Why Eyelid Lifts are a Must-Have

Why Eyelid Lifts are a Must-Have | RefinedMD, Los Gatos

Why Eyelid Lifts are a Must-Have

‘Tis the season for facial plastic surgery. If you are considering cosmetic surgery on the face, it’s understandable that you want some downtime to recover—and the holidays are an ideal time for many. You can spend your days off healing without anybody being the wiser, but many people cannot take several weeks off for more invasive procedures. That’s why eyelid lifts are perfect for this time of year. You will look like the best version of yourself after just 1 – 2 weeks. Thanks to the fantastic blood supply around the eyelids, this surgery heals hyper-fast with swelling, bruising, redness, and stitches gone within just a few days after the surgery.

There are two types of eyelid lifts, upper and lower. Also known as blepharoplasty, eyelid lifts can quickly and dramatically turn back the clock while addressing various issues. An upper eyelid lift fixes sagging of the upper eyelid. This condition is known as ptosis and can be caused by skin laxity due to lost collagen or trauma, the wearing down of the levator muscle, or both. Typically, eyelids do not droop symmetrically, which makes the aesthetic of ptosis even worse. An upper eyelid lift not only makes you look younger and more symmetrical, but also healthier and less tired.

What to Know About Upper Eyelid Lifts

An upper eyelid lift requires a tiny incision in the natural upper crease of the eyelid. This allows for easy camouflage. A very small amount of tissue is removed in order to perk up the eyes. If you look at photos of yourself as a teenager compared to now, you will see just how severe your ptosis may be. Everyone is going to experience upper eyelid sagging, but an upper blepharoplasty is a quick fix. Surgical time for both kinds of lifts is less than one hour.

Just like any surgery, there will be sutures afterward as well as redness, swelling, and bruising. It is the stitches that most people want to hide the most, but those are usually removed after about five days. For those who must make an “appearance” in the 1 – 2 weeks after surgery, sunglasses are the go-to option. However, it is important to rest the eyes after eyelid surgery. Take this recovery period for yourself to heal and get the best possible results.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

Many people benefit from getting both an upper and lower blepharoplasty at the same time because these surgeries address completely different issues. A lower blepharoplasty can correct lower eyelid sagging, wrinkles, bags, and even undereye circles in many cases. The cause of your lower eyelid issues might be increased skin laxity, uneven fat pockets, or both. If the issue is unwanted fat in this area, removing the fat pad or minimizing it might be the answer rather than skin removal. When this is the case, an incision is made inside the eyelid so it will never be seen. However, if you also have skin laxity, you will need to have some skin trimmed.

Lower blepharoplasty usually requires an incision along the lower lashline. In some cases, but not all, the lower lashes might fall out during this procedure. If this happens, don’t worry. The lashes will grow back and it is not very noticeable if they do fall out. The incision here is very easy to hide. Just like with upper eyelid surgery, bruising, swelling, and visible stitches will be there for the first few days. Sometimes, stitches will need to be lifted and taped to the upper eyelid area to encourage proper healing and placement. These will be removed after about five days.

Combining Treatments

Pairing and upper and eyelid blepharoplasty is just one very common combination treatment. Many patients also get a facelift along with these procedures and/or non-surgical treatments like Botox and fillers. In fact, filling the lower eyelid area with a dermal filler like a Juvederm product is very common. Dark undereye circles can be caused by various factors. For instance, the circle might actually be a shadow from a fat pad and loose skin. Other times, it might be blood visible below the skin due to a lack of padding here—and in these cases, dermal fillers can do the trick. To find out more about eyelid surgery and other options at RefinedMD, schedule a consultation by calling the office or filling out the online contact form.