Upper Eyelid Surgery in San Francisco, CA

While an L Plastic Surgery upper eyelid surgery (or blepharoplasty) can rejuvenate your appearance, it can also give you a new look at life without excess lid skin. You can have a new contour to your upper eyelid with surgery performed by our board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Charles K. Lee. With big, puffy upper lids, you may have fine lines or overly creased lid skin, you may qualify for our upper eyelid cosmetic surgery. If you want to defy your age and look younger, then having a procedure to enhance the appearance of your eyes is a great place to start. Visit our L Plastic Surgery in San Francisco, CA to have a consultation with Dr. Lee. He provides results for men and women wanting to look more youthful and refreshed.

The best candidates for upper eyelid surgery

• Have eyelid issues that cause them to look older
• Have vision problems caused by droopy eyelids
• Have droopy, down-turned eyelids as a result of aging or genetics
• Have bags under the eyes
• Desire a more refreshed, rejuvenated appearance
• Desire a natural look

For upper eyelid surgery, Dr. Lee will make the incision within the natural fold of the eyelid. The incision will be extended outward as much as possible in order to address the extraneous skin folds located on the outside of the upper lid. After the incision is carefully made, the surgeon will remove the excess fat and skin. Afterward, the incision will be closed with absorbable sutures, which do not require removal by Dr. Lee. With some patients, both the lower and upper eyelids need to be addressed to correct all issues effectively. When both are combined, surgery can last around two hours.

Although eyelid surgery is usually an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility in the San Francisco, CA area. Your upper eyelid surgery can also be performed as an in-office procedure with a milder form of anesthesia. After surgery, patients can expect the eyelids to be bruised and swollen, which can be helped with the application of ice packs, medicated eye ointments or eye drops, and elevating the head. These symptoms should last a few days. Eyelid recovery is usually easy for most patients and normal activities can be resumed within a week. Patients should expect natural-looking, younger, more refreshed eyelids after their surgery. In addition, scars shouldn’t be visible due to their placement on the inside of the lid.

What is the difference between having an upper or lower eyelid surgery?
For lower eyelid surgery, the incision will be placed along the bottom of the lash line to allow Dr. Lee to access to remove the extraneous fat and tissue. A special technique is used for patients with puffy lower lids but good skin tone called transconjunctival blepharoplasty. Patients with dark under-eye circles caused by a lack of fat in the area could benefit from injectables or fat fillers to add volume to the area. The upper eyelid surgery generally corrects hanging, aged skin and tissues that make the patient look older or impairs their vision.

Will an upper eyelid surgery fix wrinkles and Crow's feet?
Wrinkles on your forehead and the corners of your eyes (Crow's feet) may be better addressed with a brow lift or facelift since the improvements of eyelid surgery are limited to the eyelids only. Blepharoplasty can be performed alongside nonsurgical treatment such as BOTOX, which combats wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. During your consultation, Dr. Lee will create your custom treatment plan based on your goals.

What about nonsurgical treatments instead of eyelid surgery?
Nonsurgical skin tightening procedures or injectable treatments (like BOTOX) can only provide mild, short-lived improvements. If you have moderate-to-severe loose skin or would like to see results that last a long time, eyelid surgery would be better for your needs. When you tell Dr. Lee about your aesthetic goals, He can explain his suggestions for a surgical or nonsurgical treatment plan. He may also recommend combining both nonsurgical and surgical procedures for your best results.

No longer should you allow your eyes to age you beyond your years. Not only can you look younger and more revitalized with upper eyelid surgery, but you can also correct obstructions caused by droopy eyelids. When you’re ready to transform your eyes and overall appearance, please feel free to give us a call at 415.933.8330 to set up a consultation with Dr. Lee.