Blepharoplasty is one of the most common procedures I perform. It involves removing fat and skin from the upper and lower eyelid. The procedure can taken anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 and ½ hours depending on which eyelids are done (upper or lower). Recovery is two weeks to three weeks. It is the procedure that most rejuvenates the face and your appearance. Eyelid specialists or oculoplastic surgeons perform blepharoplasty or eyelid lifts regularly. It is a specialized surgery performed by specialized surgeons.
So should you get a blepharoplasty now? Well..it depends. First off how much skin and fat do you have on your eyelid to be removed? I often tell very young patients that a patent with a small amount of loose skin or fat is exposed to the same risks as a patient who has a large amount of loose skin or fat. Thus it may not be worth it if you have barely any fat or skin to remove. Patients who are in their 20s should really consider how ba their eyelids are before undergoing blepharoplasty. Some patients who have a family history of baggy eyelids that is disproportionately worse than their similarly aged friends shold consider it. If the answer to this question begins with “I notice every now and then” or “When I look in one particular angle, my camera picks up only in brigh sunlight..” I am not sure if you are ready for surgery for your eyelids yet. It may be better for you to consider fillers, botox or any other non surgical eyelid procedure.
What about recovery? In the age of COVID a lot of people are working at home. That makes things a lot easier. The truth is that for a week or so you wont want to get on zoom or any media for that matter. The first 72 hours, your vision will be blurry and you most likely wont be able to even use your computer. That being said, most people enjoy the fact that they are at home and can hide out. In fact, I have seen a huge bump in patients who are interested in procedures because of this.
Ok..cost. A blepharoplasty surgery can cost anywhere from 2500 to 7000 dollars depending on what is done. Since most people get blepharoplasty only once in their life, it Is well worth it. It is a specialized precise surgery and requires specialized plastic surgery training. I have performed 1000s of blepharoplasty surgeries in my career and it is not as easy as one may believe. There are many considerations for this surgery. When we perform surgery an anesthesiologist is present to make sure you are comfortable and things go safely. We take no shortcuts in our expertise to optimize your safety, and outcome of the blepharoplasty.
Finally is it worth it? An internal study at our practice found over 98% of patients who had surgery with us were extremely happy with their results . Most patients are very happy with their surgery. Happiness after surgery is complicated though. If you are getting surgery because you want to look younger so you can date 20 year olds, you may not be happy if you get the surgery and 20 year olds still don’t want to date you. Alternatively there are a small subset of patients who will never be happy with any result. They come to our practice for second opinions. They have had perfect surgery but are “disappointed” with the results. It may be a bigger broader issue that they have disappointment with. Other than these subset of patients other patients are often very happy. They feel more refreshed. They look younger. Most friends cannot notice anything was done. There is a reason it is the most common procedure I peform and why I like performing it.
The first step is to buy my book on Amazon “So you want to get your eyelids done” or come see me for a consultation. That begins the journey of seeing if this surgery is right for you and if I am right for you. I honestly may not be a good fit for you and you may not be a good fit for me. We have to determine that together so I can give you a good outcome where you are happy.
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