04 Sep You Probably Need an Eyelid Lift Before a Facelift—Here’s Why
Ask anyone to name a facial plastic surgery and “facelift” is usually the top pick. It’s also a very popular procedure at RefinedMD, but—contrary to the name—a facelift doesn’t actually lift the entire face. Instead, a full facelift addresses the lower half of the face (sometimes up to the cheeks) as well as the neck. A necklift is naturally included in a full facelift. Today’s facelifts don’t just trim away excess skin, which can lead to the windswept appearance of the 1990s, but also rearranges the tissues below the surface. This allows for a much more natural look that still lasts for years, but it’s not going to do anything to help laxity, sagging, and bags on the upper half of the face.
Where do we first notice signs of aging? Typically, around the eyes. Even people in their late teens might notice that the lines that appear around their eyes when they smile are lingering a little longer than they used to. Children have dynamic wrinkles, which come and go immediately with expressions and muscle movement. As we get older, our wrinkles and lines become static. Since the skin around the eyes is so thin and it’s constantly moving—from talking, laughing, frowning, or anything else—we usually first see fine lines and wrinkles in this area. This is a good thing to some degree. Nobody wants eyes that don’t wrinkle at all. But it can also age you, and that’s where blepharoplasty comes in.
Surprisingly Quick Eyelid Lifts
No serum is going to keep eye wrinkles and bags from forming forever, though hydrating the skin is a must to keep this organ in good condition. An eyelid lift is the quickest, easiest way to drastically minimize lines around the eyes, and it’s a surgery that is fast with a quick recovery period. There are two types of eyelid lifts, also known as blepharoplasty. An upper eyelid lift addresses sagging of the upper eyelid, also known as ptosis. Ptosis can cause asymmetry and make you look older and more tired than you are. This surgery takes less than an hour and calls for tiny incisions that are hidden in the natural upper creases of the eyelid.
A lower eyelid lift tackles completely different issues: sagging and bags below the eyes. It also takes about one hour and an upper and lower bleph are routinely combined. Your surgeon will consider what the issue is with the lower eyelid area. Sometimes the problem is a fat pocket, in which case that extra fat is removed through an incision inside the eyelid (which means it will never been seen). Sometimes the issue is excess, sagging skin in which case excess skin is removed via an incision along the lower lashline. Sometimes lower lashes will fall out right after the surgery, but they will regrow. In many cases, it’s an issue of both fat pockets and extra skin, so a combination approach is used. Given the high vascularity of the eye area, both types of blephs heal very quickly, though there is some initial swelling, redness, and bruising. Most patients feel confident going back into the world after two weeks, and you can always wear sunglasses if you have some tasks to take care of while you’re healing. Using sunglasses to hide healing makes the summer months a great time to schedule an eyelid lift.
Onwards and Upwards
There is also a brow lift, which routinely complements a blepharoplasty and facelift. It’s just what it sounds like and today’s technique employs a series of incisions near the hairline. Brow lifts can remove horizontal creases on the brow while removing excess skin and stopping drooping. Brow lifts are a natural complement to a facelift because it basically extends the lifting effect to the entire face. If you notice a heaviness of the brow or severe ptosis of the upper eyelid, you might be struggling with a “fallen” brow. However, this is something this surgery can fix.
There are also various non-surgical treatments that can complement facial surgery, such as Botox. For example, a brow lift can dramatically reduce horizontal forehead creases, but Botox can keep them from forming and further reduce visibility. Dermal fillers, which can be used below the lower eyelids, can complement a lower bleph if dark circles are also a problem. To find out more about surgical and non-surgical options, schedule a consultation with RefinedMD by calling the office or filling out the online contact form right now.