Your eyes are your most expressive feature. No matter what the rest of your face is doing, people will look to your eyes to try to see your real feelings. There’s some truth to the idea that the eyes are the windows into the soul. But the eyes are also an unbelievably vulnerable portion of the body as you age. The tone of the surrounding skin becomes discolored, the skin itself becomes less elastic, and the muscles become weaker. This leads to bags below the eyes and drooping upper lids that make you look tired and older.
To look younger and more vibrant, more and more men are exploring the benefits of blepharoplasty. Dr. DeJoseph, an experienced plastic surgeon who performs eyelid surgery in Atlanta, notes how this eyelid treatment can be performed on the upper, lower, or both lids to reduce the sagging and droopiness that results from aging or for functional reasons. The goal is to make you look younger, more alert, and more engaged.
Plenty of men are proud of how active and energized they look. That’s what makes droopy eyes so frustrating. Even when you’ve woken feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day, you still look like you’ve barely slept at all. Eyelid surgery invigorates the appearance, helping your outside appearance to match your adventurous spirit instead of holding it back.
Who Would This Operation Benefit?
Blepharoplasty isn’t a surgical procedure that’s divided by gender. Though it’s most commonly performed on older individuals, there’s no real age limit beyond that a person needs to have reached adulthood. Individuals who are good candidates for blepharoplasty tend to meet some or all of the following criteria:
- Their upper eyelids are droopy or baggy, leading to a sleepy and zoned-out appearance
- Their upper eyelids have excess loose skin that sags enough to interfere with peripheral vision
- Their lower eyelids have excess skin that leads to sagging, wrinkles, and shadows
- There are puffy bags under the eyes that won’t go away no matter how much sleep is achieved
Some men might choose to have other cosmetic procedures done at the same time, like a brow lift to restore the youthful appearance to your aging brows. If the excess skin surrounding your eyes is impeding your vision, the surgery may count as a medical procedure rather than a cosmetic one. In this case, your insurance company may cover part or all of the cost. You’ll need to provide documentation proving that the surgery will correct your vision. Your doctor can help with this by doing eye exams and taking reference photographs.
Risks Associated with the Procedure
There are some risks to be aware of here. The chances of experiencing complications and side effects are rare, especially if you have an experienced surgeon. However, it’s important to be informed so that you can talk to your surgeon about the best ways to mitigate the risks.
Typical risks include:
- General surgical risks like negative reactions to the anesthesia
- Infection or excess bleeding due to improper wound care
- Dryness or irritation of the eyes
- Difficulty with closing the eyes
- Scarring or skin discoloration
- A temporary blurring of the vision
- An injury to an eye muscle
The majority of these complications, in most cases, will clear up a few days following the surgery. If you take medications or have any condition that increases your risk of bleeding or infection, you should make sure that you discuss that with your doctor before the procedure.
What To Expect
Most of the time, this surgery will be performed on an outpatient basis, so you can return home afterward. You might be given general anesthesia or be sedated with calming compounds while local anesthesia is used on the eyelids.
Some of the procedures depend on whether you’re having surgery on both lids or not. With the upper lids, the surgeon will cut along your eyelid fold, remove excess skin and fat and muscle, and then close the incision up. With the lower lids, the surgeon creates an incision right below your lashes and then removes sagging skin, excess fat, and excess muscle through the natural crease. The incision is then closed.
For some people, whose eyelid drooping is so serious that the upper lid nearly reaches the pupil, the surgeon may also do a ptosis procedure to support the eyebrow muscle and keep the eyelid raised. Your doctor will give you strict instructions on how to recover following the surgical procedure. It’s important to follow these instructions exactly to minimize your risk of potential complications.
There’s also a long list of things that you should avoid as you’re recovering. Avoid rubbing your eyes, and try to use the compress instead if they’re irritated. You should avoid smoking before surgery and continue afterward, as smoking can irritate the eyes and interfere with the healing process. Avoid fitness activities that strain the muscles like swimming, heavy lifting, and straining. Also avoid jogging, aerobics, and other cardio activities for the first week.