It’s fair to say that we’re pretty evangelical about the benefits of blepharoplasty procedures here at the Jan Stanek Surgery, so we weren’t in the least bit surprised to hear about a recent survey which confirms our faith in modern-day eyelid surgery.

The online survey, which was published in a recent edition of America’s JAMA website, involved 401 participants who rated Before and After photographs of ten women who had undergone eyelid surgery procedures by the perceptions of age, attractiveness, health and energy levels.

The eyes really do have it

The results were a massive thumbs-up for blepharoplasty. According to the mass perception of the survey participants, the people in the After photos appeared 1.04 years younger than the people in the Before pictures, and were rated more attractive, healthier-looking, and more energetic.

“This is the first study, to date, aimed at quantifying the perceptions of facial aesthetic changes following blepharoplasty,” the researchers concluded in their report. “Both patients and casual observers perceived a significant improvement in energy level following blepharoplasty – a meaningful finding as the appearance of fatigue is a chief concern of the patients before they undergo blepharoplasty.”

Blepharoplasty is a relatively minor procedure that produces major results, and for good reason: after all, when you look at someone’s face for the first time, the eyes are almost always the first place you zone in on, as this medical report points out1. As we know all too well, a slight tweak to the skin above and/or below the eyes can have a rejuvenating knock-on effect across the entire face and make you appear younger.

The two main procedures are known as ‘upper blepharoplasty’ and ‘lower blepharoplasty’, and they do two separate jobs. The upper version is designed to correct the drooping effect of an eyelid, and removes any eyelid overhang and restores the prominence of the eyes, while also softening frown lines and getting rid of crow’s feet.

The lower blepharoplasty, on the other hand, is geared towards the removal of bags and puffiness under the eyes, smoothing out the area and restoring ocular vitality – as well as making the deep hollows under the eyes known as ‘tear troughs’ disappear.

Simple, safe, effective

Both upper and lower blepharoplasty procedures are performed under local anaesthesia – with or without sedation. Upper eyelid work usually involves a hidden incision inside the natural crease of the eye, which extends slightly beyond the outside corner, and allows the surgeon to take away excess skin and fatty tissue. Even better, the incision will be completely hidden from view once healed.

In the case of a lower blepharoplasty, the incision is made below the lower lashes, allowing the practitioner to remove excess skin, muscle and fat. Sometimes the fat can be repositioned to smooth out the appearance.

For more information on what we can do to put the twinkle back in your eyes, here’s our fact sheet on blepharoplasty.