Blepharoplasty

Besides making you appear older, sagging skin on your eyelids can reduce your vision and make you less confident. Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, can fix bags, dark circles, droopy eyelids, and tear trough issues. Kenya Williams, MD, and the team at Suburban Medical Aesthetics use the best surgical techniques to improve the appearance of your eyelids. Call the office in Evanston, Illinois, or request an appointment online today.

What is blepharoplasty?

A blepharoplasty, commonly known as eyelid surgery or eyelid lift, is a procedure to remove excess skin from the eyelids and rearrange or add fat in the area below the eye. There are two types of blepharoplasty: upper and lower. Upper focuses on the upper eyelid, while lower focuses on the area below the eye.

Suburban Medical Aesthetics also offers double eyelid surgery to alter the shape of your eyelids. 

Why is a blepharoplasty done?

Sagging skin around the eyes makes you appear older. A major upper eyelid droop can even impair your peripheral vision. Blepharoplasty restores your full peripheral vision and gives your eyes a more youthful appearance.

Blepharoplasty may be right for you if you have:

• Sagging upper eyelids
• Bags under your eyes
• Puffiness around the eyes
• Extra skin that hinders your peripheral vision
• Extra skin on the lower eyelids

If your upper eyelids are severely drooping and hindering your vision, insurance may cover your blepharoplasty.

What happens before my blepharoplasty?

During your eyelid surgery consultation, your Suburban Medical Aesthetics provider reviews your family history and health history, takes photographs of your eyes at various angles, and discusses what you would like your eyes to look like to determine the proper course of treatment. 

Once you have decided upon a blepharoplasty, your provider explains how the procedure works and what you can expect afterward. Then, your provider performs a thorough examination of your eyes and a vision test, including peripheral vision.

What happens during my blepharoplasty procedure?

During an upper blepharoplasty, your Suburban Medical Aesthetics provider makes an incision in the middle of the eyelid to allow for the removal of skin and fat. Then, they use fine sutures to bring the eyelid together and create a new upper eyelid crease. 

Lower blepharoplasty requires an incision below the lash line or an incision on the inside of the eyelid. Using this approach, your provider can remove or add fat to the area below the eye.

In either case, Suburban Medical Aesthetics usually does the procedure under conscious sedation unless you prefer general anesthesia.

What is the recovery like from eyelid surgery?

Eyelid surgery requires minimal downtime. You will likely experience some swelling and bruising after the procedure, which usually diminishes within a couple of days to a couple of weeks. During the first week after surgery, you should avoid any activities that may dry up the eyes, like reading or wearing contacts.

Your Suburban Medical Aesthetics provider removes the stitches between five and seven days after your procedure, depending upon your healing process. You may feel well enough to resume normal activities like shopping or going to the office around three to five days after the procedure.

To learn more about eyelid surgery, call Suburban Medical Aesthetics or request an appointment online today.