Eyelid lift surgery is a procedure that can be performed for many reasons, including to remove excess skin and fat, and to tighten the muscles around the eyes. However, it is important to keep in mind that this procedure will not necessarily make you look younger or change your appearance drastically.
The results of eyelid lift surgery are subtle and often take several months to fully develop. You will likely experience swelling and bruising after your procedure, but these should subside within two weeks. The final results of your surgery may also take some time to develop because of how the body heals itself.
It’s possible that your eyelid will feel tight and painful after surgery. There is a possibility that your eye is runny, dry, sticky, itchy, or sensitive to light. It’s possible that your vision will be hazy for a few days.
What to Expect After Eyelid Lift Surgery
How long does it take to recover from eyelid surgery? Eyelid surgery recovery time can take several months. Help speed up recovery time with these tips.
Facial plastic surgery requests have increased by 6% between 2018 and 2019. One of the most common surgical procedures is blepharoplasty (eyelid bag removal surgery).
Are you thinking of scheduling eyelid surgery soon? Before you do, it helps to set the right expectations about the recovery process. You will need to take a little time off from your usual daily activities in order to recover.
Want to learn more about the eyelid surgery recovery process? Keep reading to learn about the process and a few tips that can speed up your eyelid surgery recovery time!
Expectations After Your Procedure
After your blepharoplasty procedure, you will remain in the recovery room to ensure you are stable. Temporary side effects, soon after the surgery, can include:
- Sensitivity to light
- vision blur (as a result of the lubricating ointment you receive)
- Watery eyes
- Numb, puffy eyelids
- Double vision
- Slight pain or discomfort
- Swelling or bruising (often compared to having a black eye)
After your eyelid surgery, you will need to have someone come and pick you up. Plan to have someone stay with you the first night of your eyelid surgery.
Recovery Time
Recovery can be broken down into 3 parts: bruising, swelling, and the maturation of the incision/scar. Bruising goes away first, taking about 2 to 3 weeks. Next is swelling, that is much more variable, lasting upwards of 8 weeks or more. It is a slow, gradual diminution. Your comfort level rather than a medical reason will determine when you can return to work or go out in public 5 to 10 days after your surgery.
It is important to note that you will have scars from surgical incisions after your eyelid surgery. It can take a up to a year or more for those scars to reach their maximum improvement. Using proper eyelid surgery recovery methods can ensure your skin heals properly during this time.
Tips for Recovery
Now that you know what to expect from your blepharoplasty, here are a few eyelid surgery recovery tips. With these tips, you can improve your recovery time and make sure you heal properly.
Please follow your doctor’s specific instructions! Do NOT under any circumstances, decide on your own to make changes in those instructions without clearing it with the doctor or his/her staff first.
1. Take Time Off
Remember, your eyelid surgery recovery time mentioned earlier. It is important to prepare to take time off from work, school, or daily activities. You will need this time to heal properly.
If you need to, ask someone to cover your primary responsibilities for you. For example, you might need someone to take your kids to school and pick them up. You might need someone at work to handle your responsibilities as well.
Make sure to stock up the fridge and pantry with foods that are easy to prepare before the day of your surgery.
Otherwise, keep your schedule clear and give yourself time to heal.
2. Follow Self-Care
To help the eyelid surgery recovery process, your doctor will suggest that you:
- Use ice packs on your eyes. The constant use of ice during the first 3 days is crucial.
- Clean your eyelids gently.
- Use the eye drops or ointments you are prescribed.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes.
- Not wear contact lenses for about two weeks after your procedure.
- Sleep with your head raised above your chest the first few days after your procedure.
- Stop smoking
You might also need to return to your doctor’s office to have your stitches removed. Make sure to discuss these next steps with your doctor before leaving their offices after your procedure.
In the meantime, make sure to avoid using:
- Ibuprofen (such as Motrin IB or Advil)
- Aspirin
- Naproxen sodium (such as Aleve)
You should also avoid any medications or supplements (fish oil, vitamin E, cranberry extract, etc.) that might increase bleeding. Instead, get approval from your doctor to use Tylenol or other acetaminophen products to ease your pain.
Make sure to review these self-care instructions with your doctor before the day of your blepharoplasty. That way, you will have everything you need to prepare for your eyelid surgery recovery.
3. Stay Patient
It is important to have realistic expectations about your baggy eyelid surgery beforehand. Understanding the recovery process ahead of time can help you remain patient and keep your eyes on the end-goal.
Your eyelids will probably look puffy after surgery. The incisions will probably look red, too. The swelling and bruising involved with blepharoplasty recovery tend to resemble a black eye.
That is all normal. Remain patient and you will see the results of your procedure in no time.
4. Protect Your Eyes
It is important to protect your eyes from wind, sunlight, and other elements during your recovery.
If you must go out, make sure to wear dark sunglasses and a hat for protection. You should also apply sunscreen and follow any other instructions you were given.
5. Don’t Strain or Stress
It is important to avoid straining your eyes during the recovery process. Try to avoid reading, watching TV, or checking your email the week following your blepharoplasty. Instead, give your eyes a chance to rest.
Avoid any other activities that can cause your eyes to dry up, too.
6. Sleep Soundly
Sleep will give your body a chance to heal. Try to get a good night’s sleep each night to speed up the recovery process.
If you feel tired, take a nap. Do not push yourself. Instead, relax and focus on your recovery.
7. Avoid Strenuous Activity
Make sure to avoid any strenuous activity or stress for the first few weeks after your surgery. Too much activity can increase blood flow to your eyes and cause bleeding. These activities include lifting heavy items, aerobics, intensive exercise, and sports.
Photos One Week After Eyelid Surgery
“Beauty is pain,” as the saying goes — but modern cosmetics experts are proving that beauty can relieve pain rather than causing it. Surgeons have found that brow lifts can alleviate migraines, thanks to a few key elements of the surgery. Migraine headaches affect millions of Americans each year, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, and up to 90% of migraine sufferers experience pain severe enough to affect normal functions like driving, working or conversing. In addition, migraines are a chronic illness; that is, they don’t simply strike once fleetingly, but those who struggle with migraines experience them on a recurring basis and even for days at a time. There is also no known cure for migraine headaches. While there are some preventive measures as well as medications that can help manage the pain of a migraine flare-up, many people struggle to find a solution to keep their headaches at bay.
WHAT IS BROW LIFT SURGERY?
Brow lifts, sometimes called forehead lifts or upper facelifts, focus on diminishing the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. These surgeries can address horizontal forehead lines, worry lines between the brows and crow’s feet. They are also commonly combined with eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, to correct sagging or drooping eyelids. Depending on the extent of your lines and wrinkles, your surgeon can perform brow lift surgery using one of three techniques: an endoscopic brow lift, a temporal brow lift or a coronal brow lift.
Endoscopic brow lifts have become increasingly popular in recent years because they are the least invasive option. Your surgeon uses small incisions through which they insert a thin, flexible tool with a small camera attached. They can view and manipulate the tissues underlying the skin of your brow without lifting the skin completely.
Temporal brow lifts involve slightly larger incisions than endoscopic lifts, positioned at the edges of the temples. This type of lift is the current industry standard for clients who require more work than an endoscopic lift can accomplish, and is usually the type of brow lift performed when a client is interested in eyelid surgery as well.
Coronal brow lifts are the most invasive, using an incision that spans the full length of the brow from temple to temple along the hairline. This technique is somewhat outmoded and is currently only used in special cases.
No matter which type of brow lift is right for you, there is one distinguishing factor: unlike full facelifts, which often focus on removing stretched or excess skin causing an aged appearance, brow lifts focus on facial muscles. The main cause of forehead wrinkles is overworked facial muscles; when you make a certain facial expression, particularly often, your muscles will become somewhat stuck in their tensed position, leaving behind the furrows or crinkles of a worried look or squint. During a brow lift, your surgeon removes and repositions some of your brow muscles to release this tension and smooth your brow to a more youthful, relaxed position.
UNDERSTANDING MIGRAINES
Migraines aren’t like the headaches you get when you’re tired or dehydrated. They are characterized by intense, throbbing pain that often results in nausea; sensitivity to sounds, smells and light; dizziness; and even temporary sight impairment. Today’s knowledge indicates that migraines are primarily neurological in nature, contrary to earlier theories that the pulsing pain of migraines was a result of malfunctioning blood vessels. The sensory effects of migraine attacks suggest that the headaches stem from the brain and nerves, and indeed, the most common and often effective medications for migraines treat the headaches using this principle.
Brain scans of patients experiencing migraines show a burst of activity in parts of the brainstem, an area known for processing mood and pain. In addition, a network of neurons responsible for transmitting pain around the eyes, teeth, forehead and sinuses are particularly active during a migraine. Scientists also believe that this particular network of nerves releases inflammatory chemicals as a response to specific stimuli, which contributes to the throbbing and puts even more sensory pressure around areas already sensitive from a migraine.
HOW A BROW LIFT CAN HELP
The nerves associated with migraines are located in the same areas as the muscles that cause forehead wrinkles. The added tension in the forehead not only makes migraine pressure worse but can even start to pinch some of the facial nerves and trigger migraines more frequently. When your surgeon uses a brow lift to release or remove these tensed muscles and open up more space in the tissues of the forehead, the nerves in the area are also freed from constriction and are less likely to cause shooting migraine pain.
Research also shows that minor muscle tension in the brow can cause non-migraine headaches or generalized forehead and temple pain, only serving to worsen the symptoms of migraines. Restoring relaxation to your upper face with a brow lift can go a long way toward relieving that daily dull ache as well as the debilitating discomfort of a migraine. The brow lift’s effectiveness at smoothing unwanted lines and wrinkles, combined with its tension-relief benefits, gives this cosmetic surgery the ability to improve your life in more ways than on:- the confidence of a reflection you love and the relief of reduced head pain and tension.
Despite the apparent benefits, opinions are mixed amongst plastic surgeons, as well as The American Board of Plastic Surgery. For those reasons, we do not perform brow lifts to help treat migraines, but your primary physician can provide you with more comprehensive information about if this procedure has the potential to help you.
Endoscopic brow lift complications
Usually, a plastic surgeon will perform a brow lift.
A brow lift is an aesthetic surgical procedure to correct the loss of soft tissue elasticity in the upper third of the face. Excess sagging skin around the forehead causing drooping (ptosis) of the brows and wrinkling of the forehead is removed by repositioning the underlying muscle and tissue. It creates a more refreshed, youthful appearance in the upper third area of the face. It can also be combined with a facelift. A brow lift is usually performed by a plastic surgeon.
Endoscopy is the insertion through a surgical incision of a flexible tube with a lighted camera and surgical instruments. The endoscope is now used in a variety of reconstructive and cosmetic surgical procedures. Endoscopic brow lift surgery has gained widespread acceptance, is minimally invasive, and heals faster than traditional brow lift surgery.
Why do people seek endoscopic brow lift surgery?
Aesthetically, the face is divided into three equal parts, of which the forehead (from the top of the eyebrow to the anterior hairline) occupies the upper third. In males, this area averages 7 cm and in females, it averages 5 cm.
The male eyebrow is less arched than the female eyebrow. The top of the eyebrow lies approximately 2.5 cm from the mid pupil. With aging, these parameters may shift. A lesser distance denotes eyebrow drooping (ptosis).
Loss of forehead skin elasticity from genetics, sun damage, and gravity causes eyebrow drooping, with resultant upper eyelid drooping and dissatisfaction with the appearance.
Aging causes depletion of the subcutaneous fat. This leads to forehead wrinkling, the direction of which depends upon the underlying muscle.
Why is endoscopic brow lift surgery done?
- Aged appearance: Patients may worry they have a tired, surprised, worried, or an annoyed look, appearing older than their actual age
- Eyebrow drooping: Patients may feel an uncomfortable weight of tissue on their eyes
- Forehead wrinkling
- Eyebrow elevation
- Improve eyebrow symmetry
- Change eyebrow shape
- Decrease the function of muscles, causing brow wrinkling
When should endoscopic brow lift surgery be avoided?
Endoscopic brow lift surgery should be avoided with:
- Conditions causing dry eyes
- Excessive brow elevation after upper eyelid surgery
- A tendency for keloids or thick scarring
- Psychological instability
- Unrealistic cosmetic expectations
- Poor general health and systemic conditions
What happens during the endoscopic brow lift procedure?
Before the procedure
- Routine blood and radiological investigations will be done.
- Patients may be advised to shampoo their hair with antibacterial soap/shampoo the night before or morning of surgery.
- Hair does not need to be shaved.
During the procedure
- An endoscopic brow lift is performed under general anesthesia or with intravenous (IV) sedation and local anesthesia.
- Multiple small incisions are made just behind the hairline (most surgeons make 3- to 5-cm incisions), through which the endoscope and instruments are inserted.
- Brow tissue is gently released and elevated.
- Excess tissue is removed.
- The muscles are elevated, pulled up and anchored to the bone using anchors made of titanium, which look like small screws of 2 mm in width. They may be temporary or permanent and do not cause permanent damage.
- The incisions are sutured and dressed.
- A small surgical drain may be inserted—a clear tube is inserted through a small incision below the main incision.
After the procedure
- Post-operative pain can be managed with painkillers.
- Antibiotics may be necessary.
- Patients are advised to rest with their head elevated for two weeks.
- Patients are usually discharged the same day or 24 hours after surgery.
- The drain may be removed after 24 hours.
- The dressing may be removed after 48 hours.
- Patients can shower and wash their hair after 48 hours, using mild shampoos prescribed by the surgeon.
- The surgeon may prescribe medicated ointments to apply to the wounds.
- Patients should not use any hair products for at least seven days.
- Depending on the type of suture used, the surg
Is Eyelid Lift Surgery Painful
Because an upper lid blepharoplasty is often a very minor treatment, patients can usually have it done without experiencing any pain and only need a small dose of post-operative pain medication. The eyelid itself is not especially painful, and it feels nearly like a skin excision.
An upper lid blepharoplasty is typically a minor procedure that can be performed without causing much pain for the patient. In fact, many individuals find that they only need a small amount of post-operative pain medication to manage any discomfort. The eyelid area is not particularly sensitive, and the sensation during the procedure is often likened to a simple skin excision. This means that patients can undergo this cosmetic treatment with minimal discomfort and a relatively quick recovery time.
Best Eye Cream After Blepharoplasty
Chloramphenicol ointment is frequently recommended to people who have undergone eyelid surgery. The incision lines are treated with this antibiotic. If your ability to blink or close your eyes completely after eyelid surgery has been temporarily compromised, it is also applied to the eye during the first week to keep the surface of the eye moist.
Apply it to the operated eye and the incision lines on your eyelids four times each day—three times during the day and once at night. start the day following surgery.
Applying the cream:
Use one drop or one-fourth of an inch of ointment; a little bit extra is not hazardous.
To draw the lower lid away from the eye so you can apply ointment to the inner surface of the lower eyelid, look up and gently pull down on the skin over the cheekbone.
Also, apply ointment to the incision lines on your eyelids and make sure they stay moist until you visit Mr. Litwin.