Eyelids drastically affect your face, making you look younger and alert or older and tired. Like the skin in other body parts, your eyelids droop and sag as you age, causing you to look rundown. Besides affecting your appearance, severe sagging skin around the eyes can affect your side vision, mainly the upper and outer parts of the visual field. Blepharoplasty or eyelid lift Downingtown can reduce or eliminate these vision problems and improve your appearance. If you are considering eyelid lift surgery, here are three things you need to know before surgery.
Possible side effects
Possible complications and side effects accompany any surgical procedure, blepharoplasty being no exception. It is imperative for patients who are considering eyelid surgery to understand that they may experience general surgical complications, including bleeding, pain, infection, blood clots, and adverse reaction to anesthesia. Although rare, there are some risks associated explicitly with eyelid surgery. They include irritated or dry eyes, noticeable scarring, skin discoloration, injury to eye muscles, and the need for follow-up surgery.
Details of the procedure
There are three different types of eye eyelid surgery; the one your surgeon uses depends on the shape of your eyes and other health conditions. Your specialist will recommend one of these three types of eyelid surgery.
- Upper eyelid surgery. As the name suggests, upper eyelid surgery focuses on the upper eyelid. It is mainly used to improve vision loss and the appearance of the eye associated with genetics or aging. Surgery aims to restore function and provide a more rounded, open appearance. For this surgical procedure, the surgeon cuts along the fold of your upper eyelid, removes excess skin, muscle, and fat, and then closes the cut.
- Lower eyelid surgery. Your surgeon may recommend this type of surgery if you have baggy eyes. The procedure is based on the lower eyelids and eyes and focuses on removing skin wrinkles and improving appearance. For this surgical procedure, your specialist makes an incision below your lashes in your eye’s natural crease. The surgeon removes or redistributes fats, muscles, and sagging skin and closes the cut.
- Double eyelid surgery. Your surgeon may combine eyelid surgery with a procedure called ptosis if your upper eyelid droops to your pupil. Ptosis is designed to lift your upper eyelid, creating a wider, larger-looking eye.
Potential downtime
After eyelid surgery, you can go home on the same day of the procedure, but you will need some time to heal. Therefore, if you are thinking about another facial surgery, ask your surgeons about combing the two procedures so that you heal once. Immediately after the procedure, you may feel pain or discomfort around your eyes as the anesthesia wears off. Your eyes will also be swollen and bruised, similar to having black eyes. Other temporary side effects after blepharoplasty include blurred vision, watering eyes, light sensitivity, double vision, and puffy or numb eyelids. Unless your surgeon instructs otherwise, you can:
- Apply ice packs to lessen swelling
- Wear dark sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and wind
- Use prescribed eye drops or ointment
- Elevate your head higher than your chest when sleeping
For further questions about eyelid lift surgery, consult your surgeon at MELORA Health & Enhancement in Downingtown.
