As we age, our skin loses its elasticity, valuable fat and the muscles can begin to weaken and sag. All of these things work together to create an appearance that can look aged, sad or tired. Many people, men and women alike, have undergone blepharoplasty, or an eyelid Lift, to improve the appearance of their eyelids to create a more energetic and youthful look.
Lets take a look at some of the common issues eyelid surgery addresses:
Ideal candidates for eyelid surgery are in good physical health with no life-threatening illness, medical conditions or eye diseases. They should be non-smokers and have positive, realistic expectations for the outcome.
Lets take a look at the procedure itself:
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks. It is important to know these risks and discuss them as well as any questions or concerns you may have with your Plastic Surgeon. Following the procedure, you will have certain restrictions to adhere to as you heal. If you experience any chest pain or shortness of breath, you would seek medical attention right away.
What is a blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty or cosmetic eyelid surgery is designed to give a more youthful appearance to the eye area by removing excess sagging skin, muscle and fat pouches (bags) from the upper and lower eyelids. The smoother, tighter skin creates a brighter, more energetic look. Blepharoplasty is one of the top 5 requested cosmetic surgeries each year in the United States due to the short operative time, quick recovery and its remarkable ability to rejuvenate the eyes. Some patients may choose combining a facelift or brow lift with their blepharoplasty to maximize their facial rejuvenation.Dr. Darrow can guide you in choosing the best treatment for you, to meet your cosmetic surgery goals. View before and after photos of Dr. Darrows Boston area patients who have chosen Dr. Darrows expertise in blepharoplasty in our photo gallery.
How long does a blepharoplasty take to perform?
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty can be performed in approximately 1 hour. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty takes approximately 1 hours.
How do you prepare for a blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is usually performed on an outpatient basis at Dr. Darrows private surgery center, The Boston Center, or a hospital. Rarely does this procedure require an overnight stay. Detailed pre operative instructions will be given to provide guidelines on how best to prepare yourself for the surgery, including eating, washing your skin, medications to avoid and time to arrive for surgery and that arrangements should be made to have someone bring you home and help you out for a few days if needed. Following Dr. Darrows instructions helps your surgery and recovery go smoothly.
How do you perform a Blepharoplasty?
Upper blepharoplasty can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation, or general anesthesia, depending on the patients wishes. Lower blepharoplasty can be performed under local anesthesia and sedation if only skin is to be removed (known as a Pinch Blepharoplasty), but if removal of fat pockets is required general anesthesia maximizes the patients comfort. Prior to the procedure, exact markings are made on the eyelids outlining the tissues to be removed. For upper eyelids, the incisions are hidden in the natural crease of the upper eyelids. For lower eyelids, the incision is hidden just under the eyelashes or on the inside of the lower lid. Once the excess tissues have been removed, the incisions are closed with all sutures hidden under the skin.
Who is a good candidate for a blepharoplasty?
Patients between the ages of 40 75, who are healthy and non-smokers are the best candidates for cosmetic blepharoplasty. The skin should have good elasticity and the muscles good tone. Patients with loose, excess skin of upper and lower eyelids and fat pockets of upper and lower eyelids will see the most marked improvement of their eyes appearance. Your consultation will allow Dr. Darrow to carefully examine you and select the best approach to rejuvenating your eyes based on your personal factors.
What are realistic expectations for a patient having a blepharoplasty?
Excess and sagging tissues, and skin folds of both upper and lower eyelids will be improved and fat pockets removed, resulting in a rested more alert look of the eyes. The incision lines will be well camouflaged in the natural creases of the upper eyelid and beneath the lashes of the lower eyelid. The smoothing and tightening of the eyelid skin restores youthful contours to the area with the results being very long lasting. Dr. Darrows cosmetic eyelid patients are uniformly pleased with their new refreshed look, stating they look more alert and less tired.
What are the common reasons a patient wants a blepharoplasty?
Appearing tired all the time, looking sleepy and feeling that their eye appearance ages them, are common reasons patients seek a cosmetic blepharoplasty with Dr. Darrow in Boston.
How long does it take to recover from a blepharoplasty?
Once Dr. Darrow completes your eyelid surgery, you will be asked to rest with your head up and cool compresses applied to your eyelids to minimize bruising and swelling. Following Dr. Darrows post operative instruction sheet will make your recovery go smoothly. Cool compresses and minimal activity should be followed for the first week as much as possible. Dr. Darrow will see you in follow up in approximately 1 week to check your progress. Most patients can start light activity after one week, return to work at 10 days and resume full activity at 2 weeks if cleared by Dr. Darrow.
What to do next.
To schedule a consultation to learn more about cosmetic blepharoplasty with board certified Boston plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Darrow, call the offices of Darrow Cosmetic Surgery at 617-267-0710 and ask for Helen or e-mail Helen at bostoncenter.helenv@gmail.com.
Blepharoplasty Questions answered by Jeffrey Darrow
Originally posted here:
Eyelid Surgery Boston, Blepharoplasty Massachusetts
