Eyelid Surgery: Why a Laser Eye Lift is Better Than an Eye Cream
Modern eyelid surgery can rejuvenate the eyelids and eliminate tired eyes, under-eye bags, eye hoods, dark circles, and eye wrinkles with much less downtime and fewer complications than ever before. New laser eyelid surgery is faster, with less bruising and no change in the shape of the eyelids after surgery. Expecting an eye cream to get rid of eye bags is like putting aspirin on top of your head to cure a headache.
What is also new is that the laser is used for eyelid surgery and a visible incision in the lower eyelid is no longer required. The new technique is called transconjunctival blepharoplasty, which means that the incision for lower eyelid surgery is made on the inside of the eyelid, so there is no visible scar or change in the shape of the eyelid.
What can modern laser transconjunctival blepharoplasty achieve?
o Remove eye hoods and tired eyes– As our eyes age, loose skin develops on the upper eyelid and the tissue droops over the lashes. This is called Dermatochalasis, but is commonly called eye hoods or tired eyes. The new laser blepharoplasty uses lasers to remove loose skin and reveals a bright, refreshed and youthful look in the eyes.
o Eliminate bags under the eyes and puffy eyes– Eye bags and puffy eyes are corrected through a small laser incision made on the inside of the eyelid through the pink tissue called the conjunctiva, hence the term transconjunctival blepharoplasty. The benefits of the transconjunctival approach in eyelid surgery are:
1. No visible eyelid incision
2. No change in the shape of the eyelids-Traditional blepharoplasty through an external incision weakens the lower eyelid. The eyelid turns down at the outer corner creating a sad or hound dog look. Modern transconjunctival eyelid surgery does not damage the eyelid support, so the beautiful shape of the lower eyelid does not change.
o Eliminate dark circles under the eyes-The new transconjunctival laser blepharoplasty can also be used to remove dark circles. A structure called the arcus marginalis is released that holds or attaches the skin of the lower eyelid to the bone of the eye socket and creates the dark circle under the eye. The protruding eyelid fat that is causing the bag or puffiness under the eye is removed and a small portion of the fat is repositioned in the eye to fill in the dark circle. This new eyelid surgery technique has revolutionized surgery to remove dark circles.
o Eliminates eyelid wrinkles and crow’s feet– New fractional laser resurfacing techniques can smooth eyelid wrinkles and crow’s feet with much gentler lasers and one-third the downtime of traditional laser resurfacing techniques. Botox(TM) is used to soothe the muscles that cause crow’s feet and eyelid wrinkles after the laser has smoothed the skin.
What are the benefits of tissue-sparing blepharoplasty surgery?
o No hollow eyes after eyelid surgery– Older excisional blepharoplasty techniques removed skin and fat and often left the eyes looking hollow and turned down at the corners. The new transconjunctival tissue preservation approach for blepharoplasty has avoided this problem.
o No change in the shape of the eyelid-Older blepharoplasty methods that removed the skin shortened the eyelid and weakened the eyelid support. The result was a sad look.
o Depressed cheek filler-As we age, our cheek near the lower eyelid sags because fat and skin sink into the lower part of the cheek. By repositioning the eyelid fat into this depression instead of discarding it, the lower eyelid and upper cheek are plumped and rejuvenated.
How long is the recovery?
The only recovery is the time it takes for the swelling and bruising to subside, usually a week to ten days, although many patients do not bruise when the laser is used. The laser seals the blood vessels as the surgery is performed, so there is less bruising with the laser.
It is important to rest with your head elevated for the first few days. This helps get rid of swelling. Do not lift heavy objects or exercise for the first week, as these activities could lead to postoperative bleeding.
Most people are ready for eye makeup by day four, and many people feel comfortable in public wearing sunglasses after a day or two.
Who should I see for eyelid rejuvenation?
I recommend a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in laser surgery and eyelid resurfacing. Transconjunctival laser blepharoplasty with tissue preservation and fat grafting or repositioning is a relatively new procedure and not many plastic surgeons are familiar with this technique.
Even fewer plastic surgeons are using the laser technique.
You’ll have to do your homework. Look into transconjunctival laser blepharoplasty and fat grafting or fat repositioning.
Try to see at least two surgeons and see photos of their results with the newer technique. Ask how many of these operations they have performed and rate their response.
Modern tissue-sparing laser and transconjunctival blepharoplasty techniques are a vast improvement over techniques that were available only two or three years ago. A beautiful eyelid rejuvenation with fast recovery and a normal shape of the eyelids after the operation is possible today. Bags under the eyes, puffy eyes, eye hoods, eyelid wrinkles, and crow’s feet can be removed with minimal downtime and very little evidence that you’ve had surgery.
Do your homework and find a surgeon who is up to date with the latest techniques.