Do you struggle with drooping eyelids or significant bags under your eyes? An eyelid lift, also known as Blepharoplasty, can improve the appearance of your eyelids and leave your eyes looking brighter, larger, and more youthful. This treatment can also help patients whose vision has become impaired by droopy or misshapen eyelids. At the Advanced Dermatology Center in Wolcott, CT, we can address all of your eyelid concerns.
What Is an Eyelid Lift?
Eyelid lifts are most often performed to fight signs of aging, and they can have a significant effect on your appearance and your self-confidence. These treatments can also help patients who are born with naturally droopy or puffy eyelids or have a medical condition that has caused the eyelids to droop.
An eyelid lift can tighten the lid and remove sagging skin that creates folds or otherwise interrupts the lid’s natural contour. It can also get rid of puffiness in the eyelids, bags under the eyes, and fine wrinkles on the lids. If your lower lid sags to the point that white below the iris of the eye is revealed, this treatment can restore the natural position of the lid. There are several different types of eyelid lifts.
Upper Eyelid Lift
An Upper Eyelid Lift is most often performed to combat signs of aging, restoring the eye to a more rounded and open shape. Upper Eyelid Lifts are also frequently performed to restore vision that has become impaired by a drooping lid.
Lower Eyelid Lift
Lower Eyelid Lifts can address fine wrinkles, puffiness, and droopiness on the lower lid. Lower Eyelid Lifts also help address under-eye bags.
Double Eyelid Lift
Depending on a patient’s cosmetic concerns, this treatment can also address both eyelids simultaneously, leaving the individual with wider, larger, and more youthful eyes.
What Happens During Blepharoplasty?
This treatment is performed on an outpatient basis under anesthesia. Tiny incisions will be made in the natural creases and folds of the eyelids, and the extra skin and fat in the area will be removed. We may also tighten the eyelid muscles depending on the type of improvement you’re hoping to see. At the end of the treatment, we’ll close the incisions with stitches.
If you’re having both lids treated, we’ll start with the upper lid and then proceed to the lower lid. Treatment of the lower lid usually involves the removal of a small amount of fat, and incisions on the lower lid are often made on the inside of the eyelid or just beneath the lower eyelashes on the outer part of the lid.
What’s the Recovery Like?
Recovery after an eyelid lift is fairly straightforward. You’ll want to plan on resting for several days. You’ll need to keep the treatment area clean, but it will also be important to be gentle when washing it. Most patients are not permitted to wear contact lenses for two weeks after treatment, so be sure to have prescription glasses on hand.
How Soon Will I See Results?
Most patients see their final results four to six weeks after their treatment.
What Advantages Are Associated With Eyelid Lifts?
Brighter, More Youthful Eyes
When your eyes are surrounding by droopy lids, it’s difficult for light to reach them. By pulling back the drapes that surround the eyes, an eyelid lift can help your eyes sparkle again. A lift can also restore a more youthful shape to the eyes. As we age, the eyes tend to become less round and more horizontal and narrow. By removing small pockets of fat, a lower eyelid lift can help the eyes adopt a more youthful shape.
Clearer Vision
For patients with significant droopiness and puffiness in the eyelids, improved vision can be a major motivation for seeking out Blepharoplasty CT. But even patients with a moderate amount of droopiness who seek this treatment out for cosmetic reasons are sometimes surprised by how much better they can see.
Clearer Communication
Do friends and family often ask if you’re tired or sad? The eyes play an important role in interpersonal communication, and lids that are puffy and heavy may be sending signals about your emotions that are inaccurate. By restoring the natural shape and position of your lids, an eyelid lift will help you more accurately communicate and convey your emotions more accurately.
Fewer Forehead Creases
You may not even realize it, but if you have heavy, puffy eyelids, you may be constantly raising your brows to get a better look at things. Over time, frequent eyebrow raising can lead to forehead creases. Once your lids have been lightened up and you’re no longer struggling to see past them, you’ll spend less time crunching and creasing your forehead.
A Permanent Solution
This treatment permanently improves the shape and appearance of your eyelids, so you won’t have to worry about returning for touch-up sessions. Your eyelids and face will continue to age, however, so it’s possible your results will evolve in appearance.
Am I a Candidate?
If you’re interested in finding out if you’re a Blepharoplasty CT candidate, the first step is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ronald S. Jurzyk, our founder and president. Dr. Jurzyk is double board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and his medical degree from Drexel University School of Medicine / Hahnemann in Philadelphia.
Dr. Jurzyk will talk with you about your cosmetic concerns and goals and examine and measure your eyes. A vision test will also likely be performed, and we may take pictures of your eyelids, which will help guide us during your treatment. During this consultation, Dr. Jurzyk will determine if you’re a good candidate for this treatment. There are several early signs that you may be a good candidate.
You’re in Good General Health
The best patients are nonsmokers in good general health who don’t have any chronic illnesses that could hamper their recovery. They also don’t have any serious eye conditions. Be sure to tell us about any prescription medications you are taking during your consultation.
You’re Unhappy With the Look of Your Eyelids
It’s natural for your skin to begin to sag as part of the aging process. But age-related changes impact each patient differently, and if you’re bothered by the appearance of your lids or the bags beneath your eyes, it may be time to explore Blepharoplasty CT.
Your Vision Is Being Affected
For some patients, puffy, droopy eyelids are more than a cosmetic concern. If you’ve begun to have difficulty seeing past your eyelids, particularly when looking up, an eyelid lift may be able to help.
You Have a Positive, Realistic Outlook
The best patients for this treatment are emotionally healthy, understand what’s involved, and are realistic about the likely outcome of this treatment.
How Does This Treatment Differ From a Brow Lift?
A brow lift, which is also sometimes described as a forehead lift, is a similar type of treatment. But a brow lift focuses on smoothing forehead creases, lifting eyebrows that have begun to sag and droop, and addressing other types of aging on the top half of the face.
Both a brow lift and an eyelid lift can rejuvenate the upper face. Deciding between the two depends on what your primary cosmetic concern is. If your eyebrows are in their proper position, but your eyelids are drooping and puffy, Blepharoplasty CT is probably the best treatment for you.
But if there is no excess skin or puffiness on your lids, and your forehead is sagging, a brow lift may be the better option. For some patients, we recommend both a brow lift and an eyelid lift to fully resolve their cosmetic concerns.
Can a Facelift Help My Eyelids?
A facelift offers a comprehensive tightening and lifting of the face, and it can address cosmetic concerns such as sagging skin, changes in the shape of the face, and folds that have developed on the cheeks or jawline.
Most facelifts don’t hone in on eyelid puffiness the way Blepharoplasty CT does. However, it’s not uncommon for an eyelid lift to be performed in conjunction with a facelift. We can discuss the best approach with you during your initial consultation.
Eyelid Lift Q&A
What Is the Best Age for an Eyelid Lift?
Most eyelid lift patients are in their mid-thirties or older, but there is no perfect age for this treatment. When evaluating you as a candidate, we’ll look more at the condition of your eyelids and their degree of droopiness than your age.
Is This Treatment for Men As Well as Women?
Yes, men, as well as women, often seek out this treatment as a way of fighting back against signs of aging and improving the look of their faces. The shape of male eyes and eyebrows tends to be different than female eyes. Men also tend to have thicker skin and facial muscles that are heavier. When evaluating you as a candidate and planning your treatment, we’ll take your gender into consideration.
How Long Does This Treatment Take?
If you’re having both the upper and lower eyelids addressed, the actual treatment will take about 90 minutes. That does not include the time you’ll spend recovering from anesthesia.
Am I Still a Candidate If I Previously Had LASIK surgery?
Yes. Individuals who have had LASIK or another type of vision surgery in the past often make great eyelid lift candidates. We usually ask patients to wait three to six months after vision surgery before proceeding with an eyelid lift.
Can an Eyelid Lift Be Combined With Other Cosmetic Treatments?
Yes. For many of our patients, an eyelid lift is just one component of their overall treatment plan. Dermal fillers and medical-grade facials are among the cosmetic treatments that are frequently combined with an eyelid lift.
Will My Insurance Cover This Treatment?
If your vision is compromised by your eyelids and this treatment is being performed to help you see better, insurance may partially cover Blepharoplasty CT. But in many cases, and especially when the eyelid lift is being performed for cosmetic reasons, insurance will not cover this treatment.
Will I Be Able to Apply Eye Cosmetics After This Treatment?
Once your eyelids have completely healed following this treatment, you’ll be able to wear cosmetics of your choosing. Many patients are drawn to this treatment because their eyelids have begun to droop to the point that they can no longer effectively apply cosmetics. This treatment makes it possible to begin wearing makeup again.
Take the First Step Today
If puffy, droopy eyelids are making you look older than you are, it may be time to consider an eyelid lift. This treatment can help you turn back the clock, and for some patients, it can even improve their ability to see. Don’t wait any longer. Call Advanced Dermatology Center in Wolcott, CT, today and schedule a Blepharoplasty CT consultation!
