What is a blepharoplasty?
A blepharoplasty (or "eyelid reshaping") is an operation to tighten the skin and soft tissues of your eyelids.
Is a blepharoplasty suitable for me?
As you get older, gravity pulls down on the skin and soft tissues of your eyelids (see figure 1).
You are most likely to benefit from a blepharoplasty if you have a fold in your upper eyelid, your eyelids have begun to sag or the fat in your eye sockets has pushed forward. Your surgeon will carry out a detailed assessment before deciding if surgery is suitable for you.
What are the benefits of surgery?
If the operation is successful, your face should look younger. If your upper eyelid is interfering with your vision, your vision should improve.
Are there any alternatives to surgery?
Your surgeon may be able to assess you for laser skin resurfacing, where a laser is used to gently burn the surface of your skin.
What does the operation involve?
A blepharoplasty is usually performed under a local anaesthetic injected into the eyelids and takes up to an hour and a half.
Your surgeon will make a cut in the natural skin crease of your eyelid and will remove any excess skin and fat.
What complications can happen?
1. General complications of any operation
2. Specific complications of this operation
- Too much skin is removed
- Bleeding into your eye socket
- Corneal abrasion
- Double vision
- Cosmetic problems
How soon will I recover?
You should be able to go home a few hours after the operation.
You should avoid sex for the first two weeks. You should also avoid wearing eye make-up and drinking alcohol for at least a few weeks, and keep your face out of the sun.
Regular exercise should help you to return to normal activities as soon as possible. Before you start exercising, you should ask a member of the healthcare team or your GP for advice.
The results of a blepharoplasty last for a long time. Your face will still continue to age but your face should always appear younger than if you had not had surgery.
Summary
A blepharoplasty is a cosmetic operation to make your eyelids appear younger and in some cases to improve your vision. It is only suitable for certain people. You should consider the options carefully and have realistic expectations about the results.
If you’d like to know more about eyelid reshaping, please feel free to call us on 0845 603 4346.
