Eyelid Surgery

Sometimes even after a great night's sleep, it can be hard to feel alive and vibrant when your eyes droop and you look tired. The loose skin over your eyes and the fat bags under them make you look more tired and older than you feel inside. Each year thousands of men and women choose eyelid surgery to help restore a more energetic and youthful appearance.

Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, can correct sagging eyelids, remove fatty pouches beneath the eyes, and remove excess skin from the upper eyelids. Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures, such as a facelift or a brow lift.

What will happen during the eyelid surgery consulation?
How does blepharoplasty work?
What about recovery?
What results can I expect?

Eyelid Surgery Before and After Photos

What will happen during the eyelid surgery consulation?

During your initial cosmetic consultation, Dr. Nikko will discuss your particular condition, your expectations and the probable outcome of treatment. You will be shown several before and after treatment photographs of patients having similar conditions, and you will receive an explanation of your treatment. Before and after photos may be taken of your eyes to document your results.

How does blepharoplasty work?

Blepharoplasty is generally performed under local anesthesia, but can be performed under general anesthesia. Dr. Nikko places fine incisions in the crease above each eye to correct problems of the upper eyelids. Then a thin crescent of excess skin and muscle is removed. The incisions are closed with very fine sutures.
To remove the fatty deposits beneath the eyes, the incisions are placed just inside the lower eyelid. After the fat is removed, the incisions may be closed with absorbable sutures or may be left to heal naturally.
When excess skin and muscle need to be removed from the lower lids, the incisions are placed in the natural smile crease below the lashline. The procedure can last one to two hours, depending on the extent of the surgery.

What about recovery?

When the procedure is performed alone (not with a facelift), it is generally done under local anesthesia. The eye area is bruised and swollen for about two weeks. Patients should keep their heads up and place cold compresses on their eyes periodically. Antibiotic eye drops are generally prescribed for several days.
Patients can't wear contact lenses for about two weeks, since the eyelids may be stiff and sore. Make-up may be worn after about 10 days. The resulting hairline scars which follow the natural contour of the eyelids tend to fade in about two months.

What results can I expect?

After cosmetic surgery, patients have a softer, more youthful look to their faces. Many seem to have a new spring in their step after facing their fresher reflections in the mirror.