Considering blepharoplasty? Want to know how to qualify for eyelid surgery? Wondering about the use of fillers after the procedure? Worried about the recovery period and when you’ll see results?
Heading into cosmetic surgery — whether it’s your first time or your fifth — can mean a lot of uncertainty. If you’re considering upper eyelid blepharoplasty, you undoubtedly have questions. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Let’s start with some basics.
5 Things to Know About Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty
First, let’s define what this procedure actually does.
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty removes excess skin, muscle, and fat from the eyelids, resulting in a younger, fresher-looking appearance. This procedure is best for individuals who’ve struggled with droopy, heavy eyelids. It may help improve your appearance, but it can also help with discomfort and vision issues.
Now, let’s take a look at 5 things to know about this procedure before booking your consultation.
1. Not everyone qualifies for eyelid blepharoplasty.
The typical Beverly Hills blepharoplasty candidates have excess skin on their upper eyelid(s). This may cause the lids to sag and hang over the eye(s).
Other effects of loose and thin eyelid skin may be droopy lower lids, undereye bags, crepe-like skin around the eyes, deep wrinkles, and vision issues (especially peripheral vision problems).
2. It’s an outpatient procedure.
While blepharoplasty is a serious surgery that requires anesthesia, incisions, and the utmost care during recovery, it’s also outpatient. This means you can go home on the same day as your procedure, after a short one to two-hour stay at the surgical facility.
Make sure you have a friend or loved one there to take you home after the procedure. You will not be able to drive after this type of surgery.
3. It can take several weeks to recover from blepharoplasty.
About 10 days to two weeks post-surgery, most patients are ready to go back to work. By this time, patients can return to most of their daily activities. However, it’s still a good idea to avoid strenuous or jarring exercises until Dr. Lahar gives you the okay to do these things.
4. You won’t be able to drive for a while after surgery.
After surgery, your vision will be slightly blurry. This can be due to the cornea swelling slightly from surgery. The eyedrops used during surgery can also contribute to your blurry vision.
Keep in mind this is temporary and you’ll need to avoid driving during this time. Most patients should expect to refrain from driving for at least two weeks following their procedure — not only because of blurry vision, but also because of the use of pain medications.
Once your vision is restored and you are finished taking pain meds, driving can resume. Of course, always speak with Dr. Lahar to know for sure when driving is safe again.
5. Down the line, fillers can further enhance the appearance of your eyes.
For many patients, blepharoplasty creates dramatic results, facilitating a more youthful appearance and helping them feel less self-conscious about drooping eyelids. Of course, even this surgery cannot fully stop the natural process of aging.
For this reason, some blepharoplasty patients may end up turning to dermal fillers once healing is complete. The main goal of dermal fillers is to boost volume and plumpness. Fillers can be used to fill in tear troughs, as a “liquid eye lift”, or to correct things like marionette lines and lines between the brows.
How to Qualify for Eyelid Surgery
Candidates for eyelid surgery:
- Struggle with droopy and sagging upper eyelids that may or may not block their field of vision
- Are in good health overall
- Do not have any serious medical conditions that may impair their ability to heal
- Do not have any eye-related conditions that may pose problems during or after surgery
- Do not have any infections
- Have a positive outlook about their surgery
If you’d like to know for sure how to qualify for eyelid surgery, a good place to start is by booking an appointment with a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon. Dr. Nicholas Lahar has extensive experience performing upper eyelid blepharoplasty in the Beverly Hills area and can tell you whether you’d be a good candidate for this procedure.
FAQ: Beverly Hills Blepharoplasty
Can I get eyelid surgery on just one of my eyes?
Yes. Often, however, if significant changes will be made and a substantial amount of fat, muscle, and skin will be removed from one eye, it is better to perform this surgery on both eyes. This will help the eyes look more alike after surgery.
Do I need upper eyelid surgery or a brow lift?
It’s not uncommon for a patient to express dissatisfaction regarding the appearance of their upper eyelids, only to find out that what they really would benefit from is an eyebrow lift. Eyebrow lifts tend to be recommended when the patient’s eyebrows have slowly lowered over time, which causes crowding over the eyes. In many patients who need eyebrow lifts, the eyelids do not need to be altered.
Will I look very different after upper eyelid surgery?
Especially when the aging process causes the eyelids to droop, the eyelids can begin to take on their own unique shapes. Upper eyelid surgery aims to not only reduce the excess skin, muscle, and fat on the eyelids — to provide a fresher, more attractive appearance — but it also aims to make both eyelids look more alike.
Will I have scars from upper eyelid blepharoplasty?
Dr. Lahar will use the natural creases and folds within the upper eyelid area to carefully hide his incisions. This should result in hardly-noticeable scarring. Any incision lines that can be detected upon scrutiny will be easy to conceal and will also fade with time.
Contact Us Today to Schedule Your Consultation
Give your eyes a bit of lift and a more youthful appearance overall with eyelid surgery. Blepharoplasty can open up tired, drooping eyes and give your face a fresher appearance that matches what’s on the inside.
Call Lahar Plastic Surgery today to schedule your upper eyelid blepharoplasty consultation.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/blepharoplasty/about/pac-20385174
https://www.healthline.com/health/blepharoplasty
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/eyelid-surgery/candidates
