As you age, the fragile skin around your eyes will start to loosen and sag. The age-related changes in your eyelids will cause you to look less energetic and vibrant. In particular, your loose skin and under-eye circles will make you look tired or upset. At MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in Milford, Pennsylvania, we can fix these cosmetic problems with a blepharoplasty.
How Long Does It Take to Recover From Blepharoplasty?
A blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that can eliminate bags under your eyes, fix sagging eyelids, and reverse other age-related issues that affect the delicate skin in this part of your face.
The type of blepharoplasty that you receive will impact the total length of your recovery period. In addition, your health, your ability to follow our post-procedure instructions, and other variables will affect your eyelids’ response to your improvements. That said, this eyelid procedure is a gentle way to improve your appearance. As a result, your eyelids are likely to have a short recovery period.
Beginning the Recovery Process
After we have finished your blepharoplasty, we may apply bandages to your skin and administer a special ointment that will prevent your eyes from becoming too dry. After we have applied your bandages or ointment, you will be able to go back to your home and rest.
Since you will receive anesthesia during your eyelid procedure, you are likely to feel tired at this point. To protect your safety, you’ll need to have a friend or family member take you home. You should not try to drive yourself back to your house or apartment.
Caring for Your Eyelids
During the beginning of your recovery period, we may advise you to take medication to improve your comfort levels. You will also need to use cold compresses on your eyelids and keep your head elevated when you lie down. Since you may need to rest your eyes during this time, it’s a good idea to listen to music and audiobooks while your tissues heal.
For the next week and a half, you may need to put drops in your eyes. Following all of our instructions and taking good care of your eyes and eyelids will help you quickly recover from your procedure.
Returning to Our Office
You’ll need to come back to our office so that we can look at your eyelids and monitor your tissues during the recovery process. If you received stitches, we can remove this material from your eyelids during one of your post-procedure visits. It’s common to take out your stitches after about three to five days.
Going Back to Your Job
You don’t need to worry about missing too much work or falling behind in your career when you use this method to improve your eyelids. In general, you will probably be able to go back to your job within seven to 10 days.
What Should I Expect During My Initial Consultation?
Before we make any changes to your eyelids, you will need to visit our office in Milford for an initial consultation.
Talking About Your Health
During this one-on-one consultation, we will take a look at your eyelids and eyes. We will go over your medical history and talk about any health conditions that affect this part of your body. For example, you should be prepared to describe any vision issues that you have. Once we have analyzed your facial anatomy and general health, we will let you know if you are a good candidate for this procedure.
Explaining Your Options
If we determine that you will benefit from this procedure, we will explain the different techniques that can be used to improve your upper and lower eyelids. We will also discuss the types of anesthesia that you can receive during your procedure, the anticipated costs of your procedure, and the degree of improvement that you are likely to achieve after your eyelids are fully recovered.
What Type of Eyelid Procedure Should I Get?
We can use several different techniques to change the appearance of your upper or lower eyelids. The technique that works for you will depend on the type of eyelid problems that are bothering you. We can also use a combination of different techniques to improve your upper and lower eyelids during a single appointment.
Fixing Your Upper Eyelids
We can fix your sagging upper eyelids by removing fat and skin from this area of your face. During an upper eyelid procedure, we will make a very small incision in the fold that appears in each of your upper eyelids. Next, we will take out extra skin from your eyelids. Depending on your unique needs, we may also eliminate extra muscle and fat tissues that are negatively impacting the appearance of your eyelids.
Fixing Your Lower Eyelids
We can use two different techniques to enhance your lower eyelids. If you receive an outside lower eyelid procedure, we will make incisions in the skin on the outside of your lower eyelids. If you have excess skin under your eyes, you will probably get this type of eyelid procedure. We can use these incisions to take away unnecessary fat, skin, and muscle tissue from under your eyes.
If you get an inside lower eyelid procedure, we will make small incisions into the thin membrane that is located on the inside of your lower eyelids. This is called a transconjunctival procedure. These incisions will allow us to remove fat from under your eyes. If you don’t have extra skin under your eyes, we are likely to use this method to improve your appearance.
How Long Will My Procedure Take to Complete?
As you would expect, the length of your procedure will depend on the severity of your eyelid problems and the techniques that we use to improve the skin and fat in this area of your face. For example, if you are improving your lower and upper eyelids, your procedure will take longer to complete.
Typically, your eyelid procedure will last for about 45 minutes to two hours. Depending on the type of procedure that you’re getting, you will either receive sedation and local anesthesia or general anesthesia before we make any incisions in your eyelids. Since you will be unconscious or very relaxed during your procedure, you will feel comfortable while we are improving your eyelids.
Will My Procedure Permanently Improve the Condition of My Eyelids?
Getting an eyelid procedure is one of the best ways to create long-lasting, attractive changes in your eyelids. This technique is likely to improve your eyelids for up to 15 years.
However, it’s important to recognize that your eyelids and the rest of your face will continue to change during the next several decades. If the changes in your eyes upset you, you may be able to fix these problems by getting another eyelid procedure.
Can I Do Anything to Make My Eyelid Procedure Last Longer?
Taking good care of your body will help the delicate skin around your eyelids look youthful for a longer period of time. After you get your eyelid procedure, you should wear high-quality sunscreen every day. You can also protect the skin around your eyes by wearing sunglasses when you go outside. Using eye creams and other skincare products will also help your tissues age more slowly.
In addition to practicing healthy habits, you can extend the benefits of your eyelid procedure by getting regular cosmetic treatments. For example, Botox is an injectable product that can relax the muscles around your eyes and decrease the visibility of your crow’s feet. Similarly, getting non-invasive skin tightening treatments will help your face stay firm and taut.
Will My Eyelid Procedure Improve My Vision?
When you get older, your eyelids will start to sag. Your droopy eyelids can obscure your vision and make it difficult for you to see clearly. In addition to improving your appearance, your eyelid procedure can fix this type of vision issue. If you are receiving an eyelid procedure to fix your vision problems, your medical insurance may help you pay for your procedure.
That said, it’s important to understand that many different health conditions can cause you to experience vision issues. In particular, occlusions, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other medical problems will negatively impact your vision. If you have developed vision issues, it’s important to see your medical provider and receive a diagnosis and treatment for your problems.
Should I Receive Other Cosmetic Procedures When I Improve My Eyelids?
The delicate skin on your eyelids isn’t the only facial feature that will sag and droop as you get older. If you are bothered by sagging skin and wrinkles on other parts of your face, you should think about getting other cosmetic procedures at the same time as your eyelid procedure.
Combining your procedures will reduce the number of vacation days that you will spend at home recovering from your cosmetic improvements. In addition, you won’t have to receive anesthesia on two separate occasions. As a result, getting multiple procedures performed during one appointment may lower your costs and enable you to afford to receive more comprehensive improvements.
A Brow Lift
Many people choose to receive brow lifts in connection with their eyelid procedures. A brow lift is used to correct the negative changes that alter the appearance of the upper portion of the face over time. A brow lift can eliminate deep creases on the forehead, lift sagging eyebrows, and remove frown lines that appear between the eyebrows.
A Mini Facelift
A mini facelift is a quick procedure that will make the bottom two-thirds of your face look younger and more attractive. Once we have numbed your skin with local anesthesia, we will make incisions in the creases that are located in front of your ears. These incisions will allow us to tighten your facial muscles and reposition your skin. These positive changes in your face may last for five to 10 years.
A mini facelift has a short period of downtime, and you will usually feel comfortable going out in public after about seven days. We will also remove your sutures at this time.
Refresh Your Eyelids
Droopy, sagging skin on your upper and lower eyelids can interfere with your vision and harm your self-esteem. Fortunately, you can correct the age-related changes in your eyes by getting a blepharoplasty. This procedure can eliminate your sagging skin and fix your undereye circles. If you are interested in hearing more about this cosmetic technique, contact us at MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in Milford, Pennsylvania.
