An eyelid lift can immensely help with eliminating that puffy look that makes you look aged and tired. Deep grooves and bags under the eyes are a major concern for a lot of people, especially those who look older than their age. If you’re looking for significant changes to your appearance around the eyes, a lower blepharoplasty at Stanislaw Facial Plastic Surgery Center may be an effective treatment for you.
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AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR LOWER EYELID SURGERY?
If you are generally in good health, are a non-smoker, and have realistic expectations for upper or lower eyelid rejuvenation surgery, you are likely an ideal candidate for eyelid surgery.
Some of the reasons you may consider eyelid surgery are that you have skin laxity and fine wrinkles that give a “crepe paper” effect on your eyelids. Other noticeable symptoms that blepharoplasty can treat are dark circles or bags under your eyes.
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WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR LOWER BLEPHAROPLASTY?
There are a few options double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Stanislaw can offer for your eyelid surgery, including non-surgical (but temporary) treatments:
- For improving puffiness and bags, a transconjunctival approach is used, where an incision is made inside your eyelid. Using this plastic surgery method, excess fat can be removed, but not excess skin.
- To treat excess skin, a subciliary incision is made in the fold of the lower eyelid, from which excess fat and skin tissue can be removed.
- For patients who have little excess skin and strong eyelid support, Dr. Stanislaw may use the “skin pinch” approach for treatment. This approach removes a small amount of extra skin that is causing a sagging or slack appearance under the eye.
- For further face rejuvenation with any of the mentioned procedures, laser resurfacing or a chemical peel can also be used for treating wrinkles and tightening any excessive skin.
- Non-surgical options for lower eyelid surgery results can be found in the form of hyaluronic acid fillers. Temporary solutions for treating under-eye bags include dermal fillers like Restylane, which are injected into the tear trough to rejuvenate the area under the eye.
WHAT TO ASK DURING A BLEPHAROPLASTY CONSULTATION
In your first meeting with plastic surgeon Dr. Stanislaw, it is helpful to come in with good expectations and specific questions to help you better manage expectations for a blepharoplasty as well as risks and recovery timeline. Although you don’t have to ask all these questions, here are a few examples of questions you can bring to a consultation.
- Am I medically eligible for this type of eyelid surgery?
- What are the risks of this plastic surgery procedure?
- What kind of results can I expect from this procedure?
- How long do you expect my results to last?
- Would you recommend any treatment besides blepharoplasty to address my concerns?
- Can blepharoplasty be performed with other facial plastic surgery procedures? If so, which would you recommend for the most effective results?
- What procedure will you use during the surgery?
By asking good questions and taking notes on Dr. Stanislaw’s answers during your consultation, you make yourself better informed about the blepharoplasty procedure and its expected results for your specific concerns.
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WILL I HAVE ANY SCARS?
If Dr. Stanislaw uses the transconjunctival approach, no external incision is required, so there are no visible scars. However, the transconjunctival incision cannot remove excess skin tissue below the eye, which means the more effective eyelid surgery approach uses the subciliary incision technique.
Both approaches result in minimal scarring but have an obvious key difference: one scar is inside the eyelid and one is visible on the outside. However, because the skin on the eyelid and around the eye is sensitive, thin, and important for vision, the body is very good at healing this protective layer of a vital sensory organ. This means no matter which incision is used in your personalized approach to eye surgery, any visible scarring will be subtle.
LOWER BLEPHAROPLASTY RECOVERY
The time of recovery from eyelid surgery varies from patient to patient, but most patients resume normal activities within 10 days after surgery.
After eyelid surgery, you may be monitored by our expert staff to ensure no immediate complications arise, after which you are released to recover at home. That day, you will likely experience symptoms such as pain or discomfort—which can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication—watering eyes, light sensitivity, puffy, numb eyelids, and swelling and bruising.
To promote a quick and full recovery, Dr. Stanislaw advises patients to keep their head elevated for the first seven days and to avoid any strenuous activities, including swimming, for about two weeks. Usually any swelling and bruising will resolve within two weeks.
HOW LONG DO LOWER BLEPHAROPLASTY RESULTS LAST?
The results of your lower eyelid surgery are long-lasting. Once the fat is removed from below the eyes, it does not grow back. However, no eyelid surgery can completely prevent the natural process of aging, including loss of skin elasticity around the eyes. Because of this, although a blepharoplasty is highly effective in correcting common signs of aging around the lower eyelids, it cannot provide permanent results.
Patients who undergo blepharoplasty report seeing benefits of the surgery for five to seven years.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
Do you wish your eyes weren’t so tired-looking even when you’re most alert? If drooping eyelids or excessive bags are causing you to lose self-confidence when you look in the mirror, a lower eyelid blepharoplasty may be right for you.
At Stanislaw Facial Plastic Surgery Center in Connecticut, we have skilled staff led by double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Stanislaw who is ready to help you regain youthfulness in your eyes. Call us at (860) 404-6133 or contact us online to start the conversation about blepharoplasty and how it can benefit you today.
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