There are many reasons why someone may want to turn to cosmetic eye surgery as they age. After all, aging does take quite a toll on the skin around the sight organs. A bit of creative freshening up will allow the prospective patient to look younger and much more revitalized.
As a matter of fact, there are many ways that aging affects the eye area. Here is a list of just a few things to watch out for:
1. Brown Spotting
Throughout your life, sun exposure may cause skin discoloration. Unlike freckles that are small, and even considered attractive, brown spots are large and distracting. Many times this hyperpigmentation begins forming on the skin adjacent to the eyes. This can happen as early as a person’s mid-thirties.
2. Fine Lines and Deep Wrinkles
While it is true that fine lines are simply a natural part of the aging process, the lines around the eyes, also known as crow’s feet, certainly can be exacerbated by direct sunshine. This is because sunlight not only ages skin anyway but also because consistent expose also leads to more squinting.
Deep wrinkles, also referred to as “dynamic wrinkles,” are set much deeper than fine lines and are created due to the way your face moves daily throughout your lifetime. The deep wrinkles that surround the eyes are usually a result of laughing, smiling, and frowning. Combined with “bunny lines,” or the vertical, parallel lines between your eyebrows, they are probably the most telling signs of age.
3. Bags Under the Eyes
Everyone knows what bags under the eyes are, but no one really seems to know what causes them. These so-called bags are both pockets of fat pushing through the lower eye muscles and nasty loose skin that is droopy in appearance. They form because, like all muscles, those in the lower eye both weaken and store excess fat as we continue to age. The fatty deposits cause bulges, and the unfortunate result is what we refer to as “bags.”
4. Loose Skin on the Upper Eyelids
This is again a result of lax muscles, though this time in the upper eyelid. This can cause the eyelid to droop downward, nearly eclipsing the eye. This phenomenon can prematurely age a person, and, at worst, can limit his or her vision.
There are many ways to deal with the cosmetic effects that aging has on eyes. For example, laser treatments can be used to repair the discoloration of brown spots, while Botox injections and products like them can assist with smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines. But, what can be done to fix the saggy and drooping skin of aging lower and upper eyelids? Fortunately, there is an eyelid surgery called blepharoplasty that can easily repair the damage.
What Exactly is Blepharoplasty?
Put simply; blepharoplasty is a surgery that removes excess skin and fat from the eyelids and sometimes adds fat to correct their saggy look. Sometimes this is referred to as an eyelid lift, but nothing is actually being lifted. It is just being removed or added to.
The upper eyelid procedure is done by making a slight incision that allows for fat and skin removal, and it is stitched together with very little scarring. As a matter of fact, the seam will look like an eyelid crease and nothing more.
Lower eyelid surgery involves making incisions either on the inside of the lid or right below the lash line. If it is inside the lid, the procedure is referred to as “transconjunctival,” and the incisions will not be visible once they heal.
Intravenous sedation or general anesthesia may be used. Your surgeon will ask your primary care physician which choice is best for you.
How do I Prepare for My Blepharoplasty?
First and foremost, you should have a detailed consultation with your doctor as well as a pre-surgery examination. Any individual that is in reasonably good health is a great candidate. As long he or she has realistic expectations for the results. The doctor should discuss any and all potential risks that have been reported about the procedure, as well as provide you with pre-operative instructions that must be followed meticulously before the procedure. Your surgeon will also instruct you to have certain items on hand once you return home. These usually include gel packs, aspirin for pain, gauze, and saline drops.
How Long will my Recovery Be?
Recovery from blepharoplasty is actually quite quick, considering it can be a bit invasive for such a fragile area. There will be slight bruising and possible swelling about twenty-four hours after the surgery, but it will soon fade. During the first two days, use a cold compress to eliminate the aftereffects a bit faster.
Small bandages will be placed over the incisions for a couple of days, and the stitches can be removed about five days after that. If they are self-absorbing, removal is not necessary.
After seven to ten days, clients tend to go back to their everyday activities. Light exercise, like walking, can even speed healing along. After two weeks, all swelling and bruising should be gone.
Will I have any Complications from the Procedure?
Any surgical procedure, even safe ones like blepharoplasty, poses potential risks and complications. These can include the inability to close your eyes, bleeding, infection, worse-than-average scarring, abnormal eyelid position, loss of vision, dry eyes, and double vision.
An eyelid lift may be the anti-aging eye treatment you have been looking for all along. After all, if you specifically need to “lift” your eyes and open them up, this may be your best option.