California Eyelift Surgery Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty, or eyelift surgery is an operation designed to remove sagging skin and muscle from the eyelids and to remove "bags" by trimming away excess fat bulges. In some cases, the upper or lower lids can be treated alone. If indicated, all four lids may be treated at the same time. At times, a forehead lift and/or a face lift is done along with the eyelift. Excess drooping of the eyebrows and corners of the upper eyelids may require a forehead lift to correct the area.

Normally, everyone has a small amount of fat around the eyeball. If the quantity of fat increases, or the local tissues stretch and weaken, the fat begins to bulge, producing "bags." Occasionally this bulging is seen in young patients and is an inherited family trait and not a result of aging. The laxity and wrinkling of eyelift skin may be seen alone or in conjunction with excess fat. These changes have a striking effect on one's appearance. An attractive face with these early signs of aging can affect a patient's self image, attitude, and sense of well-being.

One of the first signs of early aging is bagginess or puffiness around the eyes, often associated with wrinkling of the eyelift skin. Blepharoplasty, or eyelift surgery is designed to correct this condition and to restore the youthful alert appearance of your eyes. This condition may be present in the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both. It also may be associated with looseness of the skin of the eyebrows or temple region.

Swelling, discoloration, and bruising is to be expected. It is not unusual to have some difficulty seeing during the first day or two after surgery because of the swelling. Patients vary a great deal in their recovery rate but usually can resume normal light activity or work 3-4 days after surgery using dark glasses and make-up to camouflage the swelling and discoloration. The patient will usually be presentable without dark glasses in 10 days. A small amount of residual swelling persists for many weeks but gradually disappears. View eyelid lift photos.