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Benefits of Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Surgical capabilities have evolved by leaps and bounds over the last century and can now be performed even on the delicate skin of your eyelids.

Blepharoplasty is a type of surgery that can tighten the skin around your eyes or alter the appearance of your eye area for anti-aging results.

However, blepharoplasty has a variety of benefits that go beyond cosmetic reasons. At Burt & Will Plastic Surgery and Dermatology, we provide blepharoplasty to clients who are interested in everything from anti-aging to improved vision.

What Is Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty removes excess skin around your eyes, specifically on the upper and lower eyelids.

Clients get blepharoplasty surgery for a variety of reasons. As you age, your skin loses elasticity and starts to sag. The skin around your eyes is particularly delicate and stretches with age. Additionally, the muscles supporting your eyelids start weakening.

The result is excess skin and fat both above and below your eyelids. Your eyebrows start to sag, you develop bags under your eyes, and your upper eyelids take on a droopy appearance.

Benefits of Eyelid Surgery

There are plenty of cosmetic and lifestyle benefits of eyelid surgery.

Improved Vision

While not every case of excessive eyelid skin will harm your vision, some clients experience vision impairment as a result of drooping eyelids or puffiness.

Blepharoplasty lifts sagging skin and reduces puffiness to help you achieve improved vision.

Reduced Forehead Wrinkles

You may not notice it, but if your eyelids are drooping and heavy, you have likely developed the habit of raising your eyebrows to see better.

This action contributes to horizontal forehead lines that become deeper with repetition and age. Fixing your eyelid areas will indirectly help smooth out your forehead as well.

More Youthful Appearance

Bags under your eyes can make you appear tired and aged. Lower eyelid surgery via blepharoplasty eliminates these pockets of fat and skin to brighten your eyes and restore their youthful shape.

Reduced Migraines

Some studies have shown that blepharoplasty techniques can help improve symptoms in patients who experience regular migraines.

The reasons are still being researched, but it likely is because there’s less squinting and tension around the eyes when they’re not being weighed down by excess skin.

Long-Term Results

Blepharoplasty, unlike some other cosmetic procedures, has long-lasting results since the excess skin and fat are permanently removed. On average, clients enjoy their blepharoplasty results for between 10 and 15 years.

Customizable Options

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to blepharoplasty.

For example, blepharoplasty can be used to help clients of Asian descent achieve natural-looking eyelid creases without dramatically altering their appearance. The natural-looking folds are constructed in a way that flatters their face without changing who they are.

More Free Time and More Cosmetic Options

Blepharoplasty can reduce the amount of time you spend trying to contour your face during your regular makeup routine.

Additionally, it opens the door to more cosmetic options since excess skin and eye bags are no longer in the way.

How Upper Eyelid Surgery Works

During blepharoplasty on the upper eyelids, we make a micro-incision along the fold of the eyelid. Excess skin, fat, and possibly small amounts of muscle are then removed. In some cases, we may do a blepharoplasty along with an eyelid lift known as ptosis.

How Lower Eyelid Surgery Works

To remove bags under your eyes and other issues along your lower eyelid, we make a small incision below your lashes. The incision is along the natural crease of your eye or inside your lower lid.

Excess fat, muscle, and skin are then either redistributed or removed entirely before we close the incision.

With both upper and lower eyelid surgery, the procedure is done in an outpatient setting with minimal scarring.

Before Blepharoplasty

Before blepharoplasty, you will likely receive both a physical exam and a complete eye exam. The eye exam will test functions like tear production and measuring parts of your eyelids.

You’ll likely receive a visual field test as well to help determine whether there are blind spots in your peripheral vision. Finally, we’ll take photographs to help plan for the surgery.

Prior to the procedure, we will give you certain medications to increase your comfort during the procedure. Anesthetics will be used, although, in the majority of cases, general anesthesia is not necessary for eyelid surgery.

After Blepharoplasty

After your procedure, you will be able to return home. You may experience some temporary symptoms like watery eyes or sensitivity to light. After rest and recovery, any of these symptoms will go away, and you can fully enjoy the results of your procedure.

We will likely recommend some post-procedure steps, such as:

  • Using ice packs on your eyes to help soothe them
  • Using prescribed eye drops
  • Wearing dark sunglasses to help protect your eyes

Your recovery routine is customized to you and will depend on a variety of factors.

Results

You will be able to enjoy your blepharoplasty quite soon after surgery. Most clients completely recover after 1-2 weeks and enjoy their results for years to come.

Is Blepharoplasty Right for You?

Blepharoplasty is a safe procedure for the majority of clients. Clients who are pregnant or in poor health may require further evaluation before being cleared for surgery.

It’s important to have realistic expectations of what blepharoplasty will do for you. During your consultation before your procedure, we will give you an approximation of your post-procedural results.

Getting Started

Burt & Will Plastic Surgery and Dermatology is one of the leading providers of blepharoplasty in Burr Ridge, IL. Give us a call today at (815) 267-0231 or contact us online to learn more about blepharoplasty or schedule a consultation.

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