Eyelid surgery, also called ‘blepharoplasty,’ is performed to enhance the appearance of the eyelids by improving wrinkles or eyelid ‘bags,’ restoring a more youthful and refreshed look. Blepharoplasty removes or tightens excess skin, and removes or repositions fatty tissue of the upper and/or lower eyelids.

For the upper eyelids, the incision is placed within a pre-existing crease, and the resulting scar is often nearly imperceptible. For the lower eyelids, incisions may be placed just underneath the eyelashes, again resulting in a well-hidden scar. For those patients withprominent lower eyelid ‘bags,’ and milder wrinkling of the lower eyelid skin, a transconjunctival blepharoplasty may be used. This technique uses an incision on the inside of the lower eyelid, and leaves no external scar. Chemical peels or laser skin resurfacing may be added to tighten the lower eyelid skin and improve wrinkles.

Surgical techniques are individualized depending on the patient’s needs. Blepharoplasty is performed as an outpatient surgery, and most patients can return to work within one week.

Blepharoplasty may be combined with other procedures to enhance the overall result. In order to fully address the appearance of the eyelid areas (also called the ‘periorbital’ region), the position of the eyebrows may need to be improved using browlift techniques (also called forehead lift).