San Diego Eyelid Surgery - Blepharoplasty of Upper Eyelid (Eyelid Lift Surgery)
Your eyes are often the first thing that people notice about you, and are an important aspect of your overall appearance. Young eyelid skin is smooth, but over time, the eyelid skin stretches, the fat bulges, and the muscles weaken. Age, heredity and sun exposure all contribute to this process. Patients often note that they are not able to wear makeup on the upper lids because the loose skin causes smearing.
Patient with droopy and baggy upper eyelid skin, cosmetic
Loose or baggy lids (also known as dermatochalasis) detract from your overall appearance and make you look tired or older. When the brow drops, it crowds more skin down over the upper lids and exaggerates the hooding and crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes, making you look sad, tired, or angry. Shown below is a patient with moderate dermatochalsis of her upper eyelids with skin draped over her eyelashes (yellow arrows).
Patient with functional dermatochalasis
When the loose or baggy eyelids are severe enough, the upper eyelid skin may hang over the lashes and obstruct peripheral vision. Shown below is an illustration of what you may experience with baggy upper eyelid skin.
Loss of Superior Visual Field From Baggy Upper Eyelid Skin
You may not realize the consequences of baggy upper eyelid skin. To overcome the vision loss, you may be compensating by lifting your eyebrows in an effort to lift the upper eyelids. This prolonged brow elevation may cause fatigue, headache, or exhaustion with routine daily activities such as reading, driving or watching television. In such cases where your vision is impacted, insurance may cover surgery to restore your lost vision from the baggy eyelid skin.
Improvement in Superior Visual Field After Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty or eyelid lift surgery can result in dramatic cosmetic improvements in the eyelids. Using delicate instruments and fine measurements, Dr. Korn determines how much skin, muscle and/or fat to remove. The skin incision is meticulously created and placed in the natural eyelid crease. After surgery, the skin is closed with fine sutures using delicate plastic surgery techniques. In the post surgery photo shown below, notice the natural appearance of the upper eyelid crease, and the ability to resume normal eye makeup use.
As an oculofacial plastic surgeon, Dr. Korn recognizes the important balance between cosmetics and the function of the eye. If too much skin, muscle and fat are removed, then not only will the patient have the "surprised" look but the eyes will become more dry and vision will be adversely impacted. We strive for natural appearing results and not the look that one had excessive cosmetic surgery. In fact, the best comment that your family and friends can make is that you look more refreshed and like you've had a very good night's rest.