When is a blepharoplasty necessary?

Blepharoplasty is the name given to cosmetic eyelid surgery, which generally involves adding volume by injecting autologous fat into eyelids that have lost volume. Depending on the indication, there are different types of blepharoplasty:

• Upper blepharoplasty involves removing excess skin or a fatty pocket from the upper eyelid.
• Lower blepharoplasty involves treating excess skin, removing pockets of fat, performing a sub-muscular facelift or treating hollow circles on the lower eyelid.
• Addition blepharoplasty combines skin resection of the upper or lower eyelids with microlipostructure fat injection to restore lost volume in the eyes.

Blepharoplasty is performed for aesthetic reasons or to treat certain pathologies. The most common aesthetic cases are as follows:

• Sagging upper eyelids (ptosis)
• Presence of bags under the eyes or hollow circles
• Presence of wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes (crow’s feet)

There are also obvious medical or functional motivations. Certain pathologies and conditions sometimes require blepharoplasty:

• Restricted field of vision due to drooping eyelids (ptosis)
• Presence of an eyelid cyst (chalazion)
• Eversion of the lower eyelid (ectropion) or eyelid turned inwards (ectropion).

How do I know if blepharoplasty is right for me?

The decision to undergo blepharoplasty is a personal one, and depends on various factors such as aesthetic concerns, functional problems and individual expectations. A consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon is the essential first step. Dr. Hayot always takes the time to assess your situation, discuss the options available and then guide you in making an informed decision. To find out if blepharoplasty is right for you, you can refer to these points:

• Aesthetic discomfort linked to sagging eyelids, bags under the eyes or wrinkles.
• Vision problems due to drooping eyelids
• Good general health (certain eye conditions such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy are contraindications).
• Realistic expectations

What are the alternatives to blepharoplasty?

There are a number of surgical and medical alternatives to blepharoplasty.

Non-surgical treatments

• Non-surgical treatments such as Botox injections or fillers can be used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
• Laser treatments can also improve the texture of the skin around the eyes and reduce the signs of skin aging.
• PlexR or Jett Plasma are aesthetic treatments that tighten and reduce excess skin on the eyelids.
• Ultrasound treatment (HIFU) can also tighten sagging eyelid skin.
• A chemical peel is an effective alternative for improving the quality of skin in the eyelid region (smoother texture, attenuation of wrinkles and skin irregularities).
• Finally, topical care and a skincare routine can maintain healthy eyelid skin.

Surgical treatments

• Laser removal of bags under the eyes
• Fat grafting to restore lost volume in the eye area (lipofilling).