The best patients are those who are healthy, psychologically stable and well motivated. Most are 35 or older, but if puffy, baggy or hooded eyelids run in your family, you may decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age. During your consultation Mr. Percival will ask you about your general medical history to identify any medical conditions that may increase the risk to blepharoplasty surgery such as thyroid disease, high blood or eye pressure, bleeding disorders, or tear production disturbances such as watery or dry eyes.

The most important aim in this surgery is to leave the patient looking as natural as possible and not overdone. On the upper eyelids, the incision is carried out in the natural crease line. Surgery here is designed to correct both the excess skin and the excess fat. After making the incisions, the excess skin and muscle is trimmed from the upper eyelids together with any fat, which is usually present on the area adjacent to the sides of the nose. The incisions are then closed with very fine sutures. It is important to remember that you cannot remove all skin in this region because some skin always need to remain behind after this surgery in order to allow good closure of the eyelids! On the lower eyelids, the technique very much depends on the patient's individual circumstance and requirements. Therefore if the problem is mainly prominent lower bags without excessively loose skin, you may have what is termed as a transconjuctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure the incision is made inside your lower eyelid, leaving no visible scar. In this instance excess fat is carefully removed. Alternatively, when loose skin needs to be trimmed, the incision starts underneath the eyelashes and extends 1 cm or so outwards into the crow's feet area. The skin is then lifted upwards and outwards, gently tensioning the area and overlapping skin removed. Before suturing, any bleeding points are meticulously stopped.

Scarring is a result of any incision to the skin, so with any surgery it is a factor to take into consideration. However, if you seek a fully qualified and trained surgeon to carry out your procedure, like we have at ASC, they will be able to place the scar cleverly in the crease of the eyelid. Once healed, there is normally little evidence that a procedure has been undertaken, besides the fantastic result.

Eyelid surgery is not designed to target wrinkles around the eyes, most commonly known as ‘crow’s feet’. It is a procedure that aims to remove excess skin and fat from the upper and lower eyelid, that may cause gathering and impair vision. For crow’s feet, we usually recommend botulinum toxin, which is a non-surgical treatment.

We find that for some patients the best results can be achieved by combining eyelid surgery with a facelift as both operations address different portions of the face. The facelift can be performed at the same time. In some case we find that combining non-surgical treatments such as Botox will give the patient added benefit. Our surgeons will be able to advise you fully during your initial consultation.

Blepharoplasty as a facial rejuvenation technique is isn’t exclusive to the older generations. If you’re experiencing sagging eyelids or pronounced eye bags in your 20s and 30s, surgery is an excellent solution and often the only option.
It is also worth noting that our policy is not to operate on any patients under the age of 18, conversely there is no age limit, so long as the patient is in good health.

Mild bruising, swelling and tenderness in the treated area are to be expected. Most patients only see this within the first 10 days.