Your eyes are one of the most prominent features on your face. This became even more apparent when we went through a few years of wearing face masks, where people’s eyes became how we identified one another. Your eyes are beautiful and vital to the way you navigate the world.
When you grow older, the area around your eyes will age, as loose skin can cause droopiness. Sagging skin around your eyes can damage your confidence and self-image and impair your vision. There is a procedure that will allow you to fix this damage, restore your vision, and rebuild your self-confidence by helping you look like you once more. This procedure is called blepharoplasty.
You can have confidence in a more youthful appearance again when people look you in the eyes, and your eyes do not appear droopy. Call for a consultation with the Virginia Beach plastic surgery professionals at Virginia Surgical Arts today.
What Is Blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure designed to eliminate puffiness or droopy skin in the eye area. When people age, excess skin under the eyes can result in puffy bags underneath the lower eyelids, sagging in the upper eyelids, excess skin that creates eyelid folds, and even impaired vision due to these eyelid skin issues.
This surgery is done right in the office as an outpatient procedure, which means you will not have a hospital stay and can undergo the healing process in the comfort of your own home.
It is done under general anesthesia or under IV sedation combined with a local anesthetic, so you should have someone with you to drive you home. During the procedure, the doctor will remove excess fat and skin from your upper and lower eyelids and can even make slight aesthetic changes to reshape your eyelids.
The removal of fatty deposits can get rid of dark circles and puffiness under your eyes, restore lost vision from your excess skin, and make you look younger than ever. It is a safe, outpatient form of eyelid lift plastic surgery that will leave you looking better with a vastly improved self-image that can remove years from your appearance.
Are you interested in more information about blepharoplasty in Virginia Beach? Contact the team at Virginia Surgical Arts using our online contact form or by calling us at 757-430-7690 today to set up a consultation.
What Is the Best Age to Have Blepharoplasty?
Droopy eyelids or heavy bags under the eyes are natural occurrences as people age, but just because they are normal does not mean you should accept them, nor does it mean that they cannot create physiological problems. In some cases, drooping eyelids can impair vision. Whether for cosmetic reasons or you need help restoring vision, a blepharoplasty may be the answer you seek.
Starting in middle age, patients with heavy bags under their eyes, ptosis, drooping, or folds in their eyelids may be candidates for blepharoplasty eyelid surgery. To be a good candidate, you must have healthy facial muscles and should be a nonsmoker. Good candidates are also mentally stable and have realistic expectations of the results. Ideally, people 40 years old and older are the ideal candidates for eyelid surgery.
Certain health conditions can create complications with eyelid surgery. These include thyroid issues, dry eyes or a lack of tear production, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or other circulation issues, diabetes, glaucoma, or a detached retina.
If you have any of these conditions, you should speak with your plastic or cosmetic surgeon before having these cosmetic surgery procedures performed.
How Is Eyelid Surgery Performed?
The techniques for this form of cosmetic surgery vary, but in general, the cosmetic surgeon will make incisions in the natural crease of the eyelid, or in the case of the lower eyelids, inside the eyelid.
Excess tissue is then removed. The precise technique can vary with individual patients and will depend on the amount and location of the tissue that must be removed.
The procedural steps for blepharoplasty include:
- The doctor applies anesthesia to keep you comfortable and relaxed. The anesthesia can range from a local anesthetic to twilight sedation to a general anesthetic. Your doctor will discuss the best option for you at your consultation.
- Your cosmetic surgeon makes small incisions designed to conceal any scars in the natural folds of the eyelid.
- After making the incisions, the surgeon removes any excess tissue, then smooths and contours the shape of your eyelid.
- The doctor closes the incisions, and you awaken.
- The healing process takes several weeks to complete.
- You get to enjoy your brand-new, youthful appearance.
Upper Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty of the upper eyelids removes excess skin, fat, and muscle that accumulate with age to hide the eyelid’s natural crease. These deposits cause the drooping of the upper lids, called ptosis.
When the procedure is complete, you will experience a smoother look to your upper eyelid with a more well-defined crease.
Depending on the individual patient, an upper blepharoplasty can be performed with a wide range of anesthesia techniques, from a local anesthetic to full sedation.
In this procedure, incisions are made in the crease to hide the surgical scar, which will become almost invisible over time. Recovery time is quick, with minimal discomfort, and pain relievers are only necessary for a few days.
Lower Blepharoplasty
When the supporting layers of the lower eyelids loosen, which causes the lower lid to bulge out, patients develop what are popularly called “bags” under the eyes. In this case, the doctor performs lower eyelid surgery.
Some types of lower eyelid surgery use a conjunctival approach known as transconjunctival blepharoplasty. Another type of lower lid surgery is transcutaneous blepharoplasty.
In transconjunctival surgery, the doctor makes the incision behind the lower eyelid. This location reduces the risk of significantly changing the eyelid contour after surgery and allows for the preservation of eyelid fat that can be moved into the hollow under the eyes to further smooth out the appearance.
This fills out the tear trough and smooths over the bags. Another option to fill out the tear troughs is to use filler agents, though they are best for those with minimal bags. If fillers can be used, the results often last for years.
In transcutaneous surgery, incisions are just beneath the lower lash line. This form of surgery allows for the removal of excess skin.
The type of lower blepharoplasty you need depends on your specific issues, and your healthcare providers will give you a range of options. Then, they will help you choose the best one for you.
Are There Any Risks to Having Blepharoplasty?
There are potential risks to any form of surgery, and blepharoplasty is no different. Some of the most common side effects of an eyelid lift include temporary vision blurriness, swelling, scarring at the surgical site, and acne following the removal of the sutures. You may also experience tightness and sensitivity to light.
Other complications may include problems closing your eyes when you sleep. In rare occasions, this condition may persist, resulting in dry eyes. You may also experience a slight asymmetry in your face while healing.
More serious and rare complications include ectropion, where the lower eyelid sags or rolls away from the eye; hematoma, which puts enough pressure on the eye to result in permanent vision loss, persistent numbness or pain; and permanent scarring. These side effects are rare, and your surgeon will be glad to talk to you about the potential risks before you undergo the procedure.
Steps to Follow After the Eyelid Surgery Procedure
For our Virginia Beach patients, the recovery time from blepharoplasty is generally one to two weeks, after which they can resume work and most normal activities. Most patients may also resume wearing eye makeup and contact lenses after the first week of recovery. After four to five weeks, you can return to strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, and a normal lifestyle.
Bruising after the procedure may take several weeks to go away. Your plastic surgeon may prescribe pain medication for a few days or cold compresses to reduce swelling.
What To Do
Always listen to your doctor after your surgery. Use cold compresses and other techniques advised by your plastic surgeon to reduce swelling and aid the healing process. In the first week or two, stay home and relax as much as possible.
Your body needs time to heal. If you are concerned that you are taking too long to get there, or you experience any of the side effects listed above, please contact your plastic surgeon to discuss the issue and address potential complications.
What Not To Do
Do not try to rush your recovery. The healing process is different for everyone. Avoid wearing eye makeup or contact lenses for at least a week, according to your doctor’s orders.
Do not try to resume normal activities or go back to work for one to two weeks, based on your doctor’s recommendations.
Avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for at least four to five weeks, as directed by the surgeon. This sort of strain puts pressure on your head and face and can damage the results of your surgery. Do not rub or pick at your eyes.
Doing so can harm the skin, cause further damage to your vision, and even result in permanent scarring if you pull at the sutures before they are ready to come out.
Consult With Virginia Surgical Arts for Your Blepharoplasty
Thousands of people have undergone blepharoplasty in Virginia Beach to help them look and feel their best. If you look in the mirror and your drooping or puffy eyelids make you wish you had a better self-image or felt younger, you are not alone.
At Virginia Surgical Arts, Dr. Sergio Vendetti, MD, DMD, and his team can correct this problem, remove fatty pouches, tighten and remove loose or excess skin, and generally restore a more youthful, vibrant appearance.
The technique used will be tailored to your specific needs, so the results will be individual, giving you a look that removes years from your face.
Board-certified maxillofacial and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Vendetti and his team have decades of combined experience, training, skills, and knowledge in helping people like you every day.
Our cosmetic surgery facility in Virginia Beach is modern, welcoming, and comfortable, with a focus on accessibility for all. We offer the latest in state-of-the-art technology and work with a patient-first philosophy to ensure that all those who come through our doors receive the personalized, dedicated care they need.
When you visit our center, from your initial consultation through to your final results, you will be treated like a human being by compassionate medical professionals. Our only goal is to give you back the look and feel of youthfulness so that you can feel like you once again.
Ready for a New Look?
Virginia Surgical Arts can perform a wide range of cosmetic and facial cosmetic surgery procedures and other rejuvenation techniques to make you look and feel younger and more confident, from brow lifts to facelifts, injectables, and many other options. From fillers to hollowing, we are ready to provide the look of your dreams.
We are conveniently located in the Virginia Beach area, serving patients from Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, and other Hampton Roads cities.
If you are interested in more information about whether a blepharoplasty is right for you, we are ready to talk. Contact Virginia Surgical Arts at 757-430-7690 or use our contact form to schedule your consultation with a member of Dr. Vendetti’s team today.
