For many of us, signs of ageing around the eyes can really knock our self-esteem. Unfortunately, wrinkles around the eyes and sagging eyelids are an almost inevitable part of the ageing process, as the skin begins to lose its elasticity and muscle tone. While you can try to hide these tell-tale signs with makeup, sometimes you may feel you wish to go a step further. If you’re self-conscious about drooping upper or lower eyelids, blepharoplasty (otherwise known as eyelid surgery) at our Manchester clinic is a great option to correct the problem, helping you to look more energised and youthful, and reflecting the way you truly feel inside.
What is eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)?
Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is an anti-ageing surgical treatment that can help to reverse visible signs of ageing around the eyes. Eyelid surgery is a highly effective treatment for specific signs of skin ageing around the eyes, such as puffiness, drooping and sagging, which leads many people to seek it out.
There a few related concerns that cannot be corrected with this type of treatment, for example; sagging eyebrows, crow’s feet, and wrinkles. However, eyelid surgery is often coupled with facelifts, brow lifts, or other anti-ageing treatments (such as anti-wrinkle injections) to lift the entire eye area and give the patient a refreshed and more youthful appearance.
What happens during treatment?
Depending on your needs, you may decide to have treatment on your upper eyelids and/or undereye area. If your areas of concern are your lower lids, you will typically require a general anaesthetic for the treatment. However, if your treatment is targeting your upper eyelids only, we will simply administer a local anaesthetic to numb the area around your eyes. You will be awake throughout the treatment, which usually takes between one and three hours, but you’ll feel relaxed and in no pain throughout the procedure.
Usually, if you are having corrective treatment on both your upper and lower eyelids, our expert eyelid surgeons will begin by looking at the upper lids. Your surgeon will carefully make a small incision in the crease of your upper lids which can be extended to the crow’s feet or laugh lines at the outer corners of your eyes if necessary. If you require treatment on your lower lids too, another small incision will be made just below the lashes on your lower lids. The skin will be separated from the underlying fatty tissue and muscle in your targeted areas, and your surgeon will then remove any excess skin or fat before carefully closing the incisions with fine sutures.
If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower lids but you don’t have any excess skin to be removed, we may suggest a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In your consultation, our expert facial surgeon, Mr Christopher Jones, will be able to give you an honest assessment of which treatment will be best for you and explain the differences between the two.
Aftercare
Immediately after surgery, your surgeon will lubricate your eyes with cooling and moisturising ointment. The skin around your eyes may initially feel a little tight as the anaesthesia wears off, though we will prescribe any necessary pain relief medication to help ease any discomfort you may feel during the recovery.
You will be able to leave hospital on the same day as your treatment, though you will need to have arranged for someone to be on-hand to drive you home after surgery and look after you for a few days while you relax and recover.
Our team will give you full instructions and advice, both in your consultation and on the day of your treatment, for ways you can prepare for a quick and easy recovery to get the best results. We will always advise you to keep your head elevated for several days after your treatment, and to use cold compresses to reduce swelling or bruising.
Typically, you can expect to return to work after around ten days and you are likely to be able to wear contact lenses again after about two weeks.
Where can I get eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)?
Here at Manchester Plastic Surgery, we have performed many blepharoplasties as standalone treatments and in conjunction with other anti-ageing skin treatments. All treatments will be carried out at The Pines Hospital Manchester, which is home to world-class surgical and treatment facilities as well as private, comfortable rooms equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay.
Before treatment, you will be invited to a consultation, either in-person or via video call, where Mr. Jones will perform a closer inspection of your eyelids and give you his honest opinion about your recommended treatment(s) and the results you can expect. In your consultation, you will be able to ask any questions you may have about the treatment; your surgeon will explain to you any risks associated with eyelid surgery and how you can prepare for it in the weeks before.
Considering Blepharoplasty?
If you’re struggling to recognise the face staring back at you in the mirror, why not get in touch with us in the form below to book your consultation, and take the first step to a more youthful you?
