With passing years, age can start to take a toll on our appearance in quite a few ways. Genetics can also play a major role in how we look, especially when it comes to our eyelids. Excess or loose skin can lead to a tired and unalert appearance, even though you feel just as alive as ever. With upper blepharoplasty in Greenwich, we are proud to provide a way for patients to see a rejuvenated appearance.
Dr. Mahsa Sohrab and her staff focus on providing a personalized care experience. By working closely with her patients, she provides an individualized path toward achieving your aesthetic goals.
Dr. Sohrab and her team are ready to help you take your next step toward a rejuvenated appearance that you will love. Call us or use our online form to set up your consultation for upper blepharoplasty in Greenwich. At your consultation, you can learn more about the procedure and see our before-and-after photos to see just how transformative your experience can be. Contact us today to get started.
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty refers specifically to the surgical treatment of extra upper eyelid skin and fat. We all have extra upper eyelid skin that is necessary for the opening and closing of our eyes.
However, as we age, the eyes sink deeper into our eye sockets and the skin of the upper eyelid thins and stretches out, resulting in too much upper eyelid skin. The fat pads that cushion the eye can also shift forward, creating puffiness in the upper eyelid.
In upper blepharoplasty, the amount of excess skin is carefully measured and surgically removed. At the same time, any fat pads that have shifted forward and are causing puffiness are removed and possibly repositioned. Upper blepharoplasty is different from a brow lift because the eyebrow position is not directly influenced by the removal of the skin alone. Sometimes, brow lifting can be paired with upper blepharoplasty if there is a problem with drooping of the eyebrow position as well. Upper eyelid blepharoplasty also differs from full eyelid surgery because there are myriad surgeries that can be done for upper eyelids, including reconstruction of the eyelids as well as tightening of the muscles that lift the eyelid. Furthermore, in older upper blepharoplasty surgeries, the muscle, fat, and skin were all removed from the eyelid. In modern upper blepharoplasty, the surgery is more respectful of the natural anatomy of the eyelids and focuses primarily on the skin.
Yes! The ideal candidate for upper blepharoplasty has simply noticed more skin or fat on the upper eyelids causing a heaviness to the eyelids. Those who do not have chronic eye conditions such as dry eye can benefit most from upper blepharoplasty, as dry eye can sometimes worsen with upper blepharoplasty.
In some cases, droopy upper eyelids are related to weakness of the muscles involved in opening the eyes. Such cases may necessitate ptosis surgery in lieu of or in addition to skin removal. Droopy lids can also relate to brow drooping pushing the upper eyelids down. So it is important to obtain a consultation with an eyelid expert to ensure that you are considering the right surgical correction.
Yes! The goal of upper eyelid blepharoplasty is to make the eyes appear more open. It accomplishes this by removing extra fat and upper eyelid skin that covers the upper eyelid and makes it less visible. In removing those components, the upper eyelid becomes more visible and appears more open. In upper blepharoplasty, the eye shape is not altered, because the focus is on removing excess skin and possibly shifted fat pads. If you have observed patients with changed eye shape from surgery, that is often more likely related to eyelid lifting procedures such as ptosis repair, or eyebrow procedures.
The beauty of upper blepharoplasty in our practice is that it is performed as a short, in-office procedure that takes less than 1 hour. We perform the procedure under local anesthesia, meaning that we inject a medicine in the area where we do the surgery. This injection will relieve the pain so that the procedure can be done comfortably with you awake and your eyes closed.
The upper eyelid blepharoplasty cut or incision is placed in your natural upper eyelid fold so that it is concealed when the eyes are open. Over time, the incision fades and becomes less and less visible. The incision is closed with stitches that are removed approximately one week after the surgery.
Recovery from upper blepharoplasty is mostly limited to cosmetic downtime. There may be some soreness, but pain is minimal and generally limited to the first 24-48 hours. The first day or two after surgery, there can be significant swelling of the soft tissues around the eyes. Bruising can also occur and can be reduced by frequent icing after the surgery. Typically, you can comfortably drive within a few days of the surgery.
Whether you can work depends on the nature of your responsibilities. Namely, it is important to avoid excessive sun exposure and dirty, dusty environments to reduce the risk of post-operative infection in the first week. It is advisable to avoid upper eyelid makeup for 2 weeks after surgery to allow time for the wounds to heal and minimize infection risk.
Some patients opt to work from home a few days after the procedure. However, it is important to remember that the eyes can tire more easily in the first week and can feel scratchy or dry due to the swelling. For most patients, the peak of the bruising and swelling resolves in the first 7-10 days. There is variability in recovery depending on several factors, including:
The biggest risk of upper blepharoplasty is vision changes or loss. In upper blepharoplasty, if too much skin is removed, it can result in improper eyelid closure. In some cases, it leads to an inability to close the eyes, which can damage the eyes and vision.
As an oculofacial plastic surgeon, I have extensively studied eyelid anatomy and am knowledgeable about normal eyelid function. Therefore, preserving function is particularly important, including pre-operative planning to measure the appropriate amount of skin removal to minimize that risk.
Dry eye can also occur after surgery, and those who have dry eye prior to surgery are at the highest risk. As an oculofacial plastic surgeon, I inquire about the eye history during the consultation and vision exam and make recommendations based on the health of the eye and any pre-existing conditions to ensure that the surgery and recovery proceed carefully and with appropriate guidance.
Additional risks of upper eyelid surgery include:
On average, upper blepharoplasty results can last 10 years, though there is variability depending on genetics and extrinsic factors impacting the skin and facial anatomy. The procedure can be repeated in the future. The skin could stretch out again, and you could need another blepharoplasty to remove the skin.
You may need revision in the future, though the nature of the procedure may change. For example, the brows could droop and bring eyebrow skin down with them, which would necessitate an eyebrow lift. It is important to see an oculofacial specialist when determining whether you need a revision or another blepharoplasty, because repeating blepharoplasty in a case in which there is not enough upper eyelid skin can cause damage to the eyes. The appropriate procedures can be decided at the consultation visit.
Upper blepharoplasty can be combined with many other treatments offered in my practice, and often patients opt to do so because they can overlap recovery times. Some common pairings include laser resurfacing of the skin for smoothing, particularly in cases in which only the upper eyelid surgery is being done and the lower eyelid skin has also undergone some aging changes.
Alternatively, if there is already brow drooping, it may benefit you to have a small adjustment of the brow through the same incision, a procedure referred to as a browpexy or brow anchoring, or for more severe brow drooping, a forehead or temporal brow lift at the same time. Many patients opt to undergo lower eyelid surgery at the same time to address dark circles or bags under the eyes to fully rejuvenate the upper and lower eyelids.
Choosing an oculofacial plastic surgeon like Dr. Mahsa Sohrab offers the advantage of having a surgeon who exclusively focuses on rejuvenating the area around the eyes. Unlike general plastic surgeons, who often primarily train on body work, Dr. Sohrab completed a dedicated two-year fellowship to the surgical treatment of the eyelids and eyebrows. Her fellowship was accredited by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Oculofacial plastic surgeons also have background training in ophthalmology, making them uniquely equipped with knowledge of the normal functioning of the eye as well as the structures around the eye such as the eye muscles, soft tissues, and eyelids. Med spas often focus on non-surgical treatment options for the eyelid that can fail to address the specific concerns leading to extra upper eyelid skin and leave you with an incomplete solution.
Before upper blepharoplasty, it is important to be prepared with ice packs such as ziplock containers filled with frozen peas and corn or beaded freezable eye masks. If you take blood thinners, you should check with your primary care doctor and/or cardiologist to make sure those can be stopped around the time of the surgery.
After surgery, it is important to clear your schedule so that you are not bending or lifting heavy objects, as increases in blood pressure and heart rate can cause bleeding and swelling to worsen. It is important to avoid dirty, dusty environments and to minimize sun exposure to reduce infection risk and reduce risk of discoloration of the incisions. It is also important to avoid swimming, makeup, and contact lens use for two weeks to reduce infection risk and protect the integrity of the wounds.
Upper blepharoplasty costs with Dr. Sohrab start at $6,000, not including sales tax and facility fees. The final pricing depends on the surgical plan recommended during your consultation visit.
If you are noticing extra upper eyelid skin that is covering the eyelid, you could be a good candidate for upper blepharoplasty in Connecticut. It is important to see an oculofacial plastic surgeon to make sure that the appropriate treatment is suggested, as the issue could potentially relate to the eyelid position or eyebrow position, in which case other surgeries may be needed to achieve the optimal result.
