Your eyes might be the windows to the soul, but aging, sun damage, and other factors can change your window dressing. The combination of saggy eyelids and puffy bags under your eyes contribute to a tired, aged appearance, even after a good night’s sleep.
The skin around your eyes is delicate and one of the first places to show signs of lost collagen and elasticity, such as drooping and baggy eyelids. In extreme cases, sagging eyelids can interfere with your vision.
Here at Meridian Plastic Surgery in Meridian, Mississippi, our fellowship-trained surgeons, Lee Thornton, MD, FACS, and Mark Elliot, MD, FACS, offer expert blepharoplasty procedures to help you get rid of saggy eyelids for good.
Skin laxity might be the primary cause of eyelid problems, but other factors contribute to the problem. For example, as you age, your facial muscles weaken, and fat deposits accumulate, adding to the unsupported bulge around your eyes. In most cases, our blepharoplasty patients are over 35, but you can schedule a consultation if eyelid sagging affects your vision, or you really dislike the shape of your eyes.
We typically perform blepharoplasty on the upper lids, but we can also treat your lower lids and the delicate skin beneath your eyes. Lower lid blepharoplasty is almost always done for cosmetic reasons, while upper lid surgery is sometimes cosmetic or functional.
Eyelid surgery usually takes around two hours or less to perform and is an outpatient procedure. Depending on your needs and preferences, we can combine blepharoplasty with other cosmetic procedures, such as a face-lift or skin resurfacing.
We give you personalized instructions on how to prepare for your operation. You might need to stop taking some medications before your surgery, so make sure we know about everything you take.
You also need to arrange for a ride to and from our offices. Blepharoplasty is usually done as an outpatient procedure, and the effects of anesthesia make it unsafe to drive.
Consider filling post-procedure prescriptions before your procedure, so you have antibiotics, eye drops, and pain medication ready. You might also want to ask a friend or family member to stay with you for a day or two after your surgery.
We review your aftercare instructions before releasing you to go home and recover. It’s critical to control your swelling, so make sure to have ice cubes and cold compresses ready at home. You can also use bags of frozen peas or corn as improvised cold packs.
You might want to prepare a comfortable place to rest for a few days. You might need to wear a light dressing over your eyes for a few days. While you can usually remove any bandages and see after a day or so, it takes about two weeks before the swelling fully subsides.
You might also experience dry eye symptoms after your surgery. The condition is temporary, lasting around two weeks when it occurs. You can reduce your discomfort by wearing eyeglasses rather than contacts for vision correction. Your eyes will also be sensitive to the sun, so protect them with dark, oversized sunglasses when you’re outside.
We hide your incisions and any related scarring inside your eyelids' natural folds, so aside from looking younger and more awake, you won’t have any visible signs of surgery. In some cases, we can even perform blepharoplasty from the inside of your eyelid.
If you’re concerned about your appearance and want to learn more about blepharoplasty, call our office or schedule a consultation online today. We offer thorough exams to identify the best treatment to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
