Candidates for Blepharoplasty

Candidates for Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery is a relatively common cosmetic procedure to improve appearance. It involves tightening and lifting the skin around the eyes to give people a more youthful, vibrant look. Other patients undergo this surgery to correct vision problems due to the excess skin on the upper eyelid drooping over the eye, impairing their vision. Eyelid surgery is an excellent option in treating a variety of cosmetic issues, including:
 

• Bags under the eyes.

• Puffy eyelids due to fatty deposits.

• Drooping lower eyelids, revealing the sclera.

• Extra skin and wrinkles of the lower eyelid.

• Loose or sagging skin, disturbing the natural contour of the upper eyelid.

Are You a Suitable Candidate for Eyelid Surgery?

The best candidates for blepharoplasty generally include healthy individuals with no pre-existing medical issues that can impair the healing process. You will recover faster if you’re a nonsmoker and have no severe eye problem. It’s also crucial that you have a positive attitude and realistic expectations about the procedure.

Age doesn’t necessarily have to be a primary determining factor if you can get eyelid surgery. Regardless of how old you are, your cosmetic surgeon will examine the condition of your skin. Depending on your genetics and lifestyle, you could be as young as 30 years old or older than 60. Nevertheless, most patients who undergo eyelid surgery are 35 years old.

• Upper Eyelid Surgery. This is the most common blepharoplasty procedure. The ideal patients for upper eyelid surgery include men and women with excess skin hanging over their upper lids. It’s best if patients have normal brow position and eyelid margins. They should have healthy eyelid skin with little discoloration and no eye problem. Upper eyelid surgery is often used not only to improve appearance but also to correct a vision problem. This is accomplished by eye function restoration or yielding a more rounded, open eye. Cosmetic surgeons may advise their patients who have some excess descent of their brows to consider getting a brow lift along with their eyelid surgery.

• Lower Eyelid Surgery. This procedure is generally more of a fat surgery. It aims to reduce or reposition the pockets to get rid of bags and dark circles. Ideal candidates for lower eyelid surgery are those with good lower lid position with respect to their irises. It’s best if patients have the right tone of their lower eyelids with little excess skin and no other eye problems. Anyone with droopy eyelids, eye bags, and excess skin, folds, creases, or wrinkles around the eyes can benefit from lower eyelid surgery.

How Long Is the Recovery Process?

As with any medical procedure, recovery varies from one patient to another. Nevertheless, it usually takes a week or two for bruising and swelling to subside following a blepharoplasty. Some patients experience itchiness or dryness of the eyes. If you notice these, you can buy over-the-counter eye drops to find relief from this discomfort. Many people return to their routine within a week or so.

Do you want to learn more about blepharoplasty and how it works? With Scott Harris, MD, we can discuss the procedure and see if you’re a good candidate for eyelid surgery. Call our office today at (972) 736-9600 in Plano, Texas, to schedule your consultation.