When can you consider upper eyelid surgery?
Overhanging eyelids or puffiness often give a tired appearance, in addition, overhanging eyelids can also cause symptoms such as limited vision or headaches. If you suffer from drooping eyelids, then an upper eyelid surgery can be a very nice solution for you.
What causes eyelids to droop
Excess eyelid skin, or sagging of the skin above the eyes, is called Dermatochalasis and is a common condition among older people.
In addition to excess skin, there may also be excess fat or connective tissue. Sagging of the subcutaneous connective tissue allows the fat, which normally lies deeper in the eye socket, to emerge. Resulting in swollen eyelids or swelling in the corner of the eye on the side of the nose.
The most common reasons why eyelids droop are: natural aging process, sagging muscle, heredity.
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Aging
The natural aging process causes the skin above the eyes to lose its elasticity and the subcutaneous connective tissue to sag. This causes the skin to widen and may cause it to droop.
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Relaxation of the muscle
However, drooping upper eyelids are not always the result of sagging skin or excess fat or connective tissue. In some cases, it is the muscle that has slackened the eyelid. In addition to removing excess skin and fat or connective tissue, the doctor will then also need to correct the eye muscle.
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Heredity
Sometimes excess skin around the eyes also occurs in young people, often hereditary factors then play a role.
Great results
Drooping upper eyelids can be a serious problem and lead to very unpleasant symptoms. Research has shown that in many cases quality of life is significantly improved after upper eyelid surgery. The most commonly measured improvements after upper eyelid surgery are:
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Magnification of visual field
Excess skin on the eyelids can cause some of this skin to fall over the eye. This can reduce your vision considerably.
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Less suffering from headaches
Drooping eyelids will cause you to automatically raise your eyebrows so that your vision improves. However, raising the eyebrows often brings headaches. After a correction of the excess skin, this is no longer necessary and the headache symptoms will diminish immediately.
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Less oppressive feeling on the eyes
Droopy eyelids feel heavy on the eyes and often give an oppressive feeling. An upper eyelid correction significantly reduces this pressure.
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Equipped appearance
Droopy eyelids can give you a tired look. Correcting the skin excess will restore a youthful rested appearance.
Sagging skin of the forehead
There are times when it may appear that your upper eyelids have drooped, but this is not actually due to your eyelids themselves. The skin of your forehead may have sagged, resulting in your eyebrows sagging downward. This can make it look like there is too much skin above the eyes. When your eyebrows hang so low, sometimes an upper eyelid correction alone is not enough and a brow or forehead elevator should also be performed.
What happens during surgery
During upper eyelid surgery, you will be numbed locally with an injection. Only the area around your eyes is numbed so you won’t experience any pain while your eyelids are corrected. The excess skin above the eyes is corrected by surgery, under local anesthesia. Upper eyelid surgery is a simple procedure with great results.
Minimal scars
During an upper eyelid surgery, excess skin, and in some cases fat and/or connective tissue, is cut away. The incisions (slices) are placed precisely in the folds of the skin, as a result, over time almost nothing of the procedure is visible.
Painless treatment
Prior to upper eyelid surgery, you will be numbed locally with an injection. This ensures that the treatment can be experienced as virtually painless. Should upper eyelid surgery alone not achieve the optimal result, you will be referred to a plastic surgeon. If then multiple surgical procedures are needed in addition to an upper eyelid correction, such as a brow or forehead elevator, you will usually be put under general anesthesia.
Eyelids Analysis
Pendulous eyelids can have several causes. We recommend that you initially schedule a free “Eyelid Analysis” with us to determine the cause of excess skin above the eyes. If upper eyelid surgery is right for you, a customized treatment plan will be developed with the doctor. An upper eyelid surgery is only a minor procedure and brings great results that will significantly improve the quality of life for you.
Literature Review
Cahill, KV., Bradley, E.A., Meyer, D.R., Holck, D.E., Marcet, M.M., Man, L.A., (2011). Functional Indications for Upper Eyelid Ptosis and Blepharoplasty Surgery. A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 118(12), 2510-2517.
Donna J. Millay, D.J., Wayne, M.D., Larrabee, F. (1989). Ptosis and Blepharoplasty Surgery. Arch Otolarynog Head Neck Surg, 115.
Brown M.S., Putterman A.M. (2000). The effect of upper blepharoplasty on eyelid position when performed concomitantly with Müller muscle-conjunctival resection. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg,16, 94-100.
Huijinga, M.A., van der Palen, J., van der Leiade, B. (2014). The effect of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on eyebrow position. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 67, (9), 1242-1247.
Hollander, M.H.J., Contini, M., Pott, J.W., Visser, A., Schepers, R.H., Jansma, J. (2019). Functional outcomes of upper eyelid blepharoplasty: A systematic review. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 72(2), 294-309.
