Eyelid Lift

The eyes are generally the first point on the face to tell one’s age. The Eyelid Lift or blepharoplasty can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes—features that make you look older and more tired than you feel, and may even interfere with your vision. This surgery results in a more alert-looking and youthful appearance and the results last for years, sometimes permanently. Some patients experience an improvement in their field of vision from a blepharoplasty. This in-office procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia in less than 45 minutes to a few hours depending on how much work is done.

Blepharoplasty can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a facelift or browlift. It's usually done on an outpatient basis; rarely does it require an inpatient stay. Blepharoplasty usually takes one to three hours and in a typical procedure, Dr. Lee makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids; in the creases of your upper lids, and just below the lashes in the lower lids separating the skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscle, removing excess fat, and often trimming sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures.

Patients cannot wear contact lenses for about two weeks and the downtime is usually one week to 10 days depending on bruising which can be covered effectively with makeup. It's especially important to avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting, and rigorous sports during the first two weeks to one month following blepharoplasty. Any surgical scars that remain are often slightly pink for six months or more after surgery, eventually fading to a thin, nearly invisible white line.