eyelid surgery

In classi cally beautiful eyes, you can see the entire pupil. Above it, some of the iris - the colored ring around the pupil - is visible. So is most of the iris below the pupil, but not the white of the eyeball, called t he sclera .There is smooth skin between the upper lashes and the crease of the upper lid, and the eyes themselves are neither round nor narrow but somewhere in between, more almond-shaped.

If you look in the mirror and see white between the lower eyelid and the iris, or if you have developed dark circles or bags under the eyes, or drooping upper lids, eyelid surgery may be a procedure you'll wish to consider.

What Is Eyelid Surgery?

Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty - from blepharon, a Greek word meaning "eyelid," and plasticos, "to mold" - is surgery to rejuvenate the eyelids.The purpose of cosmetic eyelid surgery is to help restore your eyes' youthful beauty. As a bonus, the surgery might also help you see be tt er if your upper lids are heavy and loose.

Why do your eyelids begin to droop? Your eyelids, thin as they seem, have several layers - skin, muscles, tendons, fat, connective tissue, and the conjunctiva, a thin, moist membrane that lines the underside of the eyelid and the exposed part of the eye. As we age, the eyelid skin becomes thinner and stretches. Also, the orbicularis muscles around the eyes weaken. Both skin and muscle begin to sag.The upper lids may drape over the lashes and, in some cases, restrict your vision. Often, fat around the eyes will herniate or protrude through weak places in the muscle and create bags under the eyes. If this occurs in the upper lids, they may look puffy.

How long will eyelid surgery last? Most patients find that they can enjoy the benefits of blepharoplasty for approximately ten years or longer. If one's brow begins to descend, it may appear that the results of eyelid surgery are fading, when in fact, the change is resulting from the shift in the brow.

Are You a Candidate?

Eyelid surgery can dramatically improve your appearance if your eyelids are puffy or drooping or if you have bags or hollows under your eyes. Generally, between the ages of thirty-five and forty is when people begin to notice these problems, though herniated fat in the lower eyelids can be an inherited trait that shows up in younger people. If you're in good health and you have realistic expectations from cosmetic surgery, you could be an excellent candidate.

Your doctor will want to make sure eyelid puffiness isn't a result of allergies or fluid and to rule out a medical cause of drooping eyelids. Myxedema, severe untreated hypothyroidism, can create the appearance of bulging eyes and fat around the eyes. Because thyroid disorders are common, especially in women over sixty, and since untreated thyroid problems can make you seriously ill, it's a good idea to have the simple blood test for thyroid function as part of your regular medical exam.

Your surgeon will examine your eyes and may also want an ophthalmologist to do so. If you have glaucoma, a detached retina, or dry-eye syndrome, your eyelid surgery may need to be postponed until these conditions are successfully treated.

If you have had eye surgery or facial paralysis, or if you have muscle laxness in your lower lid, cosmetic eyelid surgery might not be right for you.

[next]