Consultation with plastic surgeons with over 20 years of experience – free! Sign up by phone. Waiting for you! The impact of the environment and the internal processes of aging of the body primarily affect the condition of the delicate skin of the eyelids. Drooping of the outer corners of the eyes, ptosis of the skin of the upper eyelids form bags under the eyes. This gives the face a tired look and also inevitably adds age. Blepharoplasty of the lower eyelids may also be indicated for medical reasons due to vision problems.
Indications for lower eyelid blepharoplasty
The main indication for lower eyelid blepharoplasty is aesthetic imperfections in the eye area, which are associated with age-related changes or the patient’s heredity:
- Pronounced bags under the eyes (fatty hernias or fatty “packets”) are found even in young people;
- Excess periorbital fat;
- Wrinkles around the eyes;
- Excess skin in the lower eyelid area;
- Deep folds in the lower eyelid area and in the corners of the eyes;
- Recessions in the lower eyelids.
Any abnormal phenomena in the structure of the lower eyelids also relate to indications for lower blepharoplasty
Expert opinion
- Surgeon
- Cosmetologist
Katrin Hecher
plastic surgeon
Blepharoplasty is one of the safest and most effective procedures in plastic surgery. But still, there are some troubles after the intervention. The most common complications of blepharoplasty are bruising, asymmetry, unfavorable scarring, hematoma, and eye irritation. There are other rare effects, such as dry eyes and the inability to close the upper eyelids if too much skin is removed. To minimize these risks, choose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
Anna Avaliani
practicing cosmetologist
To improve this area, it is possible to use a fractionated laser such as Fraxel, which will rejuvenate the skin under your eye.
This is a very simple procedure as there are no incisions and the improvement in skin condition is noticeable after one session. But in advanced cases, only blepharoplasty will help. But after it, a person runs the risk of swelling, bruising, scarring, irritation of the eye, and an unpredictable reaction of the body to anesthesia. It is worth watching a video of upper eyelid blepharoplasty to understand the nuances of the operation: The skin around the eyes is one of the first to undergo premature aging. Therefore, if you want to give your face a more youthful and fresh look, we recommend starting with this area. Blepharoplasty is a simple operation that will help give depth to the look for a long time, making it more open and attractive.
Methods of lower eyelid blepharoplasty
There are two ways to perform blepharoplasty:
- Classic lower eyelid surgery
When performing classic lower eyelid surgery, the incision is made along the natural folds, slightly away from the eyelash edge. This manipulation is necessary in order to open access to the localization of fat packets, to the orbicularis oculi muscle. Next, the surgeon delicately peels the skin away from the muscle and removes or redistributes the fatty hernias. If necessary, excess skin is excised. At the end of the operation, a cosmetic suture is placed on the incision area. During surgery, canthopexy is often performed to prevent cicatricial ectropion of the lower eyelid after blepharoplasty. This is required in particular for those patients who have a flabby eyelid edge.
The duration of the entire operation for lower eyelid blepharoplasty is about 1 hour.
Excision of the skin can also be carried out with a laser, but its use in the eye area is not recommended by many specialists
- Transconjunctival lower eyelid surgery
The transconjunctival method is most often indicated for young patients with slight excess skin of the lower eyelids. Transconjunctival blepharoplasty requires good, tight and elastic skin. The ideal patient is a young man or woman who does not have age-related changes, but has persistent and persistent bags under the eyes or swelling.
The advantage of the operation is that it is performed without an external incision. Access is through an incision or puncture in the conjunctiva of the eye. Then, excess fatty tissue is removed. No stitches are required as the mucous membrane heals very quickly. The operation also lasts about 1 hour. Read more about this technique here.
Gvaramia A.A. comments:
“Having performed eyelid surgery for more than 20 years, I can say with confidence that there is nothing better than a scalpel for this operation. I'm talking specifically about the skin incision. This is what I and most of my colleagues think. If a laser or radio knife is used, small vessels are “welded”: this is convenient for the surgeon, since the wound does not bleed. But this affects the quality of the scar! And for the best scar, I prefer a scalpel. The laser is a wonderful device, but its use must be appropriate in aesthetic medicine. Its use is justified in the transconjunctival technique, since the incision passes through the mucosa. But the final result in this case is not affected in any way by what exactly the doctor used to make the incision: it is solely a matter of the surgeon’s comfort.”
Rehabilitation period
Before going to a plastic surgeon, you should definitely visit an ophthalmologist. He will help determine whether there are contraindications for the procedure and check the visual organs for the presence of diseases. It is also recommended to undergo a medical examination of the body to find out its condition and identify possible risk factors.
Each person’s body is individual, so in some situations, swelling of the eyelids may remain after surgery. In this case, the patient will need to undergo a medical examination to identify the causes of the accumulation of excess fluid in the body.
Recommendations during the recovery period:
- For the first 7–10 days, it is not recommended to strain your eyes too much. It is necessary to refrain from intensive reading of books and magazines, and spending long periods of time in front of the TV and computer.
- During the first week, you should not overwork yourself or expose yourself to intense physical activity.
- You need to carefully monitor the hygiene of the corrected eyelid area and follow all the doctor’s recommendations.
If severe discomfort or complications occur, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.
Rehabilitation after lower eyelid blepharoplasty
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is considered an easily tolerated operation. The very next day you will leave the clinic, but with one condition - wearing sunglasses. The sutures are removed on the 3rd, less often on the 7th day. At first, it is necessary to exclude any physical activity and prolonged work at the computer. Recovery after lower eyelid blepharoplasty at home involves treating the sutures with an antiseptic solution. The consumption of alcohol and coffee is strictly prohibited. Cosmetics can be applied after the swelling goes away, approximately 10 days.
If the operation is performed correctly, there are no complications after lower eyelid blepharoplasty.
As for the result, the final appearance can be assessed after 1.5 months. This is the period required for complete recovery. In a week, you will be able to appear in public without embarrassment and return to your normal rhythm of life. You can undergo lower eyelid surgery in our clinic. The operation is performed by a surgeon with more than 25 years of experience.
Possible side effects
Many people hesitate to undergo this operation because of anxiety and fear of complications. But if the plastic surgery was performed by a highly qualified specialist, a person should not worry, since only minor side effects await him. Moreover, they will pass after some time. After blepharoplasty of the upper eyelids, as with other types of surgery (for example, circular blepharoplasty), the following side effects may appear:
- after the operation, the patient will feel slight discomfort in the eye area;
- possible appearance of hematomas and mild edema;
- In some cases, increased sensitivity to light or increased tearing may occur.
All of these side effects are temporary, so don't panic. Within a short period of time they will disappear, and the patient will be able to live his normal life again.
The maximum period for restoration of appearance is no more than 14 days. The full rehabilitation period lasts approximately 1 month. But in some cases, complications after surgery can be more serious. During blepharoplasty performed by an unscrupulous plastic surgeon, the following may appear:
- infectious infection of the operated area;
- bleeding in the upper eyelid area;
- excessive dry eyes;
- asymmetrical arrangement of eye sections;
- inability to completely close the eyelids.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended to use the services of only a plastic clinic that has a good reputation. During a session with a surgeon, do not hesitate to ask him to check the certificates and diplomas that confirm his qualifications.
What can and cannot be done before eyelid surgery?
Before blepharoplasty, you should adhere to strict rules:
- You should stop smoking 4 weeks before surgery. Nicotine has a negative effect on the body, including impairing the process of tissue regeneration. This increases the rehabilitation period.
- Stop medications except for those that are vital and whose use has been agreed with your doctor. A categorical ban is imposed on taking drugs that affect blood clotting - anticoagulants.
- You should not sunbathe in the sun or visit a solarium before plastic surgery of the upper and lower eyelids.
- Do not use decorative cosmetics or attend cosmetic procedures.
- Immediately the day before the operation, you should get a good night's sleep and strictly follow your daily routine.
- Drinking alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited, as this can cause problems with anesthesia and recovery from it.
- If the operation will be performed under general anesthesia, then in the evening (the day before the operation) you should abstain from dinner. On the day of blepharoplasty, food and liquid intake are prohibited.
Contraindications
There are no specific contraindications for blepharoplasty, but the operation will not be performed if there are general surgical contraindications:
- age under 18 years;
- colds;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- exacerbation of eye diseases;
- systemic diseases (rheumatism, diabetes).
Attention! All aesthetic plastic surgeries and most cosmetic procedures are strictly contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women. We also do not perform surgical interventions on people whose weight exceeds 110 kg.
Operation efficiency
After upper blepharoplasty
During the operation, the patient gets rid of excess skin and fat deposits. The full result can be assessed 8-12 weeks after the intervention. Throughout this period, the skin must be carefully cared for. The care complex is aimed at moisturizing and restoring the skin around the eyes.
After the intervention, significant rejuvenation of the upper eyelids is noticeable, the result lasts 8-10 years. The choice of type of blepharoplasty directly depends on the degree of age-related changes: the fewer there are, the more gentle the effect is applied.
Frequently asked questions and useful information
- Blepharoplasty: are patients' expectations always met?
- At what age should eyelid blepharoplasty be performed?
- What are the age-related changes in the eyelids?
- How does healing proceed after blepharoplasty?
- Reviews after eyelid surgery
- Photos before and after blepharoplasty
- Video of eyelid lift surgery
- Laser blepharoplasty - price, before and after photos
- Fat-sparing blepharoplasty - description of the method
- How to get blepharoplasty for free?
- How is eyelid correction surgery performed?
- Blepharoplasty under local anesthesia
- How to prepare for blepharoplasty?
- What is non-surgical blepharoplasty?
conclusions
Each blepharoplasty method has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, everyone has their own technique, which determines the duration of the rehabilitation period. However, you should not focus exclusively on the latter, otherwise you may not get the desired result.
Be that as it may, a qualified doctor will help you decide on a method based on your individual characteristics and wishes. The main thing is to choose a specialist responsibly, and then the procedure will certainly please you.
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What suture material is used for blepharoplasty?
Unlike many other operations, plastic surgeons use non-absorbable threads during eyelid surgery. And there are a number of explanations for this.
- The tissues of the eyelids are very thin, so the surgeon removes the suture material on the 3rd day after surgery. Absorbable threads dissolve within 1 month, which lengthens the rehabilitation period.
- The second reason is the risk of the formation of rough scars in places where a foreign body, which is considered to be suture material, has been present for a long time.
When suturing a wound, plastic surgeons use threads whose thickness does not exceed a human hair. When removing the sutures, the patient does not feel much discomfort, since the thread is cut and pulled out with tweezers.
