Has sagging skin left your eyelids heavy and puffy? Is the droopiness making you look sad or tired, and maybe even making it difficult to see? You may be a candidate for eyelid surgery at Mountain State Cosmetic Surgery in Beckley, WV. This treatment, which is referred to in medical terms as blepharoplasty, can reshape the eyelids and eliminate any puffy bags beneath them, rejuvenating your appearance.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Blepharoplasty?
Your Eyelids Are Aging You
As we age, declining collagen levels leave our skin more prone to wrinkling, and this is especially true in the eye area where the skin tends to be thinner and more delicate. Drooping, wrinkled eyelids can take a toll on our appearance and make us look older than we are. Eyelid surgery can help turn back the clock by restoring the youthful contour and shape of the eyelids.
You Often Appear Tired or Sad
Do friends and colleagues ask why you’re so tired or sad, when you’re not? Drooping eyelids can send incorrect messages about how we’re feeling. They can make us look frustrated or upset. This is often because heavy lids create subtle shadows that give the face a sterner appearance.
Patients who undergo this treatment look more rested, relaxed, and refreshed. They also enjoy better non-verbal communication because their eyes are sending the correct signals!
You’re Struggling To See
Puffy, heavy eyelids are not just a cosmetic concern. In some cases, sagging skin around the eyes impede the line of vision. If your sagging is pronounced enough that you’re struggling to see from beneath drooping eyelids, you may benefit from eyelid surgery.
You’re in Good Health
Blepharoplasty candidates should be in good health with no medical conditions that impair healing and no serious eye conditions. Candidates should also be nonsmokers or should be capable of refraining from smoking for several weeks before treatment.
You Have Reasonable Expectations
The ideal candidate understands the treatment and has realistic expectations about what type of improvement can be accomplished. This treatment won’t dramatically change your appearance, but it will give you a more rejuvenated look.
What Happens During Blepharoplasty?
If you’re interested in pursuing eyelid surgery, the first step will be a physical and visual examination. We’ll also photograph your eyes from a number of different angles. This will allow us determine if you are a suitable candidate, and it will also help us map out your treatment plan.
On the day of your treatment, we’ll cut along the back fold of the upper eyelid, and we’ll use that incision to remove excess muscle and skin. If you’re having the lower lid treated as well, we’ll then proceed to the lower eye area, where we will make an incision along the lash line or just inside the lid. This treatment is performed using anesthesia.
How Long Does This Treatment Take?
Eyelid surgery can usually be performed in less than two hours, unless it is being performed in conjunction with another treatment.
What Is Recovery Like?
Blepharoplasty is done on an outpatient basis, so you’ll be able to head home immediately after your treatment to recovery. Most patients resume their regular schedules in 7 to 10 days.
We will provide you with aftercare instructions on the day of your treatment, but it’s not unusual for patients to be asked to avoid excessive sun exposure and heavy exercise and lifting for a few days. You may also be asked to sleep with your head elevated for a couple of weeks. It will be important for you to give your eyes a break while you recover by avoiding excessive screentime.
What Kind of Results Can I Expect?
Most patients see their results four to six weeks after treatment. This treatment won’t alter the natural shape or symmetry of the eyes, but the eye area will take on a more rested and refreshed appearance. Patients often feel a greater sense of self-confidence after this treatment. In many cases, the results offered by this treatment will last for the rest of the individual’s life.
Will I Have Any Scars Afterward?
The incisions we make will be tiny and will be tucked into the natural contours of the eye area. The skin in this part of the face also tends to heal quickly. So lasting scars are not something that patients who undergo eyelid surgery usually have to worry about.
What Other Benefits Does This Treatment Offer?
It Can Brighten the Eyes
By eliminating puffiness and excess skin, this treatment makes it easier for natural light to reach the eyes and illuminate them. Your eyes may appear brighter and more vivid in color after this treatment.
It Makes Cosmetics Easier To Apply
By restoring the natural contour of your eyes and lifting sagging areas, this treatment can make eye cosmetics easier to apply and more effective.
It May Result in a Smoother Forehead
If you’re struggling to see because of drooping eyelids, you may be creasing your forehead as you squint. Patients who undergo this treatment sometimes find that they no longer have to squint, and forehead creases begin to relax.
It Offers Natural Results
This treatment noticeably improves the eyes and helps patients achieve a more rested, youthful appearance, but you won’t have to worry about looking artificial. Your results will look like a younger, healthier version of yourself. Your eyes will continue to function as they always have, and your natural facial expressions will remain the same.
Treatment Q&A
What Is the Best Age for This Treatment?
Adults of any age can undergo eyelid surgery. Because this treatment is usually performed to reverse signs of aging, many patients are 40 years old or older. But individuals who are born with heavy eyelids, or who have developed bags beneath the eyes at a young age, may opt to have this treatment sooner.
How Does This Differ From a Brow Lift?
A brow lift, as the name implies, focuses on lifting drooping brows and smoothing forehead creases. Although it is performed on the area adjacent to the eyes, a brow lift is a separate treatment that is offered by our practice. Some patients opt to have eyelid surgery performed in combination with a brow lift.
Is This Ever Performed In Conjunction With a Facelift?
Yes. Our practice also offers facelifts, and we frequently perform them in combination with eyelid surgery to offer the patient a comprehensive improvement.
Why Are My Eyelids Puffy?
Some patients are genetically predisposed to eyelid puffiness and drooping, and they experience it all their life. But for many of us, the eyelids begin to sag as we age and the skin becomes thinner less elastic. There are plenty of eye creams on the market, but eyelid surgery is a proven method of recontouring and de-aging the eye area, and it offers long-lasting results.
Will Health Insurance Cover This Treatment?
If you are having this treatment performed to improve your vision, it may be covered by your health insurance plan. If eyelid surgery is being performed for cosmetic reasons, insurance probably won’t cover the cost. Our practice offers several financing options.
Do Men Ever Undergo Eyelid Surgery?
Many men undergo this treatment. In fact, blepharoplasty is one of the cosmetic surgeries performed most often on men. Men are drawn to this treatment because of its ability to help them see better, while also giving them a more open, attractive appearance. Men have different facial features than women, so we approach the treatment of male patients differently than we do with female patients.
What if I Just Want My Lower Eyelids Treated?
Treating just the lower lids is not unusual. Every patient comes to us with different cosmetic concerns. Some need just the upper lids addressed, while others benefit the most from treatment that focuses exclusively on the lower lids. And we often treat both the upper and lower lids in a single appointment. If you’re unhappy about the appearance of your eyes, schedule an initial consultation at our practice, and we’ll design a custom treatment plan just for you.
A Brighter Future Is Possible With Blepharoplasty
Are you ready to say goodbye to lined, droopy eyelids once and for all? Maybe it’s time to find out if you’re a suitable candidate for blepharoplasty. This popular, easy treatment can usually improve the eyelids permanently, and you may find that you can see better afterward. What are you waiting for? Call Mountain State Cosmetic Surgery in Beckley, WV, and schedule your initial consultation today!
