Cosmetic Eyelid and Eyebrow Surgery: FAQ

If you always look angry, puzzled, or simply exhausted when you look in the mirror, perhaps the problem lies with the tissues surrounding your eyes. Sagging eyebrows or eyelid skin can alter your appearance and even cause people to misinterpret how you feel about them. Fortunately, plastic surgery can correct such issues.

Before leaping into any kind of cosmetic surgery commitment, you can benefit from learning about the various surgical options available, how they can correct your appearance, and what to expect from the entire experience. Educate yourself with the answers to these frequently asked questions about cosmetic eyelid and eyebrow surgery.

How Does Eyelid or Eyebrow Surgery Improve Your Looks?

Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, can correct the common effects of aging on the upper or lower eyelids. As you grow older, the skin of the eyelids begins to stretch, while the underlying muscles that would normally keep them in place weaken. At the same time, fat accumulates to cause either droopy eyelids or bags under the eyes.

Some people who think that they need blepharoplasty actually need an eyelid lift instead. Normally aging can cause the eyebrow tissues to lose some of their elasticity, permitting them to sag downward into the upper eyelid area. The results may include both droopy-looking upper eyelids and a perpetually angry or sad look.

Who Represents a Good Candidate for Eyebrow or Eyelid Surgery?

The best candidates for eyebrow or eyelid surgery enjoy good overall health. Your plastic surgeon will discuss your medical history to determine whether you have any conditions (including known eye conditions) that might reduce your odds of a successful procedure.

Additionally, smokers don’t usually make good candidates for these kinds of procedures. Smoking can interfere with the healing process and raise your risk for postoperative complications, including scar development. If you want an eyebrow or eyelid procedure, you may need to give up your smoking habit.

You must also go into your eyelid or eyebrow procedure with realistic expectations. For example, you should understand that while these surgeries can remove excess skin, they won’t necessarily correct wrinkles, dark circles, or other blemishes around the eyes. You may need to schedule other cosmetic procedures to address these issues.

What Should You Do to Prepare for Your Procedure?

During your pre-operative consultation, your plastic surgeon will most likely take multiple photographs of your eyes from various angles. This step helps the surgeon plan the procedure to meet your individual needs.

Additionally, preceding the procedure, you should stop taking any blood-thinning medications except for those allowed by your plastic surgeon.

Eyebrow lifts and blepharoplasty both count as outpatient procedures, meaning that you can usually go home the day of the surgery instead of staying overnight in a hospital. However, since you will receive sedation, you should arrange for someone to drive you home after you’ve spent the necessary post-procedure time in the recovery room.

What Should You Expect During and After Your Procedure?

In typical blepharoplasty, the surgeon makes one or more small incisions either along the upper eyelid line or just below the eyelash line on the lower eyelids. After removing excess skin and shifting the underlying fat, the surgeon closes the incisions with sutures.

An eyebrow lift also involves the use of incisions that permit the removal or excess skin and fat. In a traditional coronal brow lift, your plastic surgeon will make a long incision along the top of your head. By contrast, an endoscopic brow lift requires only a few tiny incisions behind your hairline.

You may receive instructions to apply ice packs or cold compresses to help reduce postoperative swelling. You’ll also need to avoid any activities that might aggravate your incisions, such as bathing or heavy lifting. And if you had eyelid surgery, you will need to avoid inserting contact lenses while your eyelids heal.

If you’d like to give yourself a more youthful, rested, and happy look, Jaibaji Plastic Surgery can help. Contact our office to find out whether an eyebrow lift or blepharoplasty makes sense for you.