Do drooping eyelids interfere with your vision or create wrinkles and creases that make you look much older than you feel? A growing number of men and women choose to get eyelid surgery each year, whether for cosmetic or medical reasons. If you’re preparing for your procedure, here’s what you can expect before, during and after eyelid surgery.
Before Eyelid Surgery
Before moving forward with blepharoplasty, you’ll sit down with your plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and trouble areas. Your plastic surgeon will perform a physical examination and inquire about your medical history to help you determine if eyelid surgery could be right for you.
Eyelid surgery is sometimes paired with other procedures like a brow lift or facelift for more comprehensive results.
During Your Blepharoplasty Procedure
Eyelid surgery can be performed on your upper and lower eyelids, or both.
Eyelid surgery can be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The average blepharoplasty procedure lasts 1 to 2 hours.
During your procedure, your plastic surgeon will carefully create very small incisions that follow the natural crease of your eyelids. Through those incisions, he or she can remove excess skin and/or fatty tissue, as well as reposition the remaining skin and tissue to help achieve a tighter, more youthful look.
After Eyelid Surgery
Immediately after your eyelid surgery, you should have another responsible adult drive you home and help you around the house for the first few days or so. You’ll need to avoid strenuous activity and direct sun exposure for the first 2 weeks of recovery.
Over the next weeks and months, you should see gradual improvements in your appearance as swelling and bruising diminish.
