Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)

Blepharoplasty (Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery) is a cosmetic procedure performed to enhance the appearance of your eyes. The eyes are the most engaging facial feature, and should be the focal point of the face. The process of facial aging often detracts attention from the eyes. In fact, the goal of aesthetic facial rejuvenation is to restore attention back to the eyes.

A well shaped eyelid is a cornerstone of youth and beauty. Age brings changes to the eyes themselves. Loose skin develops, fatty pouches form, and eyelid shape is altered. The eyes are unfortunately the first part of the face to show aging, often appearing as early as in the late 20's.

Dr. Steiger can restore a more youthful appearance to your eyes using advanced blepharoplasty techniques. Eyelid fullness is an essential component of a youthful appearance, which Dr. Steiger believes should be maintained/restored. He focuses on restoring your eyelid to its youthful state, giving you a more rested look.

This patient had an upper eyelid blepharoplasty to remove the heaviness from her upper eyelid. This eyelid lift gives her a more awake and refreshed appearance.

Goals To enhance the appearance of the eyes and provide a more rested look by restoring the eyelid to a youthful state.

The Procedure Upper Eyelid- The incisions are hidden within the upper eyelid crease. Eyelid skin and fat are augmented in order to rejuvenate the upper eyelid. Lower Eyelid- Incisions are made on the inside of the eyelid and occasionally under the lash line. The fatty pouches are either repositioned or removed to restore the eyelid to a more youthful appearance.

Anesthesia Deep sedation/twilight sleep is preferred, however some patients opt for a general anesthetic.

Length of Time The procedure averages between one to two hours. It is performed in our state of the art, fully accredited outpatient surgical facility or at the hospital. Other procedures, such as a facelift, brow-lift, laser or chemical skin resurfacing, and facial fat transfer may be combined with eyelid surgery and may be recommended after a detailed consultation with Dr. Steiger.

After the Procedure Most patients go home comfortably after the procedure. If you prefer, professional in-home nursing care or overnight hospital suites are available upon request. Our friendly staff can assist you in coordinating these services upon request.

Recovery Most patients return to work within 1 week and are back to full activities after 10 days. Bruising around the eyes may occur in some cases, and can be camouflaged with make-up. Most patients feel remarkably well immediately after the procedure, and have minimal pain which is alleviated with a mild narcotic.

This patient had both an uper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty. Fat was NOT removed from her eyelids to prevent a hollow look and achieve natural appearing results.

Blepharoplasty is the medical term for cosmetic eyelid surgery. It is performed to freshen up the eyes and restore a younger, healthier appearance. There are two types of blepharoplasty. Upper lid blepharoplasty is performed to rejuvenate the upper eyelid, while lower lid blepharoplasty is performed to rejuvenate the lower eyelid.

The scars from blepharoplasty are very well concealed. The upper eyelid incisions are hidden within the upper lid crease.

Dr. Steiger performs most lower lid blepharoplasty from the inside of the eyelid, without any skin incisions. This is called a transconjunctival blepharoplasty approach. In some instances, an incision is placed just below the lash line. This incision is not noticeable once healing is complete. This is called the transcutaenous approach.

Traditionally, blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) is performed by removing exess skin, muscle and fat from the eyelids. Unfortunately, this can often be overdone and give the eyes a "hollowed-out" appearance.

Periorbital rejuvenation was performed using Dr. Steiger's fat preservation blepharoplasty techniques. In addition, fat transfer was performed to the lower eyelids in order to fill in the hollowness that has formed with age. Dr. Steiger's advanced blepharoplasty techniques achieve a natural appearing result. She is 1.5 years after her eyelid surgery.

Eyelid fullness is an important attribute of a youthful and attractive appearance. A hollow appearance is rarely a sign of a youthful eyelid. This is evident when looking at earlier photographs of yourself or fashion models in their 20's. Dr. Steiger utilizes the most advanced blepharoplasty techniques in order to rejuvenate the eyelids. Facial fat is a valuable commodity and should not be removed unless absolutely necessary. Instead of removing eyelid fat, Dr. Steiger releases and repositions the fat from within the eyelid to recreate a smooth transition between the eye and cheek. This technique can achieve a more natural and youthful appearance.

Eyelid fullness is a sign of youth and beauty. However, surgeons are traditionally taught to remove fat from the lower eyelid when performing blepharoplasty. This can lead to a hollow eyelid after blepharoplasty.

Dr. Steiger avoids the hollow look by performing advanced blepharoplasty techniques that rejuvenate a youthful appearance without removing fat from the lower eyelid. Rather then removing the excess fats, he repositions it to a more youthful location. This prevents a hollow appearance and looks the most natural.

Upper and lower eyelid rejuvenation in a male patient. Upper blepharoplasty was performed to improve the appearance of the hanging skin of his upper eyelid (lateral hooding). Notice the improved contour of the upper eyelid skin after surgery. Lower eyelid rejuvenation was performed without any surgery incisons. Dr. Steiger's advanced fat transfer techniqes were used to improve the groove in his lower eyelid called the tear trough deformity. Notice how the tear trough was corrected in the before and after photos.

This depends on the cause of the dark circles. If the dark circles are caused by a shadow effect from the protrusion of your eyelid fat, then this will improve. However, in some cases the dark circles are caused by pigment within the skin. In these cases adjunctive procedures may be necessary for improvement. Dr. Steiger will evaluate this during your consultation.

Upper eyelid skin can be so redundant that it blocks your field of view. This is called blepharoptosis. If this is present, upper eyelid blepharoplasty will improve your ability to see.

Absolutely. Aging affects both men and women. This is especially true when it comes to the eyes. In today's workplace and social environment, men are increasingly undergoing cosmetic procedures to improve their appearance.

Depending on your line of work, most patients can return to non-strenuous acitivity within a few days after the procedure. Bruising may be noticeable, but can be covered using camouflaging make-up.

The results of cosmetic eyelid surgery are long-lasting. In the majority of patients this procedure is only performed once.

This patient had an upper eyelid blepharoplasty to remove the heaviness from his eyes. Dr. Steiger preserved his masculine appearance, while achieveing a more rested, less angry look.

Yes. Many patients seek out Dr. Steiger for this reason. His treatment philosophy is based on creating a natural look. His practice is dedicated to only the face, and he offers the most advanced, up-to-date blepharoplasty techniques to achieve these results.

Repair of overly hollow eyelids can be difficult, but is possible. During your consultation Dr. Steiger will analyze your face in order to determine how he can restore a more natural look. Advanced fat grafting to the periotbital region may likely be the required.