Eyelid Surgery (blepharoplasty) Cosmetic Surgery Procedure Information

One of the first things people notice about you is your eyes. Puffy eyelids and droopy bags under your eyes can make you look much older than you really are. While eye-area problems can be related to lack of sleep, dehydration or other health related factors, many people have genetic eye issues that can be fixed with corrective cosmetic surgery.

Eyelid surgery (technically called blepharoplasty) is a procedure to remove fat--usually along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes - features that make you look older and more tired than you feel, and may even interfere with your vision. However, it won't remove crow's feet or other wrinkles, eliminate dark circles under your eyes, or lift sagging eyebrows. While it can add an upper eyelid crease to Asian eyes, it will not erase evidence of your ethnic or racial heritage. Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a facelift or browlift.

As people age, the effects of gravity, exposure to the sun, and the stresses of daily life can be seen in their faces. Deep creases form between the nose and mouth; the jawline grows slack and jowly; folds and fat deposits appear around the neck. These factors can make you look older than you really are.

A facelift (technically known as rhytidectomy) can't stop this aging process. What it can do is "set back the clock," improving the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck. A facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other facial plastic surgery procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping. Nothing boosts your confidence like having someone guess your age and miss the mark by as much as ten years. A facelift done right will keep them guessing, giving you added confidence in your personal and professional lives.

If you're considering a facel ift, this article will give you a basic understanding of the procedure when it can help, how it's performed, and what results you can expect. It can't answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient and the cosmetic plastic surgeon. Please ask your surgeon about anything you don't understand.

The best candidate for a facelift surgery is a man or woman whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well-defined. Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelift surgery can be done successfully on people in their seventies or eighties as well.

A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self- confidence in the process. But it can't give you a totally different look, nor can it restore the health and vitality of your youth. Before you decide to have plastic or cosmetic surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your your plastic or cosmetic surgeon.

Blepharoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.