The Good News: Things Eyelid Surgery Will Improve

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Most cosmetic eyelid surgery is performed to correct bagginess and puffiness of the eyelids, sometimes altering the lid position as well. However, there are certain things that eyelid surgery will not improve - The Bad News: Things Eyelid Surgery May Not Improve.

Excess Skin of the Eyelids (Baggy Eyelids)

Excess skin of the eyelids creates a heavy and tired appearance. Look in the mirror and close one eye while leaving the other eye open. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the extra skin of your closed upper eyelid. The amount of skin that you can easily pinch between your thumb and finger with your eye closed is roughly the amount of skin that can be removed from the upper eyelids during eyelid surgery. Excess skin of the lower eyelid, if it exists, can be seen without special maneuvers.

Excess skin of the eyelids creates a heavy and tired appearance. Look in the mirror and close one eye while leaving the other eye open. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the extra skin of your closed upper eyelid. The amount of skin that you can easily pinch between your thumb and finger with your eye closed is roughly the amount of skin that can be removed from the upper eyelids during eyelid surgery. Excess skin of the lower eyelid, if it exists, can be seen without special maneuvers.

It is normal to have fat surrounding your eyeball. But over time this fat may protrude into the eyelids, creating puffiness and casting a shadow or dark circle under your eyes. Surprisingly, this is not related to weight gain, and weight loss will not improve it. It is simply related to genetics and aging. Removing fat through eyelid surgery will reduce puffiness and improve dark shadows, if the shadows are due to bulging fat.

Look in the mirror and close one eye. While gently pressing on your eye through the closed upper lid, watch the skin above and below that eye. If the skin above and below your closed eye bulges while you are pressing, then protruding fat is likely causing your puffy eyelids, and you would benefit from the removal of fat during eyelid surgery.

Droopy Upper Eyelids

Look in the mirror. Pay careful attention to the lower edge of your upper eyelid. As previously mentioned, it should fall just below the top of your iris. You should be able to see most of the iris above the pupil, but not the very top of it. If the lower edge of your upper eyelid blocks more than the very top of your iris, then your upper eyelid is droopy. Plastic surgeons call this condition eyelid ptosis (the p is silent).

In some cases, droopiness is so severe that the edge of the upper eyelid encroaches upon the pupil and interferes with vision. Those with droopiness of the upper eyelid are often told that they look tired or In some cases, droopiness is so severe that the edge of the upper eyelid encroaches upon the pupil and interferes with vision. Those with droopiness of the upper eyelid are often told that they look tired or

Lax (Loose) Lower Eyelids and Canthopexy

Looking in the mirror, pay careful attention to the position of the upper edge of your lower eyelid. As previously mentioned, it should rest just above the lower border of your iris so that you can see no white below your iris. If it doesn't, you have loose lower eyelids, or what plastic surgeons call lax lower eyelids. Iflaxity is mild, it may cause dry eye symptoms but the lids will look normal. If laxity is severe, dry eye symptoms may be debilitating, and the lids may look droopy. Severely lax lower lids droop below the iris, allowing the white of the eye to be seen between the pupil and the lid.

Even if your lower lid position appears normal, you may still have mild or moderate laxity. If your lid is slow in returning to your eyeball when you pull your lower lid down with your finger, then mild or moderate laxity is present. Your lid should snap back instantly; if there is a delay, you have at least mild laxity. If you must blink to get your lower lid to return to your eyeball, then laxity is at least moderate.

Laxity is important because it is associated with postoperative dry eye syndrome. Any degree of laxity must be recognized prior to surgery so that it can be addressed. Untreated laxity will worsen as a result of lower eyelid surgery. To correct laxity, a procedure called canthopexy may be performed with your eyelid surgery. It involves placement of a stitch to tighten your lower eyelids - preventing droopiness and hopefully averting dry eye symptoms. Your surgeon should assess eyelid position and tone to determine your need for this procedure. If canthopexy is recommended, you should agree to it, but anticipate a lengthier recovery during which time your eyes will appear temporarily slanted.

Scowl Lines

The scowl lines between your brows can be improved during upper eyelid surgery. If this is a concern to you, ask your surgeon about altering your corrugator muscles, which cause scowl lines, during your upper eyelid procedure.