Is Eyelid Surgery Right for Me?
Do you have extra skin around your eyes? If left untreated, baggy skin under eyelids or excess skin from your upper eyelids can impact your appearance and cause additional side effects like vision impairment.
While having excess eyelid skin can negatively affect your self-confidence or quality of life, eyelid surgery can improve your appearance and reduce or eliminate symptoms. Keep reading to learn more about whether eyelid surgery is right for you.
What is Eyelid Surgery?
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, removes extra skin from your upper or lower eyelids. As you age, your skin will lose elasticity over time as your eyelids stretch and muscles weaken
This can cause your skin to sag, which can result in visual impairment and aesthetic concerns. Eyelid surgery removes extra skin, muscle, and fatty tissue to improve the appearance of your eyes and ensures sagging skin doesn’t block your eyesight.
While blepharoplasty is primarily a cosmetic procedure, it can have additional benefits for some patients, especially those with related vision issues.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Eyelid Surgery?
While a consultation with your eye doctor at Complete EyeCare West is the best way to know if you’re a good candidate for eyelid surgery, you’ll generally need to meet the following guidelines:
- Be at least 30 years old
- Have generally healthy eyes
- Be in overall good health
- Have realistic expectations for the result
If you have conditions like glaucoma, thyroid disorders, high blood pressure, or diabetes, you may not be a good candidate for blepharoplasty. At your consultation, your eye doctor may also perform a comprehensive eye exam with various tests to ensure the procedure is right for you.
What to Expect During Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgery differs depending on whether you need an upper or lower blepharoplasty. However, the general steps are as follows:
Preparing for the Procedure
Before the day of your appointment, your eye doctor may ask you to take specific measures to prepare, including:
- Quitting smoking
- Getting labs or medical evaluations to ensure you are healthy enough to undergo the procedure
- Adjust the medications you are taking
- Stop taking multivitamins, herbal supplements, aspirin, and NSAIDs that can increase your risk of post-operative bleeding
On the day of your procedure, you will need someone to drive you to the appointment. They should also drive you home and stay with you for the first night while you recover.
Your ophthalmologist will begin by giving you anesthesia to ensure you are comfortable during the treatment. You may receive local anesthesia or other sedation methods, depending on your individual needs.
Removing the Excess Tissue
For upper blepharoplasty, your eye doctor will make incisions on the natural crease of the upper eyelid. They will then remove or rearrange the skin and tissue
For lower blepharoplasty, your eye doctor will make the incision below your lower lash line and remove or rearrange the tissue. After achieving the desired results, your eye doctor will stitch up the area if needed, although lower eyelid surgery usually doesn’t require them.
Recovering from Blepharoplasty
Your eye surgeon will monitor you to ensure you are safe to head home and provide you with detailed care instructions. You may notice some swelling or bruising after blepharoplasty, but this is normal and will go away within a couple of weeks for most patients.
You’ll want to take it easy and stay home from work or school. It’s also important to rest and limit physical activities for at least a few days, but it may take a few months for complete healing.
You can also follow a few tips to ensure a smooth healing process, such as:
- Using cold compresses to lessen swelling
- Applying antibiotic ointment
- Taking medications as prescribed by your eye doctor
- Sleeping with your head above your chest or propped up with extra pillows
- Wearing UV-protective sunglasses when going outside
- Not rubbing your eyes
- Not wearing contact lenses for at least two weeks
- Calling your eye doctor if you experience severe pain or sudden bleeding
Is Eyelid Surgery Painful?
While the idea of any procedure can be nerve-wracking, the good news is blepharoplasty is one of the least painful cosmetic surgeries. While you may have a bit of discomfort when recovering on the day of your procedure, most patients report little to no pain during their appointment.
If you have any concerns about your comfort or pain during the procedure or recovery, you can bring them up during your consultation before undergoing blepharoplasty.
Request a Consultation Today!
Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and stop drooping and sagging eyelids from impairing your vision. By scheduling a consultation with your eye doctor at Complete EyeCare West, you can find out whether the procedure is right for you.
Do you want to learn more about blepharoplasty? Schedule an appointment at Complete EyeCare West in Columbus, Ohio, today!
