Eyelid Surgery
Most everyone has heard the adage that says, “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” It’s a true statement, in that the majority of people tend to look at your eyes during conversations, and often, your eyes are the first thing someone notices about you. But if you have lines and wrinkles forming around your eyes, sagging or excess skin or chronic puffiness and under eye bags, your eyes may be the last thing you want people to focus on.
As the skin around your eyes begins to age, the above-mentioned issues become more noticeable, and can cause you to look perpetually tired, angry, or older than you are. We offer blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, a corrective procedure designed to decrease dark circles and bags under your eyes, remove excess skin and smooth wrinkles, and leave you looking more youthful and refreshed.
Blepharoplasty can reposition or remove excess fat or sagging skin, eliminating unsightly bags and tightening the skin under your eyes, as well as restore function if your vision has been blocked by drooping upper lids. Blepharoplasty surgery can be performed alone or be combined with other aesthetic facial procedures such as a facelift or rhinoplasty (nose reshaping surgery). To further enhance your results, injectable fillers or fat grafting may be added to help diminish the appearance of hollows below your eyes caused by age-related volume loss.
Reasons to Consider Blepharoplasty
Did you know that the thinnest skin on your body is around your eyes? On average, your epidermis is .1 mm thick, but around your eyes, the skin is only .05 mm, which makes it much more delicate and easily susceptible to damage. With age and the normal wear and tear of life, that fragile skin not only begins to stretch out and lose its natural elasticity, but the muscles that support your eyelids also start to weaken. The result is loose, excess tissue that droops over your upper lid and hangs below your lower lid, leaving you with:
Lax skin on your upper lids that may interfere with your vision
Chronic bags or dark circles under your eyes
Wrinkles or excess skin surrounding your eyes
A perpetually angry or tired appearance
What causes the need for this procedure?
While the combination of age and gravity is a daunting adversary, taking proper care of the skin around your eyes can help prevent these issues, or at least keep them at bay for a bit longer. Several other factors can also contribute to the need for blepharoplasty, including:
Pulling or tugging at the skin around your eyes
Years of roughly rubbing your eyes or other less-than-gentle treatment of the skin below your eyes can eventually cause stretched out skin and deeply etched wrinkles.
Fat Prolapse
With age, the muscles in your eyelids weaken, and are unable to support the natural pads of fat both above and below your eyes. This is called fat prolapse, and results in sagging eyelids.
Genetics
Hooded or naturally droopy eyelids are something that may be hereditary, so if your parents or grandparents have them, your chances of being prone to them are increased.
Fluid Retention
Dehydration, salt, allergies and alcohol are just some of the causes of fluid buildup around your eyes, resulting in puffy bags and permanently stretched skin.
Lifestyle
Improper eye care, sun damage and smoking are just a few of the lifestyle choices that can accelerate the appearance of aging around your eyes, as well as lack of sleep and environmental factors.
What to expect from this procedure
When you notice that your eyelids are beginning to droop, it can be attributed to a number of reasons, including a potentially serious medical condition, so the first step you should take to address the issue is to consult with your ophthalmologist or general practitioner to ensure that the problem isn’t caused by something other than aging skin. Once it’s been determined that your sagging lids are simply due to the natural aging process, you can then take the next step toward remedying the problem.
Blepharoplasty is performed as an outpatient procedure, and involves tiny incisions hidden in the natural contours around your eyes. Depending on your needs, you may choose to have just the upper or lower lids done, or both at the same time. Dr. Huettner typically works on the upper eyelids first, removing excess tissue, repositioning or removing fatty deposits, and tightening lax eyelid muscles.
The lower eyelids are completed next, using an incision placed just under your lash line. During this process, Dr. Huettner removes excess tissue and fatty deposits, which helps to eliminate puffiness and reduce dark circles. If necessary, other nonsurgical treatments may be used to further enhance your results and smooth the area under your lower eyelids, including Botox or filler injections.
Blepharoplasty surgery can take anywhere from approximately one to three hours, and is performed right in our office. If you are receiving additional aesthetic or cosmetic surgery procedures in conjunction with your eyelid lift, your surgery will last longer.
Recovery & Results
Once your blepharoplasty surgery is complete, Dr. Huettner will provide you with detailed instructions on how to care for the incisions around your eyes. While complications are rare, you can minimize the risk for potential problems by carefully following these post-operative directions. At first, you may experience mild discomfort as well as minor bruising and swelling, in addition to dry eyes or irritation around the incision sites, but these are normal and temporary and quickly resolve on their own. However, if any of these side effects persist or appear abnormal, call Dr. Heuttner for a follow-up to ensure that you are healing correctly.
Dr. Huettner usually recommends about seven to ten days of rest and limited movement before clearing you to return to work and other daily activities, and it typically takes two weeks for any swelling and bruising you experienced to dissipate completely, although any residual light bruising can be easily covered with makeup. Once your final results are visible, they are considered lasting – you will see a more rested and youthful reflection in the mirror, as well as an improvement in your vision once the obstruction caused by a sagging upper lid has been removed. However, it is essential to remember that the skin around your eyes will continue to age naturally, so you may eventually see minor changes to your results. Proper, gentle care of your eyes, the use of sunscreen and an overall healthy lifestyle will also help you to extend your blepharoplasty results.
We are here to help
If you’re tired of the pain and discomfort caused by your breasts and want a change, Dr. Franziska Huettner can help you achieve the shapely, feminine and pain-free breasts you deserve. As a double board-certified surgeon with the credentials and experience to match, her exclusive patients receive highly personalized care and beautiful, artistic results that can only be achieved with skill and finesse.
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