 days.

Nonsurgical lower eye “lift”

Soft tissue fillers can provide a nonsurgical lower eye “lift.” It is a simple office procedure injection.  You may have some bruising following the procedure.  Try to avoid aspirin and nonsteroidal products for 2 weeks prior to injection.

To find out if you are a good candidate for cosmetic eyelid surgery, known as blepharoplasty, contact my Palo Alto practice to schedule an consultation.

Blepharoplasty Before and After Photos

Before and After Gallery