Droopy eyelids and under-eye bags can make you look tired and older than you are. Fortunately, modern medicine can turn back the hands of time and give you a refreshed look as vibrant as you feel. But which option is right for you: a brow lift or an eyelid lift?
At Best Impression Medical Spa and Laser Center in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, our expert plastic surgeons, Dr. Vivian Hsu, and Dr. Robert Mirabile, carefully discuss all surgical options and your goals to make the best choice for each patient.
Here, they explain what you can expect from each procedure.
We can perform eyelid surgery—also known as blepharoplasty—on your upper or lower lids or both. We remove excess skin that’s fallen out of place on the upper lids and leave your eyelids looking tighter and more youthful.
If you opt for upper lid blepharoplasty alone, it’s a quick procedure that takes about 30 minutes. You can expect some swelling and bruising in the area, which typically clears after a week. Stitches come out after seven days as well, and most patients report little pain overall with upper lid lifts.
A lower lid blepharoplasty addresses bags and wrinkles underneath your eye. For this procedure, we use a small incision to remove or reposition fat that’s accumulated under your eyes and then tighten excess skin as necessary. The recovery process is about the same as upper lid blepharoplasty.
Many of our patients opt for both upper and lower lid blepharoplasty since the changes associated with aging often affect both your upper and lower lids to varying degrees.
Sometimes, sagging in your forehead or brow can cause your eyebrows to form a “hood” over your eyes. This can interfere with your visual acuity, create an aged appearance, and may or may not be combined with drooping eyelid skin.
We often recommend a brow lift when your forehead is causing the issue. It’s more involved than an eyelid lift. The initial wound healing, for instance, can take 10-14 days. By then, you should feel perfectly comfortable about returning to work or public outings.s However, it may be several weeks before all the swelling recedes and the full benefits of your brow lift appear.
We have several options regarding which surgical approach to use for a brow lift. We may choose an endoscopic approach that allows us to perform the procedure using tiny incisions through which we insert surgical instruments combined with a small camera.
However, depending on your circumstance, we may recommend a coronal incision for best results. This approach requires a much larger incision placed at the hairline. Over time, the incision site heals to a fine line that’s barely noticeable and is typically covered by your hair.
Although it’s more complicated than blepharoplasty, a brow lift offers more cosmetic benefits, including:
Your surgeon is your most valuable resource when deciding on an eyelid versus brow lift procedure. At Best Impression Medical Spa and Laser Center, we always focus on your overall health and well-being, regardless of the surgery you’re contemplating. We help our patients make informed decisions based on what’s causing the problem and their expectations regarding surgical outcomes.
It would be a little good for you to have an eyelid lift if the problem is associated with your forehead. There’s also no need to undergo a brow lift if blepharoplasty would solve the issue. And sometimes, for best results, our patients opt for both a brow lift and blepharoplasty.
Regardless of which method you choose, you can rely on our surgeons' skill and expertise to achieve the best outcome. To learn more, call us or use our online form to schedule a consultation today.
