Do family, friends or colleagues often ask if you’re sleepy, fatigued, or sad? Are saggy upper eyelids making your eyes look half closed and tired even when you’re not? Would you like to improve the tired or aged look of puffy lower eyelids or under-eye hollows with dark circles? Do you appear older and more worn-out than you actually feel? Do family, friends or colleagues often ask if you’re sleepy, fatigued, or sad? Are saggy upper eyelids making your eyes look half closed and tired even when you’re not? Would you like to improve the tired or aged look of puffy lower eyelids or under-eye hollows with dark circles? Do you appear older and more worn-out than you actually feel?

How Does Blepharoplasty Change My Looks?

Eyes are the primary focus when interacting with another person, even silently. The story your eyes tell is vital to communication and human connection.

Upper blepharoplasty removes excess skin and droopiness. It creates more openness, projecting an engaging appearance that’s representative of youth, positivity, and friendliness.

Lower blepharoplasty removes or repositions fatty soft tissue under your eyes. The re-contoured area below your eyes then smoothly extends to the natural contour of your cheeks. Repositioning facial volume loss under the eyes inevitably restores your look of youthfulness and vitality.

Blepharoplasty patients are often complimented for how rested and happy they appear. Friends take notice of how good you look, but can’t exactly pinpoint why. Post-surgery results can make you look 5-10 years younger. Check out the before and after photos on eyelid surgeries to see for yourself.

What Should I Do Before Eyelid Surgery?

Read our before treatment tips for key things to remember to do or avoid prior to your eyelid surgery. Consult the surgical recovery chart to plan accordingly for the peaceful, healing downtime you need post-op.

Blepharoplasty Surgery Details

Blepharoplasty is a straightforward, low-risk surgery with a relatively quick recovery. It consistently yields highly satisfying patient results, often without leaving any visible trace of a scar.

  • Upper eyelid incisions are placed in the natural creases of your eyes.
  • Lower eyelid incisions are usually invisible, made on the inner surface of the eyelid—a transconjunctival approach. In rare cases where an exterior “skin pinch” incision is necessary, it is placed a millimeter below the lower lash line so that it is well camouflaged.
  • Excess fat, muscle, and skin are excised or repositioned as appropriate to create the most naturally rejuvenated look in upper and/or lower eyelids.
  • Dr. Macdonald uses an emerging industry technique called arcus marginalis release, when appropriate for best lower eyelid results.
  • With this technique, he advances your lower eyelid and upper cheek fat pads versus aggressively resecting them. This conceals the infra-orbital rim that emerges with age, creating a hollowed look under your eye. As a result, a smooth, seamless, natural-looking youthful contour is recreated between your lower lid and cheek.
  • Incisions on the upper eyelid are closed with very fine sutures. Most lower eyelid surgeries require no sutures. If a “skin pinch” technique is used in the lower eyelid, this incision is closed with fine, dissolvable sutures.
  • Blepharoplasty takes 1-2 hours.

Eyelid Surgery is Often Combined With…

Your eyelid surgery results can be further enhanced when combined with a deep laser resurfacing procedure in the extended peri-orbital region.

A laser therapy add-on to blepharoplasty encompasses crow’s feet at the outer corners of your eyes, “crepiness” around the lower lids, and lax skin between the crease of your upper lids and eyebrows.

Blepharoplasty is also often combined with other surgical procedures, which saves both overall cost and recovery time for healing.

  • Brow Lift – to address a heavy brow or drooping eyebrows
  • Facelift and Neck Lift – to fully rejuvenate your entire face

In our experience, patients achieve the most gratifying rejuvenation results when choosing combination therapy. This holistic approach addresses aging in entire regions of the face.

Dr. MacDonald also specializes in Asian eyelid surgery and double-eyelid surgery in San Francisco.

Healing Process Following Blepharoplasty

  • Post-surgical discomfort is rare. Dr. Macdonald prescribes pain medication for patients who would like the comfort of having it should they need it.
  • We may recommend using ointment and eye drops to relieve any increased initial dryness in the first few days post-op.
  • It’s normal to experience some bruising and swelling for 3-7 days post-op.
  • Any non-dissolvable sutures are removed at 5-7 days post-op.
  • You can expect to resume work and other non-strenuous daily activities within 4-7 days.
  • After the first week of healing, treat your scars nightly with Dermatix™ or other scar gel. Avoid any sun exposure to your scars by wearing sunglasses and hats at all times for at least 2 months so that your scars do not darken.
  • At 3-6 months post-op, you are substantially healed and enjoying the results of your aesthetic improvement.

See after treatment tips for more details about reducing swelling, bruising, or traces of scars following your blepharoplasty for eyelid rejuvenation.

Before and After