A blepharoplasty is surgery on your eyelids, also known as an eyelid lift. You can have your upper eyelids done or you can have both upper and lower lids worked on along with the eyebrow muscle to give your entire eye area a refreshing and younger appearance. Keep reading to learn how a blepharoplasty can help you and a look at how the surgical procedure is done.

Why You Might Want an Eyelid Lift

You may want to have work done on your eyelids for purely cosmetic reasons. You might have fat deposits in your lids that causes them to droop. You could have excess skin and wrinkles in the lids, or they may sag due to age. Eyelid surgery can change the shape of your lids so your eyes look younger. The surgery also removes excess skin that bothers you and interferes with your vision. If you can see the skin out of the corners of your eyes or if it blocks your side vision, then it can be an annoyance. Surgery can remove excess skin so it is no longer a daily bother.

How a Blepharoplasty Is Done

Your doctor makes tiny incisions in your eyelids. (Don't worry, once healed, these incisions will be hidden in natural creases and won't be easily visible.) The doctor will then remove excess tissue through the incision to give your lids the shape you desire. You might have this work done with local anesthesia and IV sedation or while you are under general anesthesia.

When finished, the doctor stitches the incision or closes it with surgical glue. A blepharoplasty is usually an outpatient procedure. You'll need to have someone help you home after the surgery because your vision will be affected. You might have gauze bandages on your eyes, but even if you don't, you'll probably have gel in your eyes that will make your vision blurry.

What the Recovery Stage Is Like

It takes several weeks to recover from a blepharoplasty. During that time, you'll need to restrict your activities so you don't strain yourself with heavy lifting or bending forward that could put pressure on your eyelids. You won't need to be on bed rest, but you'll want to avoid strenuous activity and things like driving until your doctor says it is okay. Protecting your eyes from wind and the sun is important, so wear a pair of large sunglasses that fully protects your eyes. You'll probably have bruising, swelling, and itching for a few days that can be helped with ice packs.

You won't see the results from the surgery right away due to the swelling. The swelling goes away gradually, so it might be several weeks until you can appreciate the new youthful, rested appearance achieved from the procedure.