Eyelid Lift Plastic Surgery (Blepharoplasty) Santa Monica Los Angeles Beverly Hills

You may be a candidate for eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) if you have excessive, sagging, or wrinkled upper or lower eyelid skin. Eyelid lift can also be helpful if you have excess upper eyelid skin that interferes with vision or if you have lost your natural upper eyelid crease. Eyelid lift may also be indicated if you have puffy pouches of fat in the upper or lower lids that create a tired or aged appearance.

Blepharoplasty patient shown before surgery with bags under eyes
and wrinkled folds of skin hooding eyelashes on upper lid.

The eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) procedure is intended to produce a more youthful and rested appearance of the eyes. The procedure may also widen your visual fields if excessive upper lid skin has partially blocked vision.

Blepharoplasty is done on an outpatient basis under sedation and local or general anesthesia. The incisions are made where the natural crease should be in the upper lids and below the lash line in the lower lids. Excess fat and skin are removed. If only excess fat is present in the lower lids, it may be removed through an incision inside the lower lids with no external incision or scar (transconjunctival blepharoplasty).

Incisions following natural contour lines in upper and lower lids
provide access to skin and fatty tissue. In some cases, excess fat
may be removed through an incision placed inside the lower eyelid.

All sutures are usually removed within 4-6 days. Initial mild discomfort is easily controlled with oral medication. Bruising and sensitivity to light last at least a week or two. Swelling progressively disappears in 1-2 weeks. Eye makeup can be used after sutures are removed. Contact lenses can be worn when comfortable - usually within 7-10 days.

Sutures close the incisions, leaving hairline scars that soon fade.

Additional procedures that may enhance the result of an eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) are: Forehead Lift, Face Lift, Chemical Peel or Laser Skin Resurfacing.

If eyelid lift surgery is being done to improve the field of vision, insurance may cover upper lid surgery. Otherwise, these procedures are considered cosmetic, and the patient is responsible for payment.

The postoperative patient with unobstructed upper eyelids and
firmer, smoother skin under the eyes.

The specific risks and the suitability of eyelid lift for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are rare.

Illustrations courtesy the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

For more information about eyelid lift (blepharoplasty): From this plastic surgeon serving the Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica areas.

• Link to Blepharoplasty information from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Link to Blepharoplasty Before and After Photos
• Contact us for additional information or a personal consultation with Dr. Teitelbaum