There’s no escaping the effects of time on your skin, even if you’re blessed with favorable genetics. Eventually, the skin begins to lose elasticity, sagging in places where the skin is the thinnest, and there’s nowhere on your body where the skin is thinner than your eyelids.
Jennifer A. Baron, MD, dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon knows how important your eyes are to your appearance, and that’s why she offers eyelid tuck surgery at her San Jose practice. However, it’s not always about cosmetics.
Upper eyelid surgery, medically known as blepharoplasty, is commonly recognized as a powerful procedure for restoring youthful appearance to the eyes. The sagging skin of the eyelids that give your face a chronic tired look can sometimes droop enough to begin blocking portions of your vision.
When drooping eyelids affect your eyesight, it’s no longer just an aesthetic concern. Your eyelid tuck now becomes a functional procedure designed to restore an uninterrupted field of vision.
Since every patient has unique needs, eyelid surgery isn’t a single approach but a collection of techniques from which Dr. Baron customizes your procedure. There are techniques for both upper and lower eyelids, but only upper eyelid blepharoplasty addresses vision concerns.
Typically, an eyelid tuck removes excess skin drooping and blocking your eyesight, either at the top or sides of the field of vision. Incisions may be on the surface of the eyelids, aligning with the natural creases, or underneath the lid. In each case, any scarring remains well hidden.
Sometimes, it’s necessary to remove some of the fat that cushions the eyeball if it’s causing bulges. The membrane that holds these deposits in place can weaken, affecting both the upper and lower eyelids.
Rarely, the muscles that open and close your upper lids may require repair to restore full eyelid motion. If needed, this technique is added to your blepharoplasty.
Even when Dr. Baron recommends an eyelid tuck for functional reasons, your post-surgical appearance is crucial to the procedure. Of all cosmetic surgeries performed on the face, blepharoplasty is the most frequent, with over 120,000 procedures in the country in 2023.
Dr. Baron specializes in upper eyelid techniques performed in the office under local anesthetics. You will be able to drive yourself home after your surgery.
Bruising is a common side effect of an eyelid tuck, so you may wish to take a few days away from your regular routine. Otherwise, recovery is usually simple, requiring only over-the-counter pain medication and ice packs to minimize swelling.
We’ll give you information on caring for your eyelids after surgery, including specific instructions for your unique conditions. You’ll return in about a week for suture removal.
Contact Dr. Baron’s San Jose, California, office to learn more. Book your consultation by calling 408-418-8780 today.
