It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your gender is, your eyes are one of the main focal points of your face. Unfortunately, this means that as we age and begin to show signs of ageing, this is one of the first places where wrinkles, fine lines and sagging start to be noticed. Sagging skin, especially on the eyelids, is a common occurrence that will affect many people as they age, but while in most cases it only shows the dreaded signs of ageing, for some people it actually interferes with their vision.
Both blepharoplasty and brow lift surgery are forms of facial surgery that are responsible for ageing skin around the eyes, but both are used under different use cases. While blepharoplasty surgery actively deals with the skin around the eyes and eyelids, brow lift surgery is performed to elevate and reposition the brows which has a knock on effect on the eyes.
What is blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty surgery is something that is generally performed in patients who have a “tired” appearance that is brought on by heavy or sagging eyelids and bags beneath the eyes. The surgery itself is performed to remove excess skin and tissue around the eyelids.
For the upper eyelid, a number of smaller incisions are made in the natural crease of the eyelids so that any excess skin and fat can be removed before it is stitched up. By performing it this way, any scarring associated with blepharoplasty surgery are able to be hidden in the natural creases of the eyelids.
For lower eyelids, the process is very similar in the way it is carried out except the incision tends to be made outside the eyelids beneath the eyelashes to minimise the appearance of any possible scarring.
It’s a form of treatment that is purposely designed to remove sagging skin from around the eyes but it isn’t designed to fight the appearance of wrinkles or crows feet that aren’t directly associated with the eyelids.
When should I not undergo blepharoplasty surgery?
If you’re only looking to fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, blepharoplasty surgery may not be right for you and it may make more sense for you to opt for something more appropriate.
In the majority of cases, the eyelids beginning to sag is a combination of excess skin and the eyebrow descending and in these case a brow lift may be a more appropriate surgical option.
What is brow lift surgery?
Brow lift surgery is also known as a forehead lift and is performed to smooth out the area between the brows and hairline. This type of procedure is designed to “freshen up” the appearance of your forehead and simultaneously to give an improved and replenished appearance to the skin around the eyes.
A brow lift is a little different to other surgeries that can be performed around the eyes as there are a range of different methods that can be used to help achieve the desired outcome. For example, the incision can be made in the hairline so that the skin can be shortened which lifts the whole area and gives a more youthful appearance whilst hiding any scars in the hairline. It can also be performed as a form of keyhole surgery which is carried out through a number of smaller incisions with less scarring.
While this option can be performed for aesthetic reasons to give a more youthful appearance, it can also be carried out to aid those who have had their vision affected by drooping or sagging brows/eyelids.
When should I not undergo a brow lift surgery?
If you have a naturally higher brow already then a brow lift surgery probably isn’t the right procedure for you as it can leave you with a permanently shocked appearance which is definitely not what you want.
So which is best for me, blepharoplasty surgery or a brow lift surgery?
This is where this becomes difficult to decide as each individual patient is different and has their own desired outcomes and ideas of what the treatment should do for them, so the answer to this question is different for each person who asks it. If you’re looking specifically at sagging eyelids then undergoing a blepharoplasty procedure may be the best option but we tend to see that patients opt for a combination to achieve a more youthful, all round appearance.
Brow lift surgery, while it will help with the appearance of sagging eyelids, tends to be recommended for patient who are struggling with sagging brows instead. This does help to improve the signs of ageing and gives a more youthful appearance to the face as a whole.
Regardless of which treatment you are thinking of opting for, booking a free consultation is the best place to start as you will be able to seek the best advice and ask any questions that you have about the treatment, as well as gaining a realistic idea of what results can be achieved.