How Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery Works and What to Expect After

Have you looked in the mirror lately and noticed sagging, tired eyes peering back at you? If so, you're not alone. Many people have sagging skin under or above their eyelids, making them look older.

The good news is that cosmetic procedures help you regain confidence in how you look by removing excess skin above or below the eyelids. Blepharoplasty is just one of the many procedures our Ophthalmology Associates of Bay Ridge team performs.

Our team consists of four experienced ophthalmologists who offer upper and lower blepharoplasty as a cosmetic option for eyelid problems. We also offer eyelid surgery for noncosmetic problems.

The facts about cosmetic eyelid surgery

Cosmetic eyelid surgery is an option for people with excess skin above their eyelids or bagginess underneath the eyes. It's a cosmetic procedure because we enhance the way you look.

Blepharoplasty is the medical term for eyelid surgery, and the two main types include upper and lower blepharoplasty. The upper procedure addresses concerns with the upper eyelids, while the lower procedure addresses the skin underneath the lower eyelids.

Cosmetic eyelid surgery aims to remove excess fat or reposition skin to reveal a youthful appearance. We remove excess skin, muscle, or fat during the procedure to tighten the area and reduce sagging.

What happens during blepharoplasty surgery?

During cosmetic eyelid surgery, we ensure you're comfortable and asleep before beginning. The length of the procedure depends on whether you're having just the upper, lower, or both done on each eye.

Upper blepharoplasty surgery involves an incision in the crease of the upper lids. We carefully remove any excess fat or skin and close the incisions. You won't be able to see the incisions when your eyes are open.

We perform a lower blepharoplasty by making a tiny incision below the lash line, which keeps the incision hidden when you heal. We remove excess fat and skin through the incision to tighten the area and give you a youthful appearance.

Once we finish removing tissue and tightening up both the eyes, we close the incisions, and you go to the recovery room. You can go home the same day with someone staying with you for the first 24 hours.

Recovering from cosmetic eyelid surgery

You should refrain from heavy activities and work for a few days to let the swelling and bruising around your eyes go down. If you have an upper blepharoplasty, you only have one stitch in each upper lid, which stays in for a week.

There aren't any stitches with a lower blepharoplasty if we make the incision inside the lower eyelids. However, you must follow specific instructions for eye care after your procedure.

In the recovery room, we put ointment in your eyes to keep them from drying out and cool compresses to reduce swelling. The swelling and ointment may blur your vision for the first few hours.

There are some general rules to follow after blepharoplasty to speed up the recovery process, which includes:

• Use acetaminophen for pain
• Put ice packs on your eyes
• Wear dark sunglasses
• Apply cool compresses
• Use prescribed ointments
• Sleep with your head raised

It's vital to avoid rubbing your eyes, wearing contacts (for at least two weeks), or smoking while your eyes recover. You should also avoid strenuous activities for a week.

How long do the results last?

Cosmetic eyelid surgery is highly successful, and the results may last for the rest of your life. However, you won't see the result for weeks to months. It takes several weeks for the swelling to go down for the youthful results to show through.

Upper eyelid surgery often lasts around seven years, but it could last forever if you care for your skin and results. Most people never need to repeat lower eyelid surgery, although your eyes will still age as you do.

Taking care of your skin and eyes after surgery is the best way to ensure long-term youthful results.

Call the Ophthalmology Associates of Bay Ridge today to make an appointment for cosmetic eyelid surgery, or visit our website to schedule an appointment with our team.