23 Oct Real Housewife Emily Simpson Opens Up About Upper Blepharoplasty
If you’ve been doing your research, you may know that upper eyelid surgery—also called an upper blepharoplasty—might be what you actually need to get the results you want. Although most people consider a facelift first (and it’s also offered at RefinedMD!) it’s actually around the eyes that you first notice signs of aging. In fact, many younger patients might be better suited for an eyelid lift and/or brow lift rather than a facelift for their first anti-aging facial surgery. An eyelid lift is relatively quick, taking under one hour (or up to two hours if you get both upper and lower eyelid lifts). It also heals much faster compared to a facelift or mini facelift thanks to the small incisions and high vascularity in this region.
Recently, one of the Real Housewives of Orange County, Emily Simpson, shared her upper bleph journey on social media. She’s always been very open about her surgeries and tweakments, previously going on record to discuss getting dental veneers and having fillers dissolved. In August, she took to Instagram to share her eyelid surgery journey with her followers. Simpson said in a Story, “Today I’m having…I don’t know what the technical term is.” She then cut to her surgeon who explained briefly what this surgery entails.
Why Simpson Got a Lift
According to Simpson, she started to notice that when she smiled in photos she couldn’t really see her eyes anymore. The skin surrounding the eyes scrunched up. Her surgeon noted that, “It’s because when you get older, right, the skin up here gets heavier and falls down over your eyes.” This is technically known as ptosis, and it will happen to some to degree to everyone. In severe cases, ptosis can even obscure your vision. However, even when that isn’t the case, it will certainly make you look older. Even worse, ptosis is not symmetric. One eyelid typically sags more than the other.\
Simpson then turned to her surgeon to confirm, “It’s a very minor surgery, right?” The doctor agreed, describing how Simpson would be under local (not general) anesthesia. “It’s gonna take less than an hour,” the doctor said. “It’s about a centimeter of skin that we’re gonna remove.” However, just because it’s a subjectively minor cosmetic surgery and such a tiny amount of skin is being removed, that doesn’t indicate how dramatic the results will be. Eyelid surgery can give very drastic yet natural-looking results. And the healing time? Less than two weeks before most clients feel comfortable going out and about in public. There will still be some swelling at this stage, but it’s pretty minor. Of course, any surgery can take months to “fully” heal.
The Conundrum
Simpson seemed impressed by the two-week turnaround, but pointed out, “I’m having a party in two days. So no big deal.” Right after surgery, she got back on IG. Of course, she was red and swollen but said she could already see a “big difference.” If you’re like Simpson and open about your self-care, then having a party two days after such a surgery isn’t recommended (rest, please!) but not technically impossible.
Simpson remained committed to hosting her party, though she did admit, “I’m gonna be wearing big sunglasses the whole time.” That’s one way to work around cosmetic surgery. Although if she had combined a bleph with a brow lift, which is quite common, she may have wanted to postpone.
Surgery Update
One week after surgery, Simpson returned to IG to share an update. “The swelling is gone and I had the stitches removed yesterday,” she says. There was still “pretty intense” bruising around the eyes, which is common but of course temporary. She also shares that she “bled more than the usual patient” which is the cause of that severe bruising. She already knew this about herself, considering she saw the same surgeon for a mini facelift two years ago, and she was prepared for a little extra downtime for that bruising to heal.
If you’re thinking about a facelift, mini lift, eyelid lift, brow lift, or any combination of these surgeries, it’s critical that you only trust a board-certified surgeon who specializes in these surgeries—and you’ll find that at RefinedMD. To schedule your consultation, contact the office today by giving us a call or completing the online contact form.