What is a blepharoplasty?
When excess eyelid skin hangs over the margin of the eyelid, it may affect your vision.
An upper eyelid blepharoplasty is surgery on the upper eyelid to remove excess skin, muscle or and/or fat. This can be done to improve vision and to improve the cosmetic appearance of the eye.
What are the risks?
Blepharoplasty is one of the safest procedures but every surgery has its risks and these will be explained to you at your consultation.
Dry eye
Most commonly, patients may experience increased dry eye following the procedure. For this reason, it is important to optimize the surface of the eye and treat any underlying dry eye. For more information about our dry eye clinic, click here.
Scarring
The incision for blepharoplasty is in the eyelid crease and for this reason most people are not bothered by the scar. Everyone heals differently and the scar process may take up to a year to fully complete. Keeping the incision well moisturized and out of direct sunlight can help reduce the appearance of the scar.
Swelling and Bruising
You may expect up to 2 weeks of swelling and bruising around the upper and lower eyelids. More mild swelling can be seen up to 2 months following the procedure. Avoiding medication and supplements that increase bleeding can help with bruising if approved by your doctor.
Symmetry
But you shouldn’t expect the surgery to drastically change your look. Many people have eyes that aren’t perfectly aligned or that appear to be different sizes. Asymmetrical features occur during the early stages of development. Blepharoplasty won’t alter your facial structure. It’s important to know your face well before you decide to have surgery. Think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.
Expectations
It is important to have realistic goals and expectations with surgery. Blepharoplasty can improve the appearance of the eyelids by removing excess eyelid skin but you should not expect a drastic change to your natural look.
There are many factors that result in asymmetric features, many of which are caused by the bone structure of the face. Blepharoplasty will not change the structure of your face or correct brow drooping (brow ptosis), or the height of the eyelid margin (ptosis).
