As we get older many of us look for ways to turn back the clock to regain our youthful appearance. There are many plastic surgery procedures that can make that a reality. One of those is a blepharoplasty. A blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, as it’s also referred to, aims to make your eyes look more awake and refreshed by letting more light enter and reflect against the eye. In 2017, it was among the top five cosmetic plastic surgeries according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Blepharoplasty can treat:
Drooping lower eyelids
Lower eyelids with excess skin
Saggy skin around the eyes that create “bags”
Excessive fatty deposits around the eyelids that make your eyes look puffy
Look in the mirror.
Do you notice any of those issues when you look at your eyes? If so, you may be a good candidate for a blepharoplasty.
Why should I consider blepharoplasty?
The skin around your eyes isn’t excluded from the aging process. Age can cause the skin around the eyelids to sag and hang. The result is aging, tired-looking eyes, even when you’ve had plenty of rest. Since your eyes are one of the first things a person notices when looking at you, their first impression is going to be that you are either extremely tired, older than your actual age, or both. None of those is the first impression you want to give.
The issue with eyelid skin is that it is naturally thinner than other skin on your body. Wrinkles also tend to form more easily because we use the muscles around our eyes to blink, squint, and make all other types of facial expressions. Over the years, this skin is going to get worn down from use.
You may also notice sagging eyelids if you’ve had extreme or prolonged exposure to the sun. The sun is known to cause wrinkles and the skin around the eyes is surely not exempt.
Another reason why people opt for blepharoplasty is that once the upper eyelids start to sag, they tend to raise their eyebrows. This causes unnecessary wrinkles in the forehead, which are another sign of aging. A blepharoplasty not only helps to make the skin around the eyes look more refreshed, but it also works to reduce the signs of aging that can be caused by unnecessary wrinkles in the forehead as a result from constantly raising your eyebrows.
What happens during blepharoplasty?
Since blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure, anesthesia will be used, but it is an outpatient procedure. Typically, a local anesthetic is used for an upper blepharoplasty while general anesthesia or conscious sedation is used for a lower blepharoplasty procedure.
While there are different approaches to the surgery, extra skin around the eye is removed and the underlying fat is either removed or placed back into its original position. This is what gives you that youthful look you’ve been missing. When working with Dr. Ladner, incisions are always hidden to give you the most natural look possible and fine sutures are always used to avoid a scar. Additional procedures may also be recommended to give you the best results. Although the procedure differs from patient to patient, a blepharoplasty usually takes 1-2 hours.
Patients are typically able to go back to work about one week after the surgery. Eyelid swelling and bruising are common but typically go away within 10-14 days. Since many eyelid surgeries are done for cosmetic reasons, they are usually not covered by insurance companies.
Are you ready for a blepharoplasty?
If you’re tired of sagging eyelids that make you look older than you are, then it’s time to consider blepharoplasty. Let Dr. Ladner educate you about the benefits so you can decide if it’s the right plastic surgery procedure for you. If a blepharoplasty is not the right procedure, Dr. Ladner can recommend one that will give you the results you’re looking for.
Dr. Ladner has performed many eyelid surgeries and is also double-board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. Click here to see several before and after photos of blepharoplasties performed by Dr. Ladner so you can see the difference for yourself. Call today at (303) 253-7686 or go online to schedule a consultation.
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