Blepharoplasty Before & After
* Individual results may vary.
A Focus on Beauty The eyes are one of the most important facial features.
Eyes cue the world into how a person is feeling. Bright, well-rested eyes are a hallmark of youth. Aging eyes have a more tired appearance. It can even make a person look angry or sad when they are not. If you are tired of people asking why you look tired or upset, it may be time to visit Dr. Lucas Bryant, your trusted Nashville facial plastic surgeon, for a little touch-up.
The skin near the eyes is more thin and delicate than other parts of the face. Thin skin tends to have less elasticity and strength. Gravity also takes a toll by causing youthful fat pads and muscles around the eyes to droop downward with time as the ligaments in your face stretch and sag.
Given this, it’s no surprise that the eyes tend to show signs of aging before other parts of the face. Eyelid treatments tighten loose skin, smooth eye wrinkles, and can even dark circles and correct bags under the eyes. A single surgery can take years off your age. If you’re not ready for surgery, we have a variety of nonsurgical eye lift techniques as well.
What to Expect from Blepharoplasty
Most eye treatments can be performed in our office using topical and local anesthesia, without an IV, and without intubation. If you prefer the comfort of light sedation, the procedure can also be performed at a nearby surgical center. In many cases, eyelid surgery is performed in combination with other facial rejuvenation procedures.
Pre-Procedure Appointment
Before your procedure, you’ll meet with Dr. Bryant and his surgical care coordinator. Your personal treatment plan will be reviewed and you’ll be provided with all preoperative and post-operative instructions — as well as medication if applicable.
Post-Procedure Appointment
The recovery for different eyelid procedures may vary. Nonsurgical treatments usually require little-to-no downtime and you can resume your social activity that very same day.
In-Office Anethesia
Refine Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics is unique in that many procedures can be done under local anesthesia. Patients do not have to go to a surgery center or hospital and are not intubated.
Types of Blepharoplasty Procedures Refine Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is an outpatient procedure used to improve the appearance of the eyelids. The treatment can be performed on the upper eyelids, the lower eyelids, or both.
Dr. Bryant performs a wide variety of eyelid procedures, including laser and chemical peels, radiofrequency microneedling, upper and lower minimally invasive blepharoplasty, eyelid lift with fat transfer, ptosis repair, and cancer and trauma reconstruction. He is also a Luminary advisor as the first physician in TN to offer the novel, non-surgical AccuTite eyelid treatment from InMode.
Upper Eyelid Lift Fix Heavy Upper Lids
An upper lid blepharoplasty helps to fix heavy upper lids. Often, the upper eyelid skin appears crowded with age. This creates a hooded eyelid effect. The sagging eyelid skin droops downward, giving the eyes a tired, sad, angry, or heavy appearance.
Dr. Bryant’s innovative techniques help to avoid the classic “hollowed out” or “carved out” look that makes some surgical results appear unnatural. Upper eyelid surgery can remove excess skin and fat on the upper portion of the eye. Muscle and fat are repositioned as needed. The result is well-rested eyes that make you look years younger, and not “operated on”. The incision is neatly hidden in the eye crease. Once healed, no one will be the wiser.
This can take up to 5 to 10 years off your appearance. Upper eyelid surgery can be performed at the same time as lower lid surgery for patients with sagging on both parts of the eye. A brow lift, or lateral temple lift, may enhance the results or be an alternative to upper lid surgery.
Lower Eyelid Lift A lower lid blepharoplasty can be customized to the patient’s needs Each patient has a unique history and set of aesthetic goals.
Dr. Bryant works with his patients to counsel them on all treatment options available, and then proceed with a customized treatment that is best suited to achieve the desired result.
A common procedure is known as the pinch eyelid surgery technique. This allows your surgeon to remove excess lower eyelid skin without touching the fat layer or muscles beneath it. This is ideal for giving the eyes a much-need refresher with minimal tissue damage and a surprisingly fast recovery.
Another technique is transconjunctival or incisionless blepharoplasty. This lower eyelid surgery is often used in reconstructive surgery, or for someone who has minimal skin excess. An incision is made on the inside of the lower lid (conjunctiva or the loose connective tissue). This provides access to the fat and muscle layers, and upper cheek. The fat can be re-contoured or gently reduced as needed to improve overall appearance while avoiding any external incisions and allowing for a quick recovery time with minimal to no external scar.
Transcutaneous Muscle Flap Blepharoplasty
A transcutaneous skin muscle flap blepharoplasty is often combined with fat repositioning. This can have the most dramatic rejuvenation effect in the right patient. In this procedure, the skin and muscle of the eyelid are gently released from the cheek orbitomalar retaining ligaments that commonly cause the “eye bags” and hollows under the eye.
The fat pads are repositioned and sculpted to rejuvenate the contour of the lower eyelid and upper cheek. Transcutaneous skin muscle flap blepharoplasty can be considered a reliable alternative to repetitive filler injections, or less stable fat injections. The result is fresher, more well-rested eyes. This technique allows easy access to fat pads near the eyelid while keeping the pretarsal orbicularis muscle intact. On occasion, a temporary dissolving suture will be placed beneath the skin to reduce swelling and support the lower eyelid while it heals. This powerful plastic surgery technique results in a pleasantly lifted, youthful appearance. When the surgery is healed, the incisions are usually imperceptible.
Get Rid of Under Eye Bags & Remove Dark Circles Due to aging and genetics, many men and women experience puffy eyelids, bags under the eyes, and dark under-eye circles. Dark circles, in particular, are one of the most stubborn areas to treat.
Fat transposition is a lower-eyelid surgery. Instead of removing bags of fat under the eyes, which creates a hollow, skeletonized appearance, the fat is moved (or “transposed”) down into the hollow tear troughs. This helps correct under-eye tear trough hollows, where dark circles form. At the same time, it improves heavy lower lids — all in one surgery. The results of topical skincare treatments for puffy lids and dark circle home remedies can be disappointing. When filler and skincare treatments are not enough, an outpatient treatment including surgical fat transposition may be a good option.
Which Type of Blepharoplasty is Right for You? One of Dr. Bryant’s top priorities is making sure his patients maintain their own natural facial identity, and avoid overtreatment.
By correctly identifying the root cause of your concerns, and then combining that with the correct treatments, we help you avoid looking unnatural. As you can see, there are many different techniques used for eyelid surgery. During your consultation with Dr. Bryant, he will help decide which treatment is right for you.
One of the advantages of choosing to work with a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon is that you will have access to all available treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical. Many patients may not need or be ready for surgical treatments. For patients not needing surgery, Dr. Bryant can help counsel on optimizing skincare regimens and other minimally invasive treatments. This customized and combination approach is designed to get the best youthful and refreshed results possible.