Blepharoplasty (Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery) Information

Unlike other facial features such as the nose, eyes, and mouth, the eyelids don’t really call attention to themselves unless they suffer from an aesthetic flaw. Puffy, droopy, or baggy eyelids can cause a person to appear sadder, older, angrier, or more tired than they truly are. Fortunately, eyelid surgery--clinically known as blepharoplasty--offers a way to rejuvenate and revitalize the eyelids and, by extension, the entire face. People who undergo eyelid surgery look generally younger and more vital.

Surgery can be performed on the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids, or both as necessary. The procedure produces remarkable results without leaving any tell-tale signs that a person has undergone surgery, as incisions are generally able to be made very discreetly in the rim of the lids. During the procedure, fat is removed from the eyelids to reduce the appearance of puffiness or heaviness. After excess skin has been removed, the surgeon tightens the remaining skin, artfully creating trimmer lids that better frame the eyes. Because the incisions are so small and subtle, the healing process is shorter than that of most procedures.

While most people turn to blepharoplasty to rejuvenate the area around their eyes, an increasing number of Asian patients are opting to undergo double-eyelid surgery. This form of “ethnic” eyelid surgery is performed to create a second fold among those with only a single fold in their eyelids, a common trait among Asians. A skillful plastic surgeon can perform double-eyelid surgery without unduly altering a patient’s ethnic identity.

As with most facial cosmetic surgery procedures, blepharoplasty can be combined with other procedures to produce more comprehensive results. Most often, eyelid surgery is combined with brow lift surgery to rejuvenate the upper part of the face. The surgery can also be combined with various types of facelift, including lower and mid-facelifts, chin or cheek implants, rhinoplasty (nose-reshaping surgery), or injectable treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic and Restylane®.