When your eyelids begin to droop and show fine lines—as often happens with age, because of your genes, or after years of sun exposure and habits such as smoking—you can look older, tired, even sad. Many people have baggy and puffy lower eyelids. Lower eyelid surgery, also known as lower blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to remove excess fat and tighten the skin. This procedure can drastically minimize the appearance of baggy and puffy lower eyelids, restoring a refreshed, rested and youthful look.
You may be a candidate for lower eyelid blepharoplasty if:
- You always look tired, even with plenty of sleep
- Your under-eye bags are present throughout the day
- You have excess skin around the eyes
- You notice that applying makeup is becoming more difficult
- Your friends or family keep asking you if you’re tired or if you’re getting enough sleep
There are different surgical techniques a surgeon can use to rejuvenate the lower eyelids, but the overall approach usually involves removing fat (or sculpting and redistributing the fat or septum) as well as removing excess skin and sagging muscle.
The two most common lower blepharoplasty approaches are:
Transcutaneous Approach – This surgical technique involves making an external incision in the lower eyelid, just below the eyelashes. This approach can be advantageous if there is sagging of the skin and the orbicularis oculi muscle (the muscle which supports the eyelid). A well-placed incision can be virtually invisible when fully healed. Patients with darker skin may experience darker pigmentation (hyperpigmentation) along the incision line.
Transconjunctival Approach – This approach requires an incision in the inside of the eyelid and has several benefits:
- No external incision so signs of surgery are unnoticeable. Even a close-up eye exam will not reveal signs of surgery.
- The shape of the eye is typically better preserved as the orbicularis oculi muscle integrity is preserved.
- Minimal trauma to the fragile support network of the eyelid structure.
Lower Blepharoplasty Recovery
Following lower blepharoplasty in Santa Maria, minimal swelling and some bruising are typical, which subsides anywhere from within a week to ten days. Most patients are able to return to work in one week. If you are interested in lower eyelid surgery in Santa Maria, contact Pacific Eye Surgeons at phone or website today to schedule a consultation with our doctors.
