Blepharoplasty

Surgery on the eyelids.

The word sounds technical, but it simply means an operation to reshape the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids, or both.

Blepharoplasty is the medical name for eyelid surgery. It removes or repositions excess skin, and sometimes muscle and fat, from the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids, or both. People choose it for appearance, to look less tired or hooded, and sometimes for function, when heavy upper eyelid skin droops far enough to block part of the field of vision.

Upper eyelid surgery usually uses an incision hidden in the natural crease of the lid, through which the surgeon trims loose skin and adjusts muscle or fat before closing with fine stitches. Lower eyelid surgery may use a cut just below the lash line, or one placed inside the lid, which leaves no outside scar and is often used when the aim is to move or reduce the fat that causes bags rather than to remove skin.

It is usually an outpatient procedure, done under local anaesthetic with sedation or under general anaesthesia, often taking one to three hours depending on how many lids are treated. Bruising and swelling around the eyes for one to two weeks are normal, and the eyes can feel dry, tight, or sensitive to light for a while. The final result settles over weeks to months as the swelling fully resolves.

Blepharoplasty changes eyelid skin and fat. It does not lift the brow or erase the fine lines known as crow’s feet, and it does not treat dark circles caused by pigment. People sometimes expect it to do more than it can, so it helps to be clear about what the surgery does and does not address before agreeing to it.