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Five things to know about an upper blepharoplasty (eyelid lift):
With time, it’s common for the skin around the upper eyelids to become heavy and saggy, giving the eyes a tired look. An upper blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) is a great way to help remove this excess skin and restore amore youthful, open appearance to the eyes themselves.
Below are five important questions I get asked by patients coming to discuss this surgery with me:
1. Does it hurt?
In the spectrum of surgery, an upper blepharoplasty is generally a very low pain procedure. Most upper blepharoplasties are performed under local anaesthetic and these injections can be uncomfortable. However, that only lasts for around 30 seconds and the area is then numb. After the surgery, most patients will only require occasional paracetamol painkillers for a few days.
2. How long will it be before I can get back to work and socialising?
It is safe to return to desk-based work 2-3 days after the surgery. Any work involving heavy lifting or straining should be avoided for 2 weeks. It’s also important to avoid any work in dusty environments for the first week after surgery, as this can increase the risk of a wound infection.
Following the surgery you are likely to have some swelling and bruising around the eyes that can last 1-2 weeks. As a result, some would avoid socialising during this time. It is safe to apply make-up to the area after2 weeks.
3. I’ve heard it can make my eyebrows look worse – is this true?
For some people, the excess skin in the upper eyelid is compensated for by the body automatically elevating the eyebrow. In these patients, if an upper blepharoplasty is performed and the excess skin in the upper eyelid removed without any surgery to support the eyebrow, then the eyebrow position can drop after the surgery. This is because the body no longer tries to elevate the eyebrows to account for the excess skin in the upper eyelid. This change is something I’ll look for carefully when I see you before the surgery. If you do have this feature, I’ll talk to you about considering a brow lift at the same time as your upper blepharoplasty.
4. Should I get my lower eyelids done at the same time?
The answer to this question very much depends on your overall goals and your unique anatomical features. Rejuvenating the area around the eye involves carefully considering your forehead, eyebrow, upper eyelid, outer corner of the eye, lower eyelid and junction between the lower eyelid and cheek. When I see you for your consultation, we’ll assess each of these regions to come up with a comprehensive list of options available to you. We can then talk about which of these you are keen to pursue and discuss the likely results.
5. How long do the results last?
In the same way that the heavy, saggy appearance to the upper eyelids occurs with time, the same time-dependent changes will occur in the upper eyelid following surgery. Typically, I would anticipate the results from the surgery to last around 10 years, but this will vary from patient to patient and be impacted by the different procedures you have undergone.