Blepharoplasty or Eyelid Rejuvenation surgery is a procedure that helps to remove excess eyelid skin. It helps your eyes look more younger, fresher and healthier. Sometimes it can also help improve your vision by correcting droopy eye lids which obstruct the visual field.
Why do a blepharoplasty?
- Have tired looking eyes with drooping eyelids
- Have excess skin in your upper eye lids leading to hooding
- Have dark circles under the eyes and/or puffy bags under the eyes
- Have deep tear troughs
What it cannot do is:
- Cause blindness
- Change eye colour
Eyes are the most expressive part of the face. Droopy/sagging eyelids give the face a tired and worn-out look. Skin around the eyes is thinnest in the body. Hence is shows signs of ageing early. This can happen as early as early 30’s. This is worsened with lack of sleep due to stress. With time, there is loss of elasticity of skin which leads to hooding of the upper eyelids. In 40s-50s, extra skin folds accumulate around your eyes, making you appear more tired. This situation further worsens when a heavy groove begins to form between the under eye and the cheek, known as a “Tear Trough”.
A cosmetic correction at any stage can give you a younger, fresher look. Other factors accelerating the ageing of periorbital region are: excessive exposure to the sun, malnutrition or lack of health, diseases, too much alcohol or tobacco, use of drugs, hormonal imbalance, etc.
The Procedure
This surgery can be done under local or general anaesthesia. It can be a part of other surgeries as well, which will entail a general anaesthesia anyway.
Blepharoplasty can be performed on upper, lower, or both eyelids at the same time. Precise markings are done and incisions are made in the natural creases of the eyelid. This ensures they are virtually unnoticeable after they have healed. Then, excess fat pockets are removed. Fine suturing is done to close the incision. The lower lid scars are either hidden inside the eyelids or camouflaged along a skin crease under the lower lash line.
Post Operation Care
The eyelids are sutured with very fine sutures, which are removed within a week.
The immediate, inevitable effect of this surgery are: bruising and swelling of both eyelids which closes the eyes and makes it difficult for them to open. As the swelling settles, normal palpebral function resumes. Applying cold compresses on eyelids after surgery for the first 48 hours helps reduce the swelling. Soothing eye drops are prescribed. All feelings of discomfort disappear within a week.
