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Eye Lift (Blepharoplasty)
Do people think you're tired and cranky — even when you're not? Are your droopy
eyelids affecting your vision? When the saggy, puffy skin around your eyes starts to impact your looks, lifestyle, and functionality it's time to look into an eye lift.
Blepharoplasty (also known as laser eyelid surgery, laser eye-lift, and other similar names) eliminates the excess fat and skin that weigh your eyes down. We often combine it with a technique like ActiveFX or laser resurfacing to smooth out wrinkles and give you the lighter, brighter appearance of youth.
Blepharoplasty is a quick, in-office treatment that is virtually bloodless and painless. We can treat the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both.
Conditions
SAGGING, PUFFY, OR WRINKLED EYES Wrinkles and folds around the eyes. Excessive skin and fat, causing drooping lids, "bags" under the eyes, sagging, and puffiness.
The Treatment
UPPER EYELIDS
We begin by giving you a local anesthetic. Using a laser device, the doctor makes a tiny incision in the crease above the eye and removes excess fat, muscle, and skin. The incision is closed with sutures, which are removed after healing.
LOWER EYELIDS
After deadening the treatment site with a local anesthetic, the doctor works through an incision in the back of the lower eyelid. Because of the incision location you need no sutures and will have no visible scarring.
After either blepharoplasty procedure the doctor can use the laser to remove any residual skin and smooth out wrinkles.
The Schedule
Upper and lower blepharoplasties take approximately 30 to 60 minutes each. If you have both upper and lower eyelids treated at the same time it will take one to two hours. The doctor will want to see you for a follow-up visit the day after your surgery, and if you have upper blepharoplasty we will need to see you five to seven days later to remove your sutures.
Precautions
The laser device minimizes your chances of bleeding and bruising. To further reduce
this risk you should not take aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or similar anti-inflammatory medications for 10 days before and seven days after treatment. Do not drink alcohol seven days before until five days after treatment. Refrain from vigorous exercise for 10 days after treatment.
Rare risks and side effects include poor healing with skin loss or scarring, nerve or muscle damage, impairment of eye function, decrease in tear production, or the inability to close the eyes completely.
See Also
ActiveFX or Laser Resurfacing — Combine a laser treatment with your blepharoplasty to smooth out eye wrinkles and creases.
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| A patient's perspective |
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| Before |
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View larger photos |
| At age 40 I thought I was a little young to start having cosmetic procedures ... but for some time I had been bothered by "saggy" upper eyelids and dark circles under my eyes. After seeing the excellent results that Dr. Ramsdell's patients were having from the laser resurfacing/blepharoplasty procedure, I decided to "go for it." And thankfully so ... one of the best decisions I ever made. My husband was reluctant at first, but after seeing the final results he has given me several unsolicited compliments about the improvement and how much better I look. A few months following, I ran into a group of friends I had not seen in at least two years. None of them knew I had my "eyes done," but everyone there made a comment about how "great" I looked and that "moving away must have been good for me!" Aside from all of the wonderful compliments, I am much happier with my appearance, it takes half the time to apply my make-up, and I no longer need heavy concealers to cover dark under-eye circles. I LOVE IT!! And Dr. Ramsdell and his staff are the best there is!! |
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William M. Ramsdell, MD Dermatologist, Medical Director 
