How Do I Know If I Need to Have Surgery For Droopy Eyelids?
Are your eyelids droopy? When the skin around your eyelids is sagging, it can be hard to ignore.
Droopy eyelids can add years to appearance and make you look tired all the time. In addition to affecting how you feel about yourself, sometimes droopy eyelids even make it hard to see.
This occurs when they hang low enough to obstruct your peripheral vision. Droopy eyelids can be treated surgically, but when is it time to consider surgery?
Keep reading to learn how to know if you need surgery for droopy eyelids!
What Causes Droopy Eyelids?
As you age, your skin naturally loses elasticity. This applies to the skin around your eyes too. With time, it becomes harder for it to fight the effects of gravity.
Exposure to the sun can speed up this process, as ultraviolet rays harm collagen and elastin, essential proteins in your skin. Some people also inherit a predisposition to droopy eyelids.
While aging is the most common cause of droopy eyelids, they can have other causes as well. Some conditions can result in the sagging of skin around your eyes.
These conditions include diabetes, Horner syndrome, and a stroke. Trauma to the eye area can also cause droopy eyelids.
What Is a Blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is a kind of eyelid surgery that treats droopy eyelids. During the procedure, which is also called an eye lift, your eye surgeon will remove excess skin, fat, and loosened muscle from the eye area.
This outpatient eyelid surgery can be performed on the upper lids, the lower lids, or both. During an upper lid blepharoplasty, your eye surgeon will make a small incision where your eyelid creases.
During a lower lid blepharoplasty, your eye surgeon will make an incision close to your lower lash line. In either case, there is little to no visible scarring.
Since they are both outpatient procedures, you can return home on the same day. In addition to droopy eyelids, a blepharoplasty can address puffiness, bags under your eyes, and fine lines below your lower lash line.
After the blepharoplasty procedure, patients regain their confidence thanks to achieving a more youthful appearance. Not only will you look younger, but you will also look more refreshed.
Blepharoplasty is usually considered a cosmetic procedure, but it can be done for medical reasons if hanging skin obstructs a patient’s vision. In these more severe cases, the procedure allows them to once again have a full visual field.
How Are Droopy Eyelids Evaluated?
The only way to know if eyelid surgery is required to correct your droopy eyelids is to visit your eye doctor for an evaluation. However, this procedure is not recommended for everyone.
During your evaluation, your doctor will closely examine your eyelids. They will conduct a visual field test to check if drooping skin is affecting your vision and assess the function of your eyelid muscles.
They may measure the degree of drooping to determine its severity.
Your eye doctor will also ask you to describe any symptoms that are bothering you.
They will ask how droopy eyelids are affecting your life. They will consider all this information before deciding whether to recommend surgery.
Are droopy eyelids taking a toll on your confidence or getting in the way of your vision? Schedule a blepharoplasty consultation at Ginsberg Eye in Naples, FL, today!
