Eyelid Cosmetic Surgery

Beauty is in the Eyes!

Eyelid cosmetic surgeries to fix those "bags" under the eyes

*originally posted in
Long Island Press

The eyes are your most expressive facial feature, especially for a woman, whose eyes are her best beauty asset. They express moods and emotions. The simplest and the most dramatic way to enhance your appearance is to play up your eyes with makeup. Too much strain on your eyes (or sickness) takes away some of the beauty and brightness of your eyes.

The eyelids are also often the most telling sign of a person's age. As we get older, we begin to develop droopy eyelids and/or puffy "bags" under the eyes. This process starts in the 30s and 40s and progresses more than most of us would like, as over the years the eyelid skin thins, loses tone and becomes more susceptible to gravity. The fat pockets gradually herniate forward, which can cause bags in both the upper and lower eyelid. All told, as you age, your eyes look more baggy and tired.

Eyelid surgery helps you look well-rested, alert and more youthful. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is a cosmetic procedure to remove the fat and extra skin from your upper and lower eyelids. Blepharoplasty usually takes one to two hours, depending on the extent of the surgery.

In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids; in the creases of your upper lids and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may extend into the crow's feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, the surgeon separates the skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscle, removes excess fat and often trims sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.

If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids, but don't need to have any skin removed; your surgeon may perform a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. It is usually performed on younger patients with thicker, more elastic skin.

Your eyelids may feel tight and sore as the anesthesia wears off, but you can control any discomfort with the pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. Most people feel ready to go out in public (and back to work) in a week to 10 days. By then, depending on your rate of healing and your doctor's instructions, you'll probably be able to wear makeup to hide the bruising that remains. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind and other irritants for several weeks, so you should wear sunglasses and a special sunblock made for eyelids when you go out.

If the eyes are the window to your soul, then why not let yours shine brightly?

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