Quick Facts
- What It Is: Removes loose skin, repositions or removes fat, and tightens internal structures to improve under-eye bags
- Reasons Why: Natural aging, long-term allergies
- Procedure: Outpatient
- Anesthesia: General
- Duration of Procedure: 1 hour
- Initial Recovery Phase: 10-14 days
- Results: Appears gradually during recovery
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty rejuvenates the lower eyelids to address eyelid bags and a tired, aging appearance. The procedure removes or repositions fat, tightens internal structures, and may remove excess skin for a more youthful, well-rested look. Dr. Sean Maguire offers lower eyelid surgery at Physician’s Center for Beauty in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. Maguire is an accomplished, Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon who strives for natural-looking results that don’t make you appear as if you’ve had plastic surgery. He can deliver lower eyelid surgery results that make you look refreshed and younger without raising the eyebrows of your friends, family, and coworkers.
Why Have Lower Eyelid Surgery?
As you age, you produce less collagen and elastin. These are vital proteins necessary for good skin quality and decreased production leads to thinning skin and wrinkles, including the eyelids. The connective and soft tissues of the lower eyelids weaken over time, and small pockets of fat that were once within the eye socket or orbit, begin to protrude outwards into the lower eyelid, creating bulging under-eye bags that make you appear older than your actual age because of gravity. Fat pockets in the lower eyelids can also descend contributing to a puffy, droopy appearance. A shadowing effect caused by hollowness in an area just below the lower eyelids, called the tear trough, can contribute to that tired look. Lower eyelid surgery corrects these age-related changes, making you look better rested and healthier.
Is Lower Eyelid Surgery Right for Me?
For those men and women who are unhappy with the appearance of their lower eyelids because of eyelid bags, lower eyelid blepharoplasty or eyelid bags surgery might be the best solution. Another option, for those who don’t have significant fat pockets, but whose primary issue is hollowness below the eyelids, injectable HA dermal fillers can often completely correct the problem. For eyelid bag surgery, you must be in good health with no medical conditions or medications that could complicate the procedure and recovery process, such as diabetes or blood-thinning medicines. This includes avoiding aspirin, ibuprofen, Alleve (naproxen) and other NSAIDS. You also need good eye health with no eye infections or eye conditions that could increase the risk of complications.
Patients should have a positive outlook and realistic goals for their facial appearance after lower eyelid surgery. If you have droopy lower eyelids with puffy under-eye bags or dark circles, lower blepharoplasty could be a good fit for your needs. Some patients combine eyelid surgery with facelift or brow lift for more comprehensive facial rejuvenation.
What Does the Procedure Entail?
Dr. Maguire uses general anesthesia for lower eyelid surgery, so you’re asleep during the procedure. There are two incision options for lower blepharoplasty: One technique conceals the incision just under the lash line, and the other makes the incision inside the eyelid along the conjunctiva (mucous membrane lining the eyelids) of the lower eyelid. Dr. Maguire accesses the internal tissues through these incisions to remove and/or reposition fat.
Severe under-eye bags and sagging lower eyelids may require a second incision in the outer corner of the eye to anchor the eyelid to the underlying structures and prevent more sagging. That method is called canthoplasty or canthopexy, and it reshapes the eye for severe lower eyelid ptosis (drooping) to restore the eye shape and tissue tension.
Being a meticulous surgeon, Dr. Maguire closes the incisions with extremely fine, precisely-placed sutures; the scarring is virtually undetectable.
What Is the Recovery Like?
You can expect some discomfort after lower blepharoplasty and iced gauze pads are placed over your eyes. Dr. Maguire suggests using these ice compresses for the first 72 hours and will provide recovery instructions, so you know when to take medication and to watch for complications. It is super helpful to sleep with your head elevated, to minimize swelling. Because this facial plastic surgery centers on your eyes, you should not drive for one to two weeks because you may have some very mild vision impairment during the initial healing period.
Bruising after eyelid bags surgery lasts about two weeks, and our office recommends taking about one week off work. Some patients wear thick-framed glasses to hide residual swelling when they return to the office. You may resume your regular physical activities gradually around two to four weeks after lower blepharoplasty.
Your lower eyelid surgery results may take several weeks or months to settle in as the bruising and swelling disappear. Lower eyelid rejuvenation offers long-lasting results, but your skin will continue to age with you.
Learn More About Lower Eyelid Surgery
If you struggle with unsightly eyelid bags or dark circles, schedule a consultation with Dr. Maguire in Louisville, Kentucky. Contact Physician’s Center for Beauty at (502) 897-7546 or complete our contact form.
