The face gets life in large part from the eyes. It is the eyes that express our feelings, sometimes even when we wish they would not. When we think about aging eyes, we may assume that loose or sagging eyelid tissue may cause us to look, well, older. In truth, because the eyes are expressive, changes in eyelid tissue can make us look angry, unwell, even unapproachable. Cosmetic eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a common procedure that is performed to address aging eyelid tissue. Here, we discuss a few details to help you determine if now is the right time for you to seek eyelid rejuvenation.
Candidates for Blepharoplasty
We cannot say that there is a perfect age for cosmetic eyelid rejuvenation. Some people undergo blepharoplasty as early as their thirties. This is often to change that natural eyelid anatomy, though. Most eyelid rejuvenation patients are in the 40 to 70 age range. Younger patients often request eyelid surgery alone, whereas older patients often combine blepharoplasty with a brow lift or facelift. The benefits of blepharoplasty are appreciable when the upper or lower eyelids have become loose, puffy, or saggy enough to make the investment into surgery worth the correction that can be achieved.
Blepharoplasty Surgery Scars
To reposition and trim tissue as needed, a surgeon makes incisions in the crease of the upper eyelid. Lower blepharoplasty is performed through incisions just inside the lower eyelid. There is always a scar after incisions are made in the skin. Blepharoplasty is no exception. The good news is that the skin on the eyelids heals quite well and resulting scars are typically not visible. The delicate, thin nature of the eyelids is part of the reason scarring is so minimal after blepharoplasty. For someone to notice blepharoplasty scars, they would have to be looking for them on closed eyelids from a very close distance.
Should a Brow Lift be Considered?
Blepharoplasty and brow lift surgery can be complementary in some cases. In others, a patient may achieve better results with a brow lift instead of blepharoplasty. An experienced plastic surgeon observes the hooding on the upper eyelid as an indication of the need for brow lift surgery. This technique, which lifts the tissue and skin from the eyebrows upward, may be needed when the upper eyelid is hooded to a point at which a deep crease has formed at the outer edge of the eye. Blepharoplasty lifts only the eyelid itself so could not correct deep crow’s feet. Botox or dermal fillers can help this area but require continued treatment to do so.
Blepharoplasty offers permanent improvement in the appearance of the eyes. To learn more about this procedure, call our Austin office at (512) 450-1077.
