Blepharoplasty is eyelid surgery that is also referred to as an eyelid lift. Its purpose is to correct bags under the lower eyelids or sagging upper eyelids to rejuvenate your appearance.
The skin around your eyes is delicate and is often the first area of your face to show your age. Also the muscles supporting your upper and lower eyelids can become weak as you get older. The result is black circles around your eyes, puffiness and swelling. If it is severe, sagging upper eyelids can affect your vision.
A blepharoplasty is a relatively safe procedure with few risks and you are unlikely to have any visible scars.
So what is the difference between an upper and lower blepharoplasty?
Upper Blepharoplasty
As you get older the skin on your upper eyelids starts to sag. This results in the skin losing its structure and firmness which allows excess fatty deposits to build up. Also the muscles can become lax. All this causes the skin to look wrinkled and bunched up. Your upper eyelids may feel heavy and droop so much that it impairs your vision.
When this occurs, you can benefit from an upper blepharoplasty. In this procedure your specialist plastic surgeon removes excess skin and fatty tissue from your upper eyelids that causes you issues. The results will give you a more open eyed look which can reduce the signs of ageing.
You may also opt to have an eyebrow lift at the same time if your eyebrows are also drooping.
Upper Blepharoplasty Procedure
The procedure takes between 45 to 60 minutes and is usually done under a local anaesthetic or twilight anaesthetic.
Your surgeon will make a small incision in the crease of your upper eyelid to remove excess muscle and skin, and fat, if necessary. They may even reposition the muscles before lifting the skin and closing the incision.
With the incision made in the crease of your eyelid, any scarring is not visible once the healing process is complete.
Cost of an Upper Blepharoplasty
The cost of upper eyelid surgery may be claimable through Medicare or your private insurance under certain circumstances, such as if it is for a medical reason. However, the cost for out of pocket expenses can be around $3000.
Lower Blepharoplasty
Fine lines can appear on your lower eyelids as you age. Your lower eyelids may begin to droop and make it look as if you have black circles under your eyes. Also, excess fluid and fat can make them appear puffy and give you a hollowed eye look.
A lower blepharoplasty can correct these issues to rejuvenate your lower eyelids. It can remove the puffiness and fatty deposits that cause the bags under your eyes and correct any drooping.
Lower Blepharoplasty Procedure
There are a number of approaches to performing a lower blepharoplasty depending on what you want to achieve from the surgery and your surgeon’s assessment. The two most common techniques are making an incision inside or outside the eyelid:
- Inside the eyelid (transconjunctival approach).When using the transconjunctival approach, your surgeon makes an incision inside the eyelid. This gives the surgeon direct access to remove excess fat but if you have any hollowing, the surgeon will use the external approach. The transconjunctival approach is best for younger people or if you do not have any weakness in the eyelid’s support structures.
- External incision (skin-muscle approach). During the skin muscle approach, your surgeon makes an incision just below your lower eyelashes to remove any excess skin and fat. They may reposition excess fat or lift the cheek to plump up any hollows under the eyes. Your surgeon may also need to tighten your lower eyelid to improve any weakness in the eyelid’s structure.
A lower blepharoplasty is more complex than upper eyelid surgery and will take between 60 to 90 minutes.
Cost of a Lower Blepharoplasty
It is only in rare cases that issues with the lower eyelid affects your vision so it is unlikely that Medicare or your private insurance will cover any of the cost. Every case is different so the cost varies.
Can I Get an Upper and Lower Blepharoplasty Together?
The short answer is yes, you can get an upper and lower blepharoplasty together.
At your initial appointment, the specialist plastic surgeon will give you a complete examination and make recommendations that align with the goals you want to achieve. If an upper and lower eye surgery is the right treatment for you, it can give you dramatic results and you only need to recover once.
How to Choose the right Blepharoplasty Surgeon
Choosing the right blepharoplasty surgeon is an important decision. The end result depends on the expertise and skill of the specialist plastic surgeon you select to do the surgery.
The most important thing is to check their training and board certification. In Australia, any doctor can call themselves a cosmetic surgeon without doing the training a specialist plastic surgeon undergoes. Make sure you ask the surgeon about their experience and training at your initial consultation. Check that they have certification from The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and completed specialist training in plastic surgery.
To discover more about upper and lower eyelid surgery, contact Pure Aesthetics to make an appointment with one of the best surgeons for blepharoplasty in Sydney. Our specialist plastic surgeon, Dr Robert Knight, is highly experienced and qualified to perform eyelid surgery Sydney. Organise an initial consultation with him today.
