Eyelid Lift/Upper & Lower Blepharoplasty (Upper and Lower Eyelid Surgery)
What Is An Upper Blepharoplasty?
An upper blepharoplasty in Dallas, Texas, is also known as an upper eyelid lift or upper eyelid surgery. It is used to rejuvenate the appearance and functionality of one or both upper eyelids.
The procedure can be performed while the patient is awake in the office with some topical numbing cream, or as part of a more comprehensive rejuvenation strategy that may include fat grafting, ptosis repair, and/or browlifting.
Unfortunately, traditional upper blepharoplasty procedures involve the removal of a significant amount of skin, fat, and muscle, which can leave patients looking hollower and older. Dallas eyelid surgeon Dr. Sam Lam, on the other hand, performs a more conservative upper blepharoplasty procedure when done in isolation, but prefers to offer a more comprehensive approach when possible.
Dr. Lam specializes in safe, natural, and aesthetically pleasing blepharoplasty and other related procedures for his local patients and those who travel to Dallas to see him. The video at the top of this page explains Dr. Lam’s vision for making someone appear younger, while also closer to their original appearance — not an arbitrary definition of beauty or youth.
He always tells patients that he does not need to see their old photographs to know what to do. However, he wants you to see them because only by seeing them will you understand that Dr. Lam’s specific complement of techniques can truly rejuvenate you in a way that does not change identity, but restores it.
What Is The Recovery Period For An Upper Eyelid Lift in Dallas?
The recovery is usually very fast, since typically only the skin is removed. Oftentimes there is not a lot of swelling or bruising (even during the first week), and the sutures are often well-hidden when the eyes are open, as seen in his many testimonials.
However, it is advised to take a week off from work just in case there is some bruising or swelling. Sunglasses can help camouflage any inflammation. Stitches/sutures are removed in the office 7 days after surgery. Again, many individuals can return to work very quickly.
As an alternative, Dallas upper eyelid surgery can be performed under deeper anesthesia with other facial rejuvenation surgeries, like:
- Lower eyelid lift
- Brow lift
- Fat grafting
- Facelift
There will be slightly more recovery time and scope if additional procedures are added, but Dr. Lam will explain in your situation the nature and degree of your recovery. All cosmetic procedures, including blepharoplasty, are performed in Dr. Lam’s Joint Commission-accredited surgical facility in Dallas. If you are flying into Dallas, Texas, to have your upper blepharoplasty procedure performed by Dr. Lam, you will need to stay one week for suture removal.
Even though you probably have a surgeon who could remove your sutures back home, Dr. Lam personally removes the sutures himself because he does not want to disrupt the incision. He does so using micro-instruments and absolute care in the process.
How Is A Lower Eyelid Lift Performed?
For lower eyelid rejuvenation (also performed in our Dallas surgery center), Dr. Lam only believes in removing fat, not skin (the opposite of the upper eyelid), to preserve the eyelid shape. He performs the lower eyelid procedure through a no-incision (transconjunctival) approach not to avoid a scar but, as mentioned, to maintain the shape — and thereby function — of the eyelid.
He believes that when a skin incision approaches the lower eyelid, the strength and integrity of the lower eyelid need to be restored with a procedure known as lateral canthopexy or canthoplasty.
This maneuver can alter the shape of the eyelid unfavorably, thereby compromising the natural appearance and identity of the patient. Furthermore, Dr. Lam believes that removing tissue is only part of the solution to aging. Since volume loss is a vital component, he believes in restoring lost volume through fat grafting, which can be part of a more comprehensive strategy for eyelid rejuvenation.
For the lower eyelid, most of the time, Dr. Lam can simply cover an eye bag using fat grafting. He likes to use the analogy of rocks (eye bags) along the shoreline that become exposed when the tide is low (the fat around the area has receded to expose the eye bag).
However, at times when it is more prominent, eye bag removal should be considered. Accordingly, he believes that it is always wise to add some fat back when an eye bag is removed to create the most youthful shape possible. He will use fractional lasers on occasion to tighten the lower eyelid without removing any skin.
Dr. Lam believes that removing skin or making a skin incision in the lower eyelid can change the eyelid’s appearance in an unfavorable way by distorting the outer canthus. The outer canthus (the junction of the lower and upper eyelid) should be maintained in its position and shape to avoid altering function (making the eyes unable to close or tear excessively). Dr. Lam has never encountered these issues in over 23 years in practice performing this procedure almost every week, if not several times a week.
What Is The Recovery Period For A Lower Eyelid Procedure?
Unlike upper eyelid surgery, lower eyelid surgery must be undertaken under sedation since it’s uncomfortable to remove fat from the lower eyelid when you’re awake.
Accordingly, fat is harvested from the belly or thighs and injected along the bony orbital rim after the fat bag is removed through a no-incision approach (transconjunctival). Although no actual incisions are made in the lower eyelids, they can still be more swollen that first week than following an isolated upper blepharoplasty. The recovery is typically 7 to 10 days.
If you’re flying to Dallas to have just a lower eyelid surgery done with Dr. Lam, you can usually leave after a few days. However, if you have an upper blepharoplasty procedure performed as well, you’ll need to stay in Dallas for a week so that the upper eyelid sutures can be removed.
What Is A Ptosis Repair?
Ptosis is short for “blepharoptosis”, which is a critical part of eyelid aging that is of significant importance, but that few facial plastic surgeons in Dallas or elsewhere treat. As we age, our eyes become narrower because the muscle that opens the eye lengthens. If you look at a youthful eye, it is more open and rounded.
Ptosis repair can easily and permanently correct this problem, and it can be part of a comprehensive strategy for eyelid rejuvenation. Dr. Lam routinely performs ptosis correction by shortening the inside of the eyelid (the conjunctiva/Mueller’s muscle):
- With no external incisions
- Using dissolvable sutures
- With minimal recovery time
Ptosis repair can truly help rejuvenate eyelids by making them look more open and less sleepy. When combined with other procedures, such as blepharoplasty and/or fat grafting, the results are even more natural and significant.
What Are The Risks Of Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery in Dallas?
In upper eyelid surgery, there is a risk of not being able to close your eyes, over-hollowing the eyelids, creating asymmetry, or changing the eyelid shape. Fortunately, Dallas facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lam has not experienced these issues because of his very safe and effective surgical techniques.
He always states that your natural asymmetry will not be entirely fixed, as we are all going to have some degree of asymmetry. Overemphasizing symmetry can sometimes actually exacerbate the problem.
Dr. Lam also counsels patients who, as they age, have a mild degree of ptosis. In these instances, ptosis repair will need to be completed alongside blepharoplasty.
For lower eyelid blepharoplasty, there is traditionally a risk of creating eyelid dysfunction, including dry eye, not being able to close the eyes, and changing the eyelid shape. Again, Dr. Lam has not experienced these issues because he avoids the external incision, which inherently weakens the eyelid shape and must be rebuilt in a way that can lead to both short- and long-term problems.
Dr. Lam does emphasize that he will remove the eye bags, but cannot guarantee that there is no small residual fullness left. When he performs fat transfer, there will be a slight resorption of the fat, even though the overall results are still excellent. He refers to this as the “three phases of fat grafting,” which he discusses in more detail on his fat grafting page.
Dr. Lam’s fat grafting technique is smooth, not lumpy, and with excellent longevity. This is because he employs a method that he developed and wrote about in his 2006 textbook, Complementary Fat Grafting, the most popular textbook in the world on fat grafting at that time. He also purifies the fat using the PureGraft technique, which has resulted in much higher fat survival and less recovery time for his patients.
What Does an Eyelid Lift Cost in Dallas?
Standalone upper blepharoplasty costs less than lower blepharoplasty because it can be done while you are awake, which bypasses any facility or anesthesia fees that Dr. Lam must charge for a lower blepharoplasty. An upper eyelid lift with skin removal can be completed with or without lower eyelid surgery and also with or without fat grafting. Performing both an upper and lower blepharoplasty will incur additional costs.
With a lower eyelid lift, Dr. Lam believes that fat grafting can be highly beneficial, which accordingly increases the procedure’s cost. Ptosis repair and/or browlifting can also be added, depending on what Dr. Lam sees when he consults with or advises you on what would be the optimal strategy. For detailed information on current pricing, please call Lam Facial Plastics at 972-312-8188.
Schedule Your Eyelid Lift In Dallas
Blepharoplasty or Eyelid Lift FAQs with Dr. Lam
Will I have scarring after Blepharoplasty surgery?
For the upper eyelids, the incision is made inside the natural crease of the upper eyelid, so that even if there is a fine line the scar typically is well camouflaged, as naturally there already is a line there at that junction. In the past, the reason why scarring was less favorable owing to the removal of excess skin causing the thin eyelid skin to be sutured to the brow skin. Dr. Lam does not believe in doing this, so he achieves very favorable incisions. Also, even during the healing phase, it is very hard for onlookers to see the upper eyelid incision since it is tucked inside the crease, which is almost invisible even when you blink. For the lower eyelid, there is no external incision at all, so there is technically no risk for scarring.
Can I wear contacts after Blepharoplasty surgery?
Typically, Dr. Lam recommends not wearing contacts for either upper or lower blepharoplasty for at least 10 days after the surgery. He does not want you to pull on the incisions, which can cause the wound to not heal as well.
Will my vision be blurry after Blepharoplasty surgery?
Will I have dry eyes after a blepharoplasty?
This is very common following lower eyelid blepharoplasty and typically lasts several days to a week since the tear duct or the lower eyelid muscle may not work as well. Dr. Lam advises using prescription eyedrops that contain a light steroid and topical antibiotic to help with the healing process. Fortunately, as mentioned previously, Dr. Lam’s no-incision method virtually eliminates the risk of long-term dry eye issues seen with traditional eyelid surgery, and he has not seen this complication after performing blepharoplasty now for 20 years.
Does Dr. Lam accept insurance for my blepharoplasty?
Dr. Lam does not accept insurance for upper blepharoplasty. Unfortunately, those physicians who take insurance more likely than not remove way too much skin, fat, and muscle to make the procedure “functional” but leave the patient looking older, different, or with other functional problems such as dry eye, etc. Dr. Lam believes that a more conservative approach is needed combining it with fat grafting as needed to restore lost volume around the eyes. Of note, insurance never covers lower eyelid blepharoplasty.
How can Dr. Lam fix my asymmetric eyelids?
Dr. Lam always says “The two sides are not the same and can never be made the same.” That is his mantra. He will remove the same amount of skin on both sides because trying to take too much skin on the side that has what appears to have too much skin will only drag the brow lower and then cause further problems. It is very important that you do not fixate on perfect symmetry because it cannot be fixed.
Can he do fillers under my eyes instead of fat grafting?
Dr. Lam has performed many fat transfers and fillers under the eyes. However, in the past few years, he has moved away from fillers under the eyes because he has noticed an increasing number of filler patients have visible fullness from migrated fillers even occurring years after a single round of “temporary” fillers. He believes now that fat grafting is the preferred method for managing lower eyelid hollowness. During a consultation, he can explain his rationale more in-depth and try to provide you with a detailed and tailored plan that will fit your budget and desires grounded in safety and focused on efficacy.
Does Dr. Lam perform browlifts?
What does he think of the brows? In general, Dr. Lam does not believe browlifts are needed in most individuals. The brows appear to sag because the eyelids become hollow and the upper eyelid skin becomes redundant. Simply removing some skin and filling the brow can be sufficient to make an individual appear rejuvenated. Too often browlifts do not look natural since most attractive, youthful brows are actually relatively low. However, in brows that are too aesthetically low, he performs a very simple elevation of only the outer brow to create an improved brow shape. This technique involves a hidden incision along the temporal hairline and what is known as a temporal lift. He believes that the central brow should remain low. Otherwise, you will look surprised.
Videos:
Upper Bleph Testimonial
Facelift/Rhino/Bleph Incisions Close-Up
Facelift/Fat/Rhino/Upper Bleph.Testimonial
Avoid Weird-Eye Surgery
10 Reasons for Fake Plastic Surgery
Brows, Balloon, Botox
Dark Circles Eyes
For more videos, please click here.
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