Blepharoplasty | Eyelid Surgery near Jackson, MS
Eyelid surgery can make a huge impact on your overall look. Have you ever thought about the role your eyes play when you interact with other people? When someone looks you directly in the eyes, it makes you feel noticed and understood. Relationships often start with the locking of eyes, and we begin our first years of life communicating extensively with our gaze. Eyes are so important in the way we interact with each other, we often hear the eyes called the “windows to the soul.”
Your eyelids frame your eyes, and sagging skin from the normal aging process may cause them to look “tired.” Facial plastic surgeons use a surgical technique called blepharoplasty to help refresh the way your eyelids look and highlight the natural contour of your eyes. This type of facial plastic surgery is safe, effective, and can dramatically improve your appearance.
Eyelid surgery can embolden you to make eye contact more often and live life more confidently. Regardless of your reasons for seeking blepharoplasty, our expert team at Faces in Ridgeland, MS, is dedicated to helping you achieve your cosmetic goals.
What Is Eyelid Surgery and What are the Benefits?
Eyelid surgery (also known as blepharoplasty or eye lift) is a procedure that can trim excess or sagging eyelid skin and eliminate puffy under eye bags. It is often performed purely for cosmetic purposes; in some cases, it’s performed to help restore vision that has been obstructed due to excessively sagging eyelid skin. In many cases, the surgeon may also recommend a brow lift as the eyebrow position can play a major role in upper eyelid sagging skin.
Patients 35 and older, who have noticed the effects of waning collagen production, gravity, and age, are more likely to undergo eyelid surgery. For many people, sagging eyelid skin and the development of under eye bags are some of the first major signs of age. These age-related changes can make you look tired and years older than you are, even if you feel great.
Eyelid surgery can be performed on the upper eyelid or lower eyelid alone, but both regions are usually addressed at the same time. We often add eyelid surgery to a larger facial rejuvenation plan. Many of our patients choose to have an eye lift in conjunction with a facelift or forehead lift. Dermal fillers and laser skincare treatments can also be added to an eyelid surgery treatment plan to help maximize the results.
Blepharoplasty offers the following benefits:
- Produces eyelids that look refreshed
- Eliminates excess eyelid skin and under eye bags
- Creates a well-defined eyelid contour
If you follow your facial plastic surgeon’s post-op instructions, you can expect to enjoy your results for many years before any touch-up procedures are needed. You can also extend your results by following a sensible skincare routine and protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure.
It should be noted that eyelid surgery is not typically used to improve the appearance of circles around the eyes, crow’s feet, or deep wrinkles, but some patients may notice tighter areas of skin around the eyes and some improvement to these signs of aging.
How is Eyelid Surgery Near Jackson, MS Performed?
We typically use what’s called “twilight anesthesia” during the eye lift procedure. This means you’ll be conscious, but your mind and body will feel tranquil, and you shouldn’t experience anxiety about the surgery. In some cases, we may recommend using general anesthesia, under which you will be unconscious. In either case, you will need to have someone transport you home after your eyelid surgery.
Upper eyelid surgery begins by making incisions along the crease of the upper eyelids. After the incisions are made, excess skin and collections of excess fat are removed. During lower eyelid surgery, the surgeon will make incisions along the creases below the eyelashes. In some cases where fat collections are more of a problem than excessive skin, incisions on the outside of the eyelid aren’t necessary, as the surgeon can remove fat from behind the lower eyelid.
If incisions are made, we use dissolving sutures or sutures under the skin to control bleeding and scarring.
FAQs About Blepharoplasty Surgery
The downtime immediately after eyelid surgery is relatively minimal for a cosmetic surgery procedure. If you had incisions made in your upper and lower eyelids, the sutures used will dissolve or be removed after about a week. As with any surgery, you’ll experience some swelling, and you may see some bruising around your eyes initially, but your eyes will look normal within 10-14 days. Most people return to work after about ten days.
To control swelling, you should use ice packs for the first few days following surgery and sleep with your head elevated 30-40 degrees for at least one week. You should also avoid strenuous activity for two weeks. Your vision may be slightly blurry for a few days, so avoid driving until it resolves. Your facial plastic surgeon will recommend a cleaning regimen to help your incisions heal safely. You may shower or bathe the following day.
Eyelid surgery can correct heavy and drooping upper lid skin folds, as well as loose lower eyelid skin and fat bags. When combined with a brow lift, it can make the eyes appear more bright and open.
Depending on the type of surgery, your procedure may take place in our clinic’s surgical suite or at a hospital outpatient surgery center. The length of the surgery varies from 1 to 2 hours. You should anticipate being able to go home shortly after your surgery is complete.
The thin skin of the eyelids typically heals very well, but scars may be lighter in color than the surrounding skin. A thick or raised scar would be very unusual on the eyelid.
Hopefully not! They should look better! The general shape of the eye, however, is not changed with typical eyelid surgery.
Eyelid surgery results are very long-lasting (10-20 years) but not permanent.
Most patients experience some blurred vision for a few days after their surgery, but otherwise feel fairly normal and may resume light activity the next day. Strenuous activity should not be resumed for at least one week. It is important to not rub the eyes and to treat them very gently for the first week.
From arrival to departure, you should expect your whole experience to last about 3-4 hours.
No. You will at least have had some sedation and will not be able to drive safely for 24 hours at a minimum.
Yes. If you bruise easily, there will be more than average. Although we implement various measures to reduce bruising, it is always present to some extent. Typically, the swelling and bruising disappear by day ten.
Most patients will experience transient worsening of dry eye symptoms after upper eyelid surgery. While there are a number of techniques that can minimize this, some patients may still experience it. If you have dry eyes, you should consult your eye doctor before eyelid surgery.
Eyelid surgery will not remove crows feet. Neurotoxins, such as BOTOX®, work best for this problem. To correct droopy eyebrows, a brow lift is required. Surgery can correct under-eye bags by removing or repositioning fat, but it fails to correct dark circles due to changes in skin color.
When looking in the mirror, use your fingertip to elevate the eyebrow and look at what happens to the upper eyelid skin fold. If it helps dramatically, then a brow lift may offer the best results.
The eyes are where many people show the earliest signs of aging, and sometimes there are hereditary issues, such as a low set brow, that are present very early on.
You can, but these procedures predispose one to dry eye problems, and an eye specialist should be consulted before proceeding in many cases.
As long as one is healthy, there is no age limit.
Following upper eyelid surgery, a lid crease conceals the scar, making it visible only upon close inspection. Lower eyelid incisions are on the inside of the eyelid, but some do require an external incision, which may be visible to some extent.
All surgery carries some risks depending on the complexity and type of anesthesia. Most eyelid surgery is performed using light sedation or “twilight” anesthesia, so this is not typically a concern. Risks inherent to the procedure are scarring, bleeding, infection, need for revision surgery, dry eyes, visual disturbance, or rarely, loss of vision.
Typically the most common side effects are bruising, swelling, and dry eyes, all of which go away after a few weeks. Less common complications include poor healing, infection, visual disturbance, eyelid malposition requiring revision surgery, and loss of sight.Typically the most common side effects are bruising, swelling and dry eyes, of which all go away after a few weeks. Less common complications include poor healing, infection, visual disturbance, eyelid malposition requiring revision surgery, and loss of sight.
Most patients can resume normal day-to-day activities the day after surgery. Some blurred vision is common for several days, so driving may not be advisable. Most patients feel comfortable returning to light work in one week if they experience only light bruising and swelling. Patients should refrain from engaging in strenuous activities for two weeks following the surgery.
You may begin wearing contacts again 10 days after surgery.
There is no fee for revision surgery that is done in the office. If the surgery needs to be done in an outpatient surgery facility, there is no surgeon’s fee, but the facility and the anesthesiologist will charge a fee.
Patients undergoing blepharoplasty typically receive a small amount of pain medicine and an anti-nausea drug. After blepharoplasty, there is typically very little pain. There is usually very little pain after blepharoplasty.
Upper eyelid surgery can safely be performed at our clinic in Ridgeland, Mississippi. For a more comprehensive facial rejuvenation, Dr. Jordan can combine upper and lower eyelid surgery with other procedures. In this situation, he will perform the surgery at Merit Health Hospital in Madison.
When you schedule a consultation at our facial plastic surgery practice, Dr. Jordan and the team at Faces prioritize your comfort and safety. We want to help you make the best decision to achieve the look you’ve always wanted. Sometimes that might mean recommending a less invasive cosmetic treatment or a combination of surgical procedures.
Visit our Procedure Pricing page to learn more about the cost of eyelid surgery in Jackson, MS. Do you have questions about how eyelid surgery works or how it fits into your facial rejuvenation plan? Facial plastic surgeon Dr. J Randall Jordan invites you to schedule a consultation by calling (601) 607-3033. You are also welcome to send us a message using our website.