Blepharoplasty in Tampa and St. Petersburg, FL
Do you look in the mirror and wonder why you look older? Do you know that something is adding years to your appearance, but you’re not sure what exactly? You may be surprised to learn that your eyelids play an important role in your appearance. Blepharoplasty from Davis Facial Plastic Surgery reduces excess skin and fat from the upper and lower eyelids. As a dual-board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and otolaryngologist, Dr. Davis has performed the procedure on hundreds of men and women in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and surrounding areas in Florida.
What Is Blepharoplasty?
As we age, the eyes develop extra, loose skin, fat and puffiness that can hinder both our eyesight and cause undesired wrinkles that age us beyond our years. An Eyelid Lift or Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at rejuvenating the upper or lower eye. A Blepharoplasty rejuvenates the eye by reducing excess muscle, fat and skin from the eye. A small incision is made, and this excess is reduced. When the eye heals, the result is a more refreshed, firmer and younger eye.
At Davis Facial Plastic Surgery, we concentrate in the following areas of blepharoplasty:
What Can Blepharoplasty Do For Me?
As a facial plastic surgery specialist, Dr. Davis helps patients reduce or improve sagging skin around the eyes, minimize puffiness and make wrinkles less apparent. The eyelids are usually the first area of the face to display a person’s age. Saggy or loose eyelid skin can cause you to look tired and old and may even negatively impact your eyesight. Dr. Davis is able to correct the lower and upper eyelids surgically to help you look younger and more vibrant. In most cases, correction of the upper eyelids is performed while correcting the lower eyelids. However, both surgeries may be performed on their own or during a facelift, eyebrow lift or similar facial procedure.
Am I A Good Candidate For Blepharoplasty?
Like any cosmetic procedure, it’s important to have realistic expectations and be in good health. Men and women can both be candidates for eyelid surgery. Both the lower and upper eyelids can feature loose skin, wrinkles or bagginess caused by the genetics of simple aging. Plastic surgery of the eyelids helps to get rid of unwanted skin, fat and other tissue from these areas. In the end, patients will look younger and more refreshed.
Your Blepharoplasty Consultation
During your consultation, Dr. Davis asks you a few questions about what you’ve been noticing. Your responses help him decide what procedure or procedures you may need for cosmetic or functional reasons. Whether you’ve been noticing skin hooding over the eyes, deep crow’s feet or possibly puffiness? Or maybe it has affected your eyesight while you drive? He listens to you and take into consideration these issues you are having and weigh in other factors including any vision obstruction, in addition to your medical history, age, and skin type. Dr. Davis will take all of these items into consideration when he recommends the best procedure for you. Sometimes an eyelid lift is complemented with a brow lift or forehead lift, or even a Botox® injection to hinder the crow’s feet wrinkles. Recovery will also be covered. All procedures require ten days to two weeks of “down-time,” and six weeks of reduced physical activity to allow the eyes to heal properly.
How Is Blepharoplasty Performed?
A blepharoplasty or eyelid lift on the upper eye or lower eye can usually be done in the office. The procedure takes 45 minutes to an hour under local anesthesia with sedation.
For surgery involving the upper eyelids, Dr. Davis starts by taking measurements and then marking along the creases and lines of the eyelids to help minimize the appearance of scarring. Small incisions allow Dr. Davis to reduce any unwanted tissue from the area. Afterward, the incisions are closed using fine stitches, which help ensure minimal visibility of scars.
During surgery of the lower eyelids, an incision is made near the eyelash line, making it virtually unnoticeable. Extra fat under the eye is exactly measured and reduced through this incision, correcting under-eye puffiness. Once the procedure is finished, the incision is closed with fine, transparent stitches that dissolve on their own within one to two weeks without leaving a noticeable scar.
If upper and lower eyelids are done together then either local or general anesthesia will be used. This takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
Recovery From Blepharoplasty
For the vast majority of patients who receive blepharoplasty surgery, post-operative discomfort is minimal or nonexistent. Patients may develop different degrees of bruising or swelling after the surgery, but this typically resolves on its own within one week to 10 days. In order to control swelling and bruising, cold compresses are applied to the eyes for the first two days after surgery. Some degree of swelling or bruising is to be expected, but it’s not usually severe. Keeping your head elevated during sleep or rest, along with the use of cold compresses, will help to speed up healing and prevent discomfort.
For one week after your surgery, you will need to keep the area around your eyes clean. Because they will likely feel slightly itchy, dry or heavy, you may receive a prescription for eye drops to help relieve this. Dr. Davis will provide you with information about which activities or environments you should avoid while you’re healing. Following upper eyelid surgery, your stitches will be taken care of after six days. Those on the lower eyelid will dissolve by themselves. Dr. Davis requires each patient to adhere to post-surgery care instructions to optimize healing and minimize the risk of complications.
Choosing Your Facial Plastic Surgeon
When choosing a surgeon for your eyes for cosmetic or functional, sight-restrictive reasons, the selection of a facial plastic surgeon will guide you to a successful outcome. Dr. Davis is a Double Board Certified and AAFPRS Fellowship Trained Facial Plastic Surgeon, who specializes in eyes and face only. With over fifteen years of experience and several hundred eyelid lifts, Dr. Davis favors minimally invasive techniques and also continues his education to remain current with any advances in the procedure.
How Much Does Blepharoplasty Cost?
During your consultation, Dr. Davis will review your procedure costs. Davis Facial Plastic Surgery does not participate in any medical health insurance plans. Dr. Davis accepts all major credit cards, checks, CareCredit®, and cash for procedures. If you have any questions about financing your procedure, contact Davis Facial Plastic Surgery.
Do you have puffy, sagging and drooping eyelids? Contact Davis Facial Plastic Surgery today to find out if blepharoplasty is right for you!
