Top 5 Questions People Ask About Eyelid Surgery/Blepharoplasty

Do you have eye bags under your eyes or loose skin that hangs on your upper eyelids? Excess skin on the upper or lower eyelids can add years to your appearance and create a tired look. 

A blepharoplasty procedure can remove this excess skin and help you achieve a more youthful appearance overall. To learn more about blepharoplasty, take a look at the top 5 questions that patients have about eyelid surgery.

1. What Is the Purpose of Blepharoplasty?

The goal of blepharoplasty is to remove loose or excess skin from around the eyes. Many people struggle with excess skin on their upper eyelids. This skin can hang over the eyes and create an aged appearance. Extra skin on the upper lids can also impact your field of vision and impact the way you see.

Some people have loose, hanging skin along the lower eyelids. This condition is more commonly known as having eye bags. Eye bags can create a tired, aged appearance. Blepharoplasty can remove and tighten the skin along the lower lids to make the area around your eyes look smoother and more youthful.

2. How Is Eyelid Surgery Performed?

During a blepharoplasty, the surgeon makes a small incision along the fold of the upper eyelid. Through this incision, they remove the excess skin, muscle, and fatty tissue. The incision is then closed with tiny sutures.

If the surgeon is working on your lower lids, they will make an incision just below your lower lash line. Sometimes, they fold the lower lid outward and make an incision on the inside of the lid. They remove excess skin, muscle, and fat through this small incision. 

Incisions on the inside of the lid are closed with small dissolvable sutures, while incisions on the outer bottom lid are closed with small sutures.

3. Will Blepharoplasty Affect My Vision?

A common concern patients have before getting blepharoplasty is how it may affect their vision. Many patients worry that a surgical procedure around the eyes could have a negative impact on their ability to see, but this is not the case with blepharoplasty. 

In fact, a blepharoplasty procedure could actually improve your sight. If you have hanging skin on the upper eyelids, blepharoplasty can remove this skin and increase your field of vision.

4. What Is the Recovery Process Like?

Another frequently asked question about eyelid surgery is what the recovery process is like. The recovery process after blepharoplasty is simple for most people. You will be sent home the same day as your procedure to begin recovering at home. 

Depending on where your incisions were made, you may have tiny sutures in place. These sutures can typically be taken out about one week after surgery. You may experience mild swelling and bruising around the surgical site, which will gradually subside in the weeks following your procedure.

For about four to six weeks after surgery, you should avoid rubbing your eyelids or encountering anything that could cause trauma to the incisions. Many patients avoid wearing eye makeup during this time because the application and removal process can cause friction at the surgical site.

5. Will I Have Visible Scarring from My Blepharoplasty?

​As with any surgical procedure, there is always a risk of scarring at the incision site. With blepharoplasty, the risk of scarring is very low. The incisions made during eyelid surgery are small and discreet. 

A qualified plastic surgeon will make your incisions in areas where the natural creasing of your eyelid can easily hide them. Proper aftercare will also reduce the risk of scarring after a blepharoplasty.