What is Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty?

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is a kind of cosmetic surgery that targets the lower eye region in order to make the eyes look younger. It is most commonly performed in order to remove sagging skin from the area under the eyes and to remove fat deposits that have collected in the area. In some cases, a lower eyelid blepharoplasty is performed on its own. It is also quite common for this procedure to be tied in with a number of other cosmetic surgeries that are performed at the same time, or in succession. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is sometimes combined with a face lift, chemical resurfacing, or a forehead lift.

During a lower eyelid blepharoplasty, the surgeon makes an incision along the lower eyelash line. Depending on how much skin and fat the surgeon plans to remove, there may also be an incision in one of the creases that fan from the outside corner of the eye. These creases are often called "laugh lines" or "smile lines" because they are pronounced during laughter and while smiling. Once the incision has been made, the surgeon removes a section of excess skin and, sometimes, excess fat that has collected under the eyes. These incisions are then closed and the patient is prepared for the healing process.

The results of this kind of cosmetic surgery may take many weeks to reveal themselves. The reason for this is that it can take a few weeks for the patient to recover from the procedure and for the swelling to go away. It is important to follow doctor's orders for at-home care in order to stay well and to achieve the best aesthetic results. Once a patient is fully healed, the area around the eyes should look firmer, less wrinkled, and more youthful in general.

Sometimes cosmetic surgery patients want to have their lower eyelids and their upper eyelids treated at the same time. This means that the lower eyelid blepharoplasty is combined with an upper eyelid blepharoplasty. When people say that someone "got their eyes done" they are usually referring to lower eyelid blepharoplasty, upper eyelid blepharoplasty, or a combination of the two procedures. Like most cosmetic surgery procedures, very few health insurance policies cover lower eyelid blepharoplasty. In most cases, people who elect to have this surgery must find a way to pay for it out of pocket. Depending on one's cosmetic surgeon's policies, it may be possible to pay for this surgery in installments.