Answer: Eyelid surgery is usually the best solution if you have significant excess skin around the eyelids. In appropriate patients with less extensive sagging, there are less invasive procedures that may be effective such as laser resurfacing and chemical peels. These can treat the texture of the skin to improve some crepiness and tighten the skin to some degree.

Answer: That’s a pretty good indication that you do. The aesthetics of the upper third of the face have to do with brow position, excess eyelid skin and prominent eyelid fat among other factors. As far as the forehead and upper lids, elevating the brow to an appropriate position is crucial to giving a rejuvenated and refreshed appearance. Once that has been established, if there is still excess skin at the upper lids with an overhanging fold, then the eyelid lift would also be indicated. Most patients who desire rejuvenation of the upper face, and who have significant brow ptosis(drooping) will benefit from an upper blepharoplasty in addition to the brow lift, to optimize their surgical result and produce the most refreshed and youthful appearance.

Answer: Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is relatively minor surgery in terms of operative time and the degree of physiological stress that it causes to the body. For those reasons, it can easily and often is combined with other outpatient cosmetic procedures of the face, breast or body. The orbital fat that is typically removed from the lower eyelids in blepharoplasty surgery, however, is usually not used for transfer to other sites. First, the amount of fat removed from both lower eyelids is very small in volume and not adequate to significantly improve anything but the smallest wrinkle or contour abnormality. Fat and or muscle removed from the upper or lower eyelids is sometimes injected or tunneled beneath the frown lines to correct them, but correction of nasolabial folds and augmentation of the cheeks would normally require larger volumes. Secondly, this fat does not have the ideal characteristics to allow transfer with optimal efficacy and minimal risk of complications. Orbital fat is lobular and fibrous. With transfer, it is more likely to result in lumpiness or irregular contour and less likely to have a long term, large percentage volume take. Fat from the lower abdomen would be preferable in terms of adequate volume for larger corrections and better quality to avoid lumpiness and minimize resorption.

Answer: Loss of sensation is not a common complaint following cosmetic eyelid surgery. When it occurs, it should be temporary. It should gradually improve during the first few to several months after surgery.