One of the most popular and successful facial plastic surgery procedures is blepharoplasty or eyelid tuck surgery. As it is for most the earliest sign of facial aging is around the eyes. And as the eyes are seen by all (every human conversation involves a fair amount of time looking into the other person’s eyes.), it is no wonder that how we look is highly influenced by the appearance of our eyes. This is why I always blepharoplasty a great value based on how much it can change one’s appearance…and other people’s perception of you.
Despite the success and relative simplicity of blepharoplasty surgery (compared to other facial procedures), there remain some basic misconceptions about it. Despite how one may look after eyelid surgery, there is a remarkable paucity of any significant pain. The eyelids are very thin tissues with skin and a little muscle, but nothing that creates a lot of pain with surgical manipulation. In essence, you look bad but you don’t feel bad. As a result, recovery after blepharoplasty is mainly about how you look and not really about how you feel. It takes about a week or so until one really feels good again about going out in public.
Blepharoplasty will not necessarily make you look like you have had a beating. Recovery after eyelid surgery, in terms of the swelling and bruising that occurs, can be influenced by what one does before and after the procedure. Stop any medication that can promote bleeding, such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, two weeks before surgery. I highly endorse taking Arnica Montana tablets (a homeopathic supplement) beginning one week before and one week after surgery. This will help to prevent some of the bruising around the eyes that will occur as well as help what does appear clear faster. On the first postoperative night, keeping your head above your heart and ice the eye area (frozen vegetables are easiest) are really beneficial. All of these together can make it possible to be publically presentable and relatively ‘non-surgical’ in appearance a week after surgery.
Contrary to the perception of some, blepharoplasty will not usually change the way you look. We have seen photos of famous people who look different (and sometimes worse) after their procedures. This is a function of overdoing the operation which can definitely cause a change in the orbital and eye area. Too much skin removed or blepharoplasties combined with an aggressive browlift can make for an overdone or unnatural look. This is a result of how the procedures were performed, not just because they were performed. While everyone wants the best result and wants it to last a long time, no one wants to look unusual along the way.
Despite the really significant improvements that eyelid surgery can make, the results are not permanent. And as stated before, trying to make them last forever will only result in an undesired outcome. Like all anti-aging facial surgery, the operation treats the symptoms and not the underlying problem. Expect blepharoplasty results to last five to seven years, and sometimes longer. But a tuck-up years later will eventually be needed to maintain that refreshed look.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana