The eyes are one of our most striking facial features but as we age, our skin slowly loses its elasticity causing the tissue of the brow, lower and upper eyelids to sag. This can cause both functional and aesthetic concerns.
In the upper lids excess skin can interfere with sight, impairs vision and an upper lid blepharoplasty may offer a functional improvement. Removal of excess skin and fat can reduce the heaviness, create a more aesthetic lid crease and also provide an aesthetic improvement. Upper blepharoplasty is a common procedure where the skin of the upper eye is removed, placing the scar in a natural crease line. It is one of the commonest aesthetic procedures and results in minimal downtime with minimal risks and complications. It is often performed under local anesthetic. Sometimes small amounts of fat need to removed and occasionally fat needs to be added in the form of autologous fat transfer. It can also be performed alongside a brow lift, lower lid blepharoplasty and face-lifting surgery.
In the lower lids the fat that sits next to the lining of the eyeball often moves forward as the muscle and the septum, a thin membrane that separates the fat and the muscle, weaken with age. This septum is fixed to the bone of the orbital rim and as the upper facial structures drop the orbital rim can become more visible and often leads to a groove that is often referred to as the tear trough. Lower lid surgery can be performed through an incision inside the eye or through an incision on the skin. Sometimes small amounts of fat need to removed and occasionally fat needs to be added in the form of autologous fat transfer. More commonly the fat that was moved forward can be repositioned to disguise the groove or tear trough.
For patients in whom the midface has dropped and there is excess skin around the lower lids a lower lid blepharoplasty through a skin incision can be combined with a mid face lift. The mid-facelift in combination with lower lid blepharoplasty can tighten the sagging lower eyelid and the mid-face through a lower blepharoplasty incision with a net effect that the existing tissues are simply repositioned into a higher position. This can be performed with a facelift and in Mr. Ross’s practice is performed under general anesthetic.
It is important for all patient undergoing blepharoplasty procedures that you are a suitable candidate and it is important to consult with an experienced clinician regarding your aims and expectations. It is important to discuss any previous eye, eyelid / facial surgery or non-surgical treatments, any eye problems, past medical and surgical history, allergies, medications and whether you smoke.
There are risks and complications and although these are rare if they happen to you they can be devastating. Take your time to do your research and do not rush into surgery. Mr. Ross only operates on around 30-40% of patients he consults with and will be able to give an honest opinion regarding the pros and cons of eyelid rejuvenation surgery.
