Blepharoplasty: Bags the Eye Bags

Despite being one of the more popular cosmetic enhancements, eyelid surgery Blepharoplasty is also one of the commonly misunderstood. We will show you how to separate the facts from the myths.

As we age the skin around our eyes loses its elasticity. Loose folds of skin on the upper eyelids and deep creases on the lower lids likewise develop. At the same time, muscles in this area may also slacken so that any fat bulges forward and looks baggy. Many factors, including heredity and sun damage, accelerate these changes.

Blepharoplasty, or cosmetic eye surgery, can remove the excess skin, fat or both from around the eyes. The procedure can return youthful elegance to an individual’s face, making the eyes appear brighter and more refreshed. Younger people also elect to have this procedure done to eliminate puffiness of the eyes from congenital excess fatty tissue.

Consequently many people seek plastic surgery to reverse the eyelid aging changes with Blepharoplasty. The operation involves removing hooding or excess skin from the upper eyelid (upper Blepharoplasty) and removing puffiness or bags from the lower eyelid (lower Blepharoplasty). Unfortunately most people do not really understand what these operations can and cannot correct and many people undergo the surgery only to be disappointed with the results achieved during a typical Blepharoplasty surgery.

We aim to educate the public by exposing commonly held myths about Blepharoplasty so that people considering eyelid rejuvenation will seek the appropriate treatment to correct the particular eyelid aging changes which are occuring on their unique face.

Myth 1: Blepharoplasty will remove crow’s feet.

Crow’s feet occurs because of the repeated movement and contraction of the eyelid muscles that surround the eye and upper cheek. When we smile, frown or blink, the muscle contracts and causes a wrinkle in the ski. After many years these lines become permanent. Blepharoplasty removes fat that causes bags, and can tighten the eyelid skin; the muscle, however, continues to contact and cause crow’s feet. Blepharoplasty does not correct crow’s feet from the cheek very effectiely although the Botox needs to be repeated.

Myth 2: Blepharoplasty will remove the wrinkled aged skin often called “crepiness” and restore the lower eyelid skin to fresh, young looking smooth skin.

Blepharoplasty can tighten the lower eyelid skin, but the procedure alone leaves the eyelid skin looking old and damaged. Certain peeling procedures, when done athe time of a Blepharoplasty, can resurface the lower eyelid skin and leave it fresh looking. Blepharoplasty alone cannot achieve this.

Myth 3: Blepharoplasty lifts the cheek and corrects puffiness below the eyelid.

Many people have excess skin that creates a bulge or swelling on the cheekbone just below the eyelid. When you take your finger and pull the lower eyelid up, this bulge, which is calle a “festoon”, smoothens out. Blepharoplasty alone will not improve the festoon. This is a very common problem and can be a very unhappy results of Blepharoplasty. Festoons are hard to treat but can be treated by doing a cheek lift in some people. The important thing is to avoid worsening them by not doing fat removal during Blepharoplasty in people who have festoons unless the cheek lift or other procedure is done at the same time.

Myth 4: Blepharoplasty will remove dark circles under the eyes.

Many people have dark circles under the eyes — a shadow overlying the bone just below the eyelid. In many people, Blepharoplasty will make the dark circle worse if too much fat is removed.

Myth 5: Blepharoplasty will remove hooding of the upper eyelid and improve eyebrow position.

Many people have hooding of the upper eyelids that caused not only by loose upper eyelid skin but also tby the fact that the eyebrow has sagged as well. In these people, an eyebrow lift must also be done to restore the upper eyelid to a youthful look.

Myth 6: A lower eyelid Blepharoplasty must leave a visible scar on the lower eyelid.

While traditional scalpel Blepharoplasty does use an incision on the lower eyelid, more modern contemporary Blepharoplasty is done with a laser through a small opening on the inside of the lower eyelid and leaves no visible scar. The technique preserves the natural shape of the eyelid. Beautiful eyelid rejuvenation is possible tody using advanced new laser techniques, and additional new variations. However these techniques are new and not widely practiced yet.

It is important to understand what eyelid rejuvenation technique can and cannot achieve. Only be being well informed can you hope to be happy and satisfied with the results.