Eyelid Surgery

Aging is one of the truths that each of us must face. It is an inescapable reality and a natural process that we undergo as part of our development. While aging is a phenomenon common to all, the difference lies on how people see or deal with it. To some, aging is simply a deceptive image that hides or ironically signals a better transformation taking place inside a person. But to others, aging means the shedding of youthful beauty. It is the gradual process of getting a new and different physical form. In some cases, the changes can trigger fears and anxieties.

The Eyelid Aging Process

Aging is most noticeable on the skin. As a person advances in age, his skin takes a new tone and loses its elasticity, thus forming wrinkles and bulges in some parts of the body. While the aging of the skin is a reality that people learn to accept and deal with through time, the process causes certain discomforts affecting their quality of life. To people who are conscious of their physical appearance, the aging of the skin is a unpleasant reality that must be concealed immediately, if not eliminated. To others, the results of aging simply pose as hindrances in accomplishing certain tasks.

Fortunately, there are now available procedures that can address both issues. Today, one of the most popular solutions to skin aging is eyelid surgery. Otherwise called as blepharoplasty, the procedure is administered to remove or reduce excess skin found at the upper eyelids and to eliminate eye bags.

As stated previously, blepharoplasty can serve for both cosmetic and functional purposes. The surgical procedure is performed in order to reshape both the lower and upper eyelid by removing or repositioning excess tissue, as well as reinforcing surrounding tendons and muscles. Besides enhancing the physical appearance in the eye area, eyelid surgery also improves peripheral vision by removing excess skin that affects activities such as reading and driving.

Blepharoplasty is done by making external incisions along the natural skin lines of the upper and lower eyelids or from the inside surface of the lower eyelid. The surgical procedure usually lasts between one and three hours depending on its scope. The functional and cosmetic outcome of eyelid surgery can be affected by several factors like age, skin quality, anatomy of the lower/upper eyelids, and the adjacent soft and bony tissue.

Who is a good candidate for eyelid surgery?
Eyelid surgery poses as an attractive procedure for both cosmetic and functional purposes. But who is qualified to undergo the procedure? Potential candidates include people with good mental and physical health and people whose expectations are realistic. Blepharoplasty can be administered to people with 35 years of age or above. But if your droopy or baggy eyelids are hereditary, you may opt to undergo the procedure at a younger age.

Are the changes made by eyelid surgery permanent?
Of course, the results of eyelid surgery are not permanent because the procedure cannot stop the eyes from aging. No matter how much you try to rejuvenate your physical appearance, the process of aging will eventually take over and your eyelids will start to sag again. At this point, you need to realize that there are other things more worthwhile besides an aging and a sagging skin.

How should I prepare for eyelid surgery?
Just like any other surgical procedure, blepharoplasty requires you to make the necessary preparations. Remember to take someone with you who can drive you home and accompany you during the night after the surgery. It is also important for you to limit your activities and stay home for several days in order to allow the wound to heal. Patients normally experience dry eyes after the procedure. But if the condition lasts for more than two weeks, call or visit your doctor. The following items should also be ready or available at your home: ice cubes, ice pack, small gauze pads, eye drops, and over-the-counter painkillers (or any painkiller prescribed by your doctor).

Having healthy and realistic expectations is important for anyone interested in undergoing blepharoplasty. Certainly, the surgical procedure will remove the excess tissue or skin that bothers you, but its result may not necessarily match with your expectation. That is why you need to talk to your doctor and deliberate on the matter before deciding to undergo eyelid surgery. Although blepharoplasty does not change your facial structure, it can improve your physical look and help boost your confidence.

Cost of eyelid surgery: Upper lids cost $3000-$5000; is less than lower lids. Lower lids cost $3,500-$6,000

Risks: Minimal, watering eyes, brusing & swelling

Ideal age: Any age

Length of stay in hospital: None