6 Things This Eye Expert Says Most People Don’t Know About Eyelid Surgery

When it comes to eyelid surgery, Saint Petersburg, FL oculofacial plastic surgeon Jasmine Mohadjer, MD has seen and heard it all. The distinguished eyelid expert says she spends a lot of time educating patients on the aesthetic solutions available today and often comes across the same medical misconceptions time and time again.

While any elective surgical procedure is a big decision, she shares that what often helps her clients at Eyelid Surgeons of Tampa Bay make a final decision is finding out that eyelid surgery is not the major undertaking they once thought. “The surgeries are relatively quick, the downtime is relatively minimal, but you really do get a nice change,” she explains. Here, she dispels common myths by sharing the facts that most surprise her patients. 

Your vision and sometimes even makeup application can help determine if you’re a good candidate for an eyelid procedure.

Typically, an eyelid lift has been thought of as a procedure for older generations. But Dr. Mohadjer says there’s not a set age range for an upper or lower blepharoplasty and to think of the surgery as a problem solver, not a surgical milestone. “For an upper blepharoplasty, when you start to feel like your eyelids are heavy or your eye makeup starts to become lost in your eyelid folds, you may want to consider a lift. Some patients even get headaches and tired eyes and can’t read for long periods of time, as the weight of the eyelids makes them uncomfortable,” she explains. For lower lids, under-eye bags can worsen due to genetics, allergies, or trauma. “Once they’re the only thing you see when you look in the mirror, it’s time to come in for a consultation.”

Eyelid surgery scars are almost imperceptible.

Every surgery carries a risk of scarring, but blepharoplasties produce some of the most minimal scarring of any cosmetic procedure. “The skin around the eyes is the thinnest skin we have on the body,” notes the eyelid surgeon. “It heals extremely well, and the incisions are hidden in natural crease lines formed in the upper eyelid and for lower blepharoplasty, on the lower lash line. Kind of where you’d wear your eyeliner, so it really blends nicely.”

This 65-year-old patient received both a lower and upper blepharoplasty to rejuvenate his tired appearance. A good eyelid lift should leave you looking more relaxed.

Afraid of looking too pulled or too tight, many of Dr. Mohadjer’s patients return after treatment to say that essentially, no one noticed their plastic surgery. “We want people to look like they used to look, not like a celebrity or someone else entirely. Oftentimes my patients return, saying that their friends and coworkers have asked if they’ve gotten a haircut, gone on vacation, or just really well rested. That’s what I really like about eyelid surgery—it gives you a very natural change that’s not super obvious or overdone.”

Downtime and pain are extremely minimal. 

For upper eyelid surgery, expect a week of some bruising and swelling, she says. For lowers, expect to be away from prying eyes for two weeks. “We ask patients to limit their makeup, swimming, and exercise for about two weeks.” As far as pain, the surgeon says upwards of 90 percent of her patients don’t even take Tylenol.

Most cases can be done under twilight anesthesia. 

“Upper eyelid blepharoplasty can be done awake in the office or under a light twilight anesthesia,” she explains. “I don’t use general anesthesia and with lower blepharoplasty we often do a little twilight sedation, and it takes about 45 minutes or less.”

To refresh this 67-year-old’s heavy upper eyelids, Dr. Mohadjer performed an upper and lower blepharoplasty with fat repositioning two months post-operation. A combination treatment can provide the ultimate in eyelid rejuvenation. 

If the aim is to brighten eyes and forgo wrinkle relaxers for some time, Dr. Mohadjer notes her favorite combination is to pair eyelid surgery with a laser treatment. “I do a lot of combination laser skin resurfacing and a lot of CO2 laser skin resurfacing,” she says. “It really improves skin texture, but also helps stimulate collagen and tighten skin. It can also help with swelling of the lower lid as well. I always say this combination makes it a home run. We can get a lot better with surgery, but when we add a laser to improve the skin on top of it, it’s like the whole package deal.”

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