Blepharoplasty

“A blepharoplasty is a procedure that looks at rejuvenating the upper and lower eyelid. An upper blepharoplasty is where we only deal with excess skin or excess fat from the upper eyelid. And a lower blepharoplasty is a procedure when we deal with the lower eyelid. Patients typically choose to have a blepharoplasty because they want to rejuvenate the areas around their upper and lower eyelid. They want to look a little bit younger. They want to have a fresher look. Often, my patients come and see me and complain that they've got excess skin. Sometimes I've even had patients who have had so much excess skin on their upper eyelid that they cannot see properly.

In terms of time frame of when to consider blepharoplasty, there are no limits in an adult life. If someone is 25 and they find that their eyelids are quite droopy or they have quite a lot of excess skin, then obviously they can still be considered for this procedure. And equally, there is no upper limit in terms of age. It is more important to consider the patient's biological age and how they are in themselves.

The ideal patient for a blepharoplasty is usually a patient who is fit and well, and has a good healthy lifestyle. Typically, my patient would complain of feeling tired, having difficulty reading, or feel that their eyelids are quite heavy. The surgery usually involves excising the excess skin and excising any excess fat. With a lower blepharoplasty, typically I would do this under general anesthesia. The surgery takes about 45 minutes for the upper eyelid and about an hour and a half for the lower eyelid. The patients recover very quickly from this surgery. Sutures come out after a week and the scars heal extremely well. A blepharoplasty may last for quite a few years.

A blepharoplasty can provide a lifelong result. However, this does depend on the particular person and how they lead their life, how they're looking after their skin, and whether they smoke, whether they eat well, whether they sleep well, whether they exercise. There are quite a few factors that come into play when it comes to longevity of any plastic surgery procedure. A blepharoplasty is definitely one of them.

The vast majority of patients would want to have a blepharoplasty when they're a little bit later in life, when they're in their mid-forties onwards, where they have a bit of excess skin, they have a tired look, and they feel that their eyelids feel heavy. However, sometimes there are younger patients, because of certain types of medical conditions, who may require some form of a blepharoplasty, to improve the appearance and function of their eyelids.

Should you wish to discuss an aesthetic or reconstructive procedure with us, please get in touch.”