Blepharoplasty is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the world, especially among women. With age, the skin loses its freshness and gradually appears wrinkled. The first age-related changes will emerge in the area of the eye and the eyelids because the skin in those areas is much thinner and wrinkles faster than the rest of the face.

What is Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty is the surgery for correcting defects and repairing the eyelids in which the eyes’ puffiness and droopy eyelids are corrected. This cosmetic surgery makes a person's face appear up to 10 years younger since the eyes play an important role in communication and beauty. Therefore, blepharoplasty is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the world today as well as in Iran.

What happens in Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty is a type of aesthetic correctional operation, in which the excess skin and fat around the eyes will be removed and they will become younger and more beautiful. In some people, however, blepharoplasty is done to increase a person’s visual field, since too much eyelid droopiness will result in one’s field of view reduction. Blepharoplasty in Iran is generally performed on an outpatient surgery basis and in most cases, there is no need for hospitalization.

The method of Blepharoplasty in Iran

Blepharoplasty surgery is performable for both upper and lower eyelids. But the method is different. The followings are the steps to perform blepharoplasty in Iran.

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty in Iran

In blepharoplasty operation, the surgeon first cuts a parallel incision to the upper eyelid wrinkles. Then, by turning this incision into a crescent, removes a crescent-shaped piece of the upper eyelid. The upper eyelid consists of excess skin, fat and subcutaneous muscles, which the surgeon removes using laser, surgical blades, or radio waves. After removing the excess area, the skin on both sides of the upper eyelid is sutured with very thin, absorbable yarns to prevent any incision marks in the upper eyelid. Upper eyelid blepharoplasty can greatly enhance the visual field in some people.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is suitable for people with puffy eyes. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is used to remove the fat sacs underlying the eyes area, with the following method:

In this method, the surgeon cuts a small incision under the lower eyelashes, which is parallel to the natural wrinkles of the skin under the eye and removes the excess fat. If even by the removing the subcutaneous fat underlying the skin, the skin keeps its puffiness, by cutting a small crescent incision, the physician removes the excess skin and sutures the incision is by thin absorbable yarns. It is recommended to use laser or radio waves instead of a surgery blade for blepharoplasty, since proper incision, also closes the bleeding vessels, thereby reducing the risk of intraoperative bleeding. There are, of course, other ways to perform blepharoplasty, including the conjunctival procedure, in which a small incision is cut in the back of the eyelids to remove the excess fat. In some other procedures of this surgery, it’s possible to remove the underlying excess fat from a specific area and move it to areas with low underlying fat. However, blepharoplasty does not resolve the darkness and the droopiness around the eyes, and this should not be expected from this operation. If blepharoplasty is performed on each upper and lower eyelids, it will take about one to three hours. Topical anesthesia is used to perform this operation, although, on some people, general anesthesia may be used due to their physical and health conditions.

Am I a good candidate for blepharoplasty?

It is recommended that blepharoplasty be performed on ages over the age of 30 years when age-related changes fully appear on the person's face.

Blepharoplasty is not recommended if you have one of the following:

People with specific illnesses that make the performing of this operation being prohibited by a physician
People with heart disease, diabetes and hypertension, and thyroid
People with diseases of the immune system

Measures before and after blepharoplasty

Measures before blepharoplasty

Stop taking certain medications like Aspirin, Mefenamic Acid, Piroxicam, and Brufen for several weeks before the surgery
Careful eyesight, eye movements, and eye movement nerves examination is essential prior to the surgery
Smoking and drinking 2 weeks prior to blepharoplasty is prohibited
Perform blood tests prior to the operation
Use vitamin C to boost immunity
Fasting about 8 to 10 hours before the surgery
Facial wash before surgery and cleansing cosmetics from the skin

Measures after blepharoplasty

Oiling and dressing the operation area
Pain is normal within the first few days after the surgery, but if aggravated, many types of painkillers can be used under the supervision of a physician
Applying cold compress in the operation area for two days after the surgery
Keeping the head high during sleep to reduce bruising and swelling of the eyelids
Double vision, tears, and light sensitivity are normal and transient after the surgery and will disappear
The use of cosmetics is prohibited for 3 days after the surgery
The sutures are removed in ten days after the operation
Contact lenses should not be used for about 2 to 3 weeks
Wear sunglasses for about a month after the surgery
Avoid swimming and lifting heavy objects for about a month after the surgery
Symptoms such as swelling and bruising behind the eyes are normal and transient. They will disappear within a few days.