What is blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty or palpebral plasty can be likened to a real eyelid lift, in which the eye surgeon restores tension to the tissues, eliminating excess skin and fat from the bags, for example.

For a complete and natural rejuvenation of the eyes, other procedures are sometimes combined, such as treatment of expression lines (glabellar wrinkles, crow’s feet wrinkles, etc.) or filling of dark circles.

Each time, the surgeon proposes a tailor-made solution to rejuvenate the eyes:

• Upper blepharoplasty treats the upper two eyelids, while lower blepharoplasty treats only the lower eyelids; all four eyelids can be treated at the same time.
• Blepharoplasty without a scar is performed through the conjunctiva, for example to remove bags under the eyes using an ultra-pulsed CO² laser, whereas blepharoplasty with a scar involves a very fine skin incision, which must follow the natural edge to within a millimeter, before disappearing into a small wrinkle in crow’s feet so as not to be visible.

The secret of a successful blepharoplasty is to carry out a meticulous clinical examination beforehand, in order to assess the elasticity of the skin and not underestimate any underlying volume loss. This will determine the surgical techniques to be used, guaranteeing a 100% natural result.

How long does it take to apply make-up after blepharoplasty?

Eyelid surgery often results in slight bruising or swelling of the tissues for a few days. It is advisable to protect the operated area with sunglasses, and to apply a cold mask if necessary, to reduce redness and swelling.

The aim is to quickly mask these small bruises with make-up, so that the patient can return to a normal social life. This is all the more true as one of the frequent reasons for surgery is the presence of a cap on the upper eyelid, which until now has prevented beautiful make-up, hence the legitimate impatience!

Putting on make-up after surgery is a real pleasure again, as long as you use non-irritating products and respect a certain post-operative timeframe.

The latter depends on the techniques used.

• In the case of scarless blepharoplasty, the transconjunctival incision means that there is no thread on the skin, so make-up can often be applied after 24/48 hours.
• In the case of blepharoplasty with a skin incision, you need to wait until the threads have resorbed or been removed, and the skin is healed and free of scabs. This takes 5 to 8 days. Make-up should not be applied before the threads are removed, as this may form an occlusive film over the scar and impair the healing process.

How do you apply make-up and care for your eyes after blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty often produces spectacular results, rejuvenating the eyes by up to ten years, restoring their tone, radiance and dynamism.

Makeup can then be used to sublimate it, accentuating its contours and sensuality.

During the entire healing phase, it is important to follow the instructions carefully to ensure optimal eyelid reshaping:

• No make-up or water on the scar for the first 5 days;
• No swimming pool or sauna for 1 to 3 weeks;
• No intense UV exposure for at least 3 weeks.

Once the blepharoplasty has healed, Dr Hayot recommends adapting your make-up or eye contour products, respecting 3 principles:

• No strong or irritating products, which can induce chronic inflammation and accelerate tissue aging;
• Moisturize the eye contour area well, with products based on fluid hyaluronic acid for example, which deeply nourish the dermis;
• Protect yourself from the sun, as UV rays are the main factor in tissue aging.

In the case of associated micro-lipofilling, it is also advisable to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain a stable weight.

By combining quality make-up with regular care, blepharoplasty patients can optimize their eye rejuvenation for at least 10 years.