How to turn back the clock with one simple procedure, eyelid surgery
The most important region of one’s face is their eyes and it is the area that can be the first to show signs of aging. Fortunately it is also an area that can be easily improved with minimal surgery. If you’re in your late 30’s, take a look at your eyelids in the mirror. Are they starting to droop? Over the years, eyelids can start to sag. Not only can they make a person look older, but they may feel very heavy and interfere with your vision. If you are experiencing droopy lids, you may wonder if blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery, is right for you.
As we age, the thin skin of our eyelids starts to lose its elasticity and begins to stretch, resulting in excess folds of skin that may hang down over the edge of the upper eyelids. You may feel an extra heaviness in the upper lid or feel the skin sitting on your lashes. In some cases, a forehead lift might also be advised to increase peripheral vision.
To add insult to injury, at the same time the muscles beneath our skin also grow weaker, allowing fat to protrude through and cause bags, particularly in the lower eyelids. The levator muscle, which lifts the upper eyelids, can become weak, causing the upper eyelid to droop. Fine wrinkle lines and creases appear in the delicate skin around the lids. Unfortunately, aging around the eyes is to a large extent determined by heredity. So if mom and dad had droopy eyelids, chances are you will too.
Dr. Bierly performs blepharoplasty to correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin and muscle. He will begin with a physical examination to determine what is causing the droopy lid. If it’s a functional problem of the lid, the medical term is called a ptosis repair of the eyelid, and may be covered by insurance.
If droopy eyelids are caused by downward displacement of the brow, then Dr. Bierly will recommend a brow lift to elevate the position of the brow—with or without surgery of the upper lid.