If your eyes don’t look as youthful as they used to, or the aging process has caused your eyelids to sag and interfere with your vision, we have a solution that can help. At Rios Center for Plastic Surgery in Edinburg, TX, we offer blepharoplasty surgeon, which is the technical term for eyelid surgery that can help open up your eyes, restore youth to the area, and lift the eyelids so that you look and feel younger.
What Is the Right Age for Eyelid Surgery?
Blepharoplasty Surgeon is also known as eyelid surgery or an eyelid lift. The majority of patients who seek this procedure do so to restore youth and reverse the signs of aging. However, age is not the primary determining factor regarding whether you qualify for this procedure. The goal of blepharoplasty surgeon is to remove the skin around the eyelids that is causing the sagging or drooping appearance.
If you have extra skin around your eyes that makes you look and feel older than you are or is impeding your vision, you can undergo this procedure to treat and address that skin regardless of your age. During your initial consultation, our team will analyze your eyes and the skin causing you concern to determine if you would benefit from eyelid surgery.
Age and Eyelid Surgery
When it comes to age, some raw numbers can give you a better idea about those who undergo this procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that in a study, 90 percent of those who chose this surgery were over 40. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to be in your forties to qualify as a candidate.
Patients of different ages seek this treatment to address their eyes, including those in their twenties to those in their late sixties and beyond. Some are concerned about their appearance; others dislike their naturally hooded eyes or want to address sagging eyelids that have made them look and feel older or have begun to impair their vision. Whatever the case, we can help you achieve all of your aesthetic goals, regardless of your numerical age.
What Causes Eyelid Concerns?
The Aging Process
A common denominator among patients concerned with their eyelids’ appearance is that they have begun to experience some degree of sagging or drooping skin in the area. Over time, the body begins to produce less collagen. Collagen is an important body protein because it helps keep the skin tight and firm. When the body produces less collagen, the skin suffers and loses elasticity.
Collagen Loss
When there isn’t as much collagen to support the skin’s structure, wrinkles and fine lines develop. The aging process also negatively affects fat pockets in the face by shrinking them. Shrunken fat pockets can lead to the formation of hollow areas, volume loss, and sagging skin.
When the skin above the eyes is affected by the aging process, it can fold, crease, wrinkle, and sag. The skin below the eyes is also affected by the aging process and can begin to look puffy, creating a heaviness below the eyes.
Naturally Hooded Eyes
Hooded eyes are a recessive trait and are caused by genetic makeup. Some people are born with naturally hooded eyes. Many younger patients are bothered by how their naturally hooded eyes look, and they want their eyes to look more open.
These patients often seek out this procedure to address their eyes and enhance their features. Older patients who have naturally hooded eyes may experience worse effects when the aging process begins because their eyes are already surrounded by more skin. This procedure can help patients in both of these instances.
Dermatochalasis
Dermatochalasis is another reason that patients seek out this procedure. Dermatochalasis is a condition that loosens any excess tissue above the eyelids and, therefore, severely impedes vision. It can become so severe that it affects everyday life and prevents people from engaging in daily activities due to vision impairment, including driving, reading, and anything that requires focus, particularly regarding your eyesight.
Who Is an Ideal Candidate for Blepharoplasty?
Ideal candidates for this procedure can be from all different life stages. Some patients won’t qualify due to safety precautions, such as those who are well advanced in age. The best candidates are within an acceptable age limit and are in good health, and want to improve their appearance and vision.
If you want to change the appearance of your naturally hooded eyes, if aging has led to excess skin around your eyes, or if you suffer from dermatochalasis, you can find relief from your symptoms and improve your appearance with blepharoplasty surgeon.
Customizing Your Eye Lid Surgery
The benefit of eyelid surgery is that it can be customized to your needs. In developing a treatment plan during your initial consultation, we will review some key factors, including:
- Your overall health
- Your eye size and shape
- Skin conditions around your upper and lower eyelids
- Your goals for the procedure
- The integrity of your skin
Addressing the Upper Eyelid
Some patients choose to address their upper eyelids during blepharoplasty surgeon and correct excess skin that has impaired their vision and changed the way their eyes look. This procedure’s entire purpose is to make the eyes look more youthful, round, and open. It can also make the eyes look more alert.
Addressing the Lower Eyelid
This procedure can also address the lower eyelid. It will correct under-eye bags, wrinkles, and skin laxity. The benefit is that once patients undergo this procedure, they typically don’t need to do it again. The skin in the area will continue to age, but this procedure helps slow the progression and worsening of the area.
Double Eyelid Surgery
Double eyelid surgery reshapes the entire eye. A crease is created in the upper eyelid to make the eyes look larger and more rounded during the procedure. This procedure is very popular in Asia for its ability to change the appearance of the eye.
What Can It Treat?
The main goal of most eyelid surgery is to improve your appearance, but there are other benefits. This procedure can also treat:
- Remove fatty tissue beneath the eyes that create a swollen-looking appearance
- Remove excess skin around the eyes
- Reduce under-eye bags
- Smooth out any wrinkle, folds, or creases in the lower lids
- Correct and improve the appearance of droopy eyelids
- Improve vision that has been impaired by excess eyelid skin
What Should I Expect From the Procedure?
When you choose this procedure, you can expect an outpatient procedure. Most patients are put under local anesthesia with IV sedation for the duration of the procedure. From start to finish, including your pre-surgical registration and post-op discharge process is, the entire procedure takes two to three hours.
To ensure the best results, you will be asked to avoid taking blood thinners before your appointment. We also recommend that you avoid aspirin or ibuprofen and any herbal supplements that naturally thin the blood.
Your Post Surgical Care
You will be provided with some post-surgical directives to follow after your procedure is over. Following these directives is the best way to ensure a healthy and quick recovery.
What To Avoid
You will need someone to drive you to and from your procedure, and because you will be put under sedation, you should avoid driving for at least 24 hours post-op. Strenuous workouts should be avoided for at least one week. Non-impact cardio-like short walks can be resumed within one day of surgery. You should also avoid wearing makeup around your eyes for several days to avoid irritating the area with products.
As a general rule of thumb, avoid activities that increase your heart rate. Also, avoid touching your incision and pulling at your eyelids, or rubbing them in any way to avoid negatively impacting your sutures. Most patients return to work within four to five days of the procedure. During your initial consultation, we will give you a detailed list of post-operative instructions so you know exactly how to care for your eyes in the days following treatment.
How Long Can I Expect My Results To Last?
You can expect long-lasting results when you undergo eyelid surgery. This procedure addresses the signs of aging present at the time of the surgery, and while it does help prevent accelerated age beneath the eyes, it cannot stop it completely. However, there are some ways that you can maintain the most long-lasting results post-surgery.
Maintaining Your Results
To maintain your results, you should pay special attention to your eye area. Invest in a high-quality under-eye cream to apply both morning and evening to keep the area well hydrated and covered in nutrient-rich topical ingredients. Also, don’t forget to apply sunscreen around your eye area. Many women ignore their eye area regarding sunscreen application because they may be wearing makeup and don’t want to mess it up.
When you apply sunscreen before your makeup, and you can ensure that your eye area will be fully protected from the harmful effects of the sun. Another way to maintain a youthful eye area is to avoid smoking or quit smoking if you are a smoker. Eat a healthy diet, exercise in moderation, and maintain adequate daily hydration.
How Long Does the Recovery Process Take?
This procedure may sound complicated, but you can return home the same day. You can expect to spend the first couple of days resting. The main goal is to heal, so you should listen to your body and avoid pushing it harder than you should. Most patients find that they are fully recovered within four weeks of their procedure, although recovery times do vary based on your health, your body’s recovery speed, and your age.
We will give you a better idea of what you can expect during your initial consultation. The main goal is to heal, so you should listen to your body and avoid pushing it harder than you should.
How Long Do I Wait Before Showering?
Typically, it is recommended that blepharoplasty patients avoid showering for at least 24 hours after their procedure. The main goal is to avoid touching the treatment area. We will provide you with additional details on how to care for your eyes after surgery during your initial consultation.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you are not happy with the appearance of your eyes because aging and certain health conditions have caused excess skin to affect not only your appearance but your vision, blepharoplasty surgeon is the perfect solution that will give you long-lasting results. Contact us today at Rios Center for Plastic Surgery in Edinburg, TX, to learn more about blepharoplasty surgeon and how it can help open up your eyes, improve your vision, and restore your youth.
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