What You Need to Know About Rejuvenating Your Eyelids

Over the years, eyelids can start to sag. Not only can they make a person look older, but they may feel very heavy or start to obstruct your vision.

If you are experiencing droopy lids, you may wonder if blepharoplasty, rejuvenating eyelid surgery, is right for you. Several changes occur in our eyelids as we age.

By your late 30s or early 40s, the thin skin of our eyelids starts to lose its elasticity and begins to stretch, resulting in excess folds of skin that may hang down over the edge of the upper eyelids. You may feel a heaviness in the upper lid or feel the skin sitting on your lashes.

In some cases this skin may start to obscure your peripheral vision. As we get older, the muscles beneath our skin also grow weaker, allowing fat to protrude through and cause bags, particularly in the lower eyelids. Fine wrinkle lines and creases appear in the delicate skin around the lids. The result is a tired, sleepy or sad look.

These changes detract from the natural youthful beauty of the eye area. Aging around the eyes is to a degree determined by heredity. Chances are, if a parent had saggy eyelids, you will, too. Eyelid surgery is the third most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure, and the number of people who undergo blepharoplasty surgery continues to grow each year.

The procedure corrects drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin and muscle. It goes a long way in restoring a youthful appearance with minimal cost, risk and recovery time. Many people who undergo blepharoplasty surgery are so satisfied that they later return to have a face lift and/or neck lift performed.

These conditions are often treatable through blepharoplasty:

• Puffiness in the upper eyelids caused by excess fatty deposits
• Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision
• Excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid
• Bags under the eyes
• Droopiness of the lower eyelids

A physical examination must be conducted to determine what is causing the droopy lid. If it is a downward displacement of the brow, then elevation of the brow can be performed by a brow lift, with or without surgery of the upper lid. You can not assume that all eyelid droop can be corrected by blepharoplasty.

Good candidates for the procedure are adult men and women who have healthy facial tissue and muscles, do not smoke, and have a positive outlook with realistic goals for improvement of the upper and/or lower eyelids.

Blepharoplasty should be performed in an accredited office based surgical facility or a hospital. It is a relatively low-cost procedure and recovery time is short. Under normal conditions, you should be able to return to daily activities within seven to 10 days. Initially, you may experience post eyelid surgery swelling, bruising, irritation or dry eyes and discomfort, which are controlled with medication, cold compresses and ointment.

To ensure you have both proper care and a positive experience, select your plastic surgeon carefully. Choose an experienced Plastic Surgeon who is certified (FRACS - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) and operates in an accredited facility.