Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is commonly performed along with an upper eyelid blepharoplasty (eyelid lift). Lower eyelid blepharoplasty helps to remove baggy lower eyelids and take away the shadows that make your eyes look tired. Here are the most common questions, with answers, that we get from patients about the procedure.
Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty, before and after
Question: How is lower eyelid blepharoplasty performed?
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is performed by making an incision through the inside of the lower eyelid (transconjunctival approach). Through this incision, the fat pads in the lower lids that form the bags are either removed or repositioned. This smoothes out the lower eyelids. Normally, skin is removed from the lower eyelid just below the eyelashes as well. This is closed with dissolvable stitches.
Question: What will I look like right after surgery?
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty normally causes some bruising and swelling of the lower eyelids, which can travel into the cheeks. The bruising lasts about 2 weeks. The swelling can take 2-6 weeks to completely resolve, depending on your age and the health of your skin. I tell people they’ll look like they’ve been in a fight, but won’t have significant pain.
Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty, before and after
Question: What do I have to do after surgery so I heal properly?
The most important treatment for lower eyelid blepharoplasty is to use ice on the eyelids 20 minutes, on and off, for the first 48 hours after the procedure. This will reduce swelling and speed recovery. You’ll also use antibiotic ointment on the incisions 3-4 times daily for the first week. Avoiding strenuous activity and not touching the incisions excessively is also important to allow healing.
Question: How long does healing take?
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty takes about 6 months to completely heal, but within 3-4 weeks, you’ll have a good idea of what your appearance will be like. You can conceal any of the mild redness with light makeup.
Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty, before and after
Question: How long does it last?
While your skin will keep changing after surgery, you can expect the lower lids to look great for many years. It is uncommon that we have to repeat lower eyelid blepharoplasty.
Question: How much does it cost?
Costs vary around the country and depending on if you have lower eyelid blepharoplasty along with other procedures. As of March of 2016, when this article was written, we charge $2500 for the lower eyelids alone, when done in our office. When done together with the upper eyelids, the cost is $4000. We also recommend having an anesthesia provider present, which costs around $300 extra. When done in conjunction with other elective surgery in a surgery center, we charge $1500 for the lower eyelids, which doesn’t cover the extra facility and anesthesia charges.