What an eyelid lift usually means
“Eyelid lift” is the phrase many patients search for. The operation behind it is usually blepharoplasty, also called eyelid surgery. It removes the excess skin that hoods the upper lid and treats the bags under the eyes. The term is loose, so it helps to know which part of the eye is meant.
Upper or lower
- Upper lids. Excess skin folds over the crease and onto the lashes, and the eye looks smaller or tired. Upper blepharoplasty removes the excess skin, with only the fat that bulges, through an incision in the natural crease.
- Lower lids. The problem is usually fat pushing forward into a bag, not skin. Lower blepharoplasty treats that fat, through an incision just beneath the lashes or inside the lid.
Some patients need one, some need both. The examination decides. The difference is set out in upper vs lower eyelid surgery.
What is not an eyelid lift
- Ptosis surgery. A lid that sits low because the muscle that lifts it is weak is ptosis. It is a different condition from excess skin, with a different operation.
- A brow lift. When the brow itself has descended, the heaviness above the eye comes from the brow. That needs a brow procedure, and blepharoplasty does not lift the brow.
- Botox for crow’s feet. Crow’s feet are lines made by muscle, and they are treated with botulinum toxin. Eyelid surgery works on the lid, not on that muscle. See eyelid surgery or Botox for tired eyes.
Eyelid surgery also does not change the shape of your eye. These problems are often planned together, but they are separate, and the consultation tells them apart.
Who it suits
The usual candidate is over forty, in reasonable health, and bothered by something specific rather than generally dissatisfied. Surgery is delayed or reconsidered with significant dry eye, uncontrolled thyroid eye disease, or a brow that has descended enough that the eyelid is not the real problem. Smoking is asked about seriously. The questions worth asking are in questions to ask before eyelid surgery in Lebanon.
Recovery in short
Most patients go home the same day, and fine sutures come out at five to seven days. Bruising peaks in the first week, most patients are presentable at one to two weeks, and make-up is possible from about ten days. Residual swelling settles over three to six weeks, and the scar has faded into the crease by six months. Day-by-day detail is in eyelid surgery recovery.
Where it is done
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, performs upper and lower blepharoplasty himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn. Operation, risks and cases are on the eyelid surgery in Lebanon page. This page is information, not advice, and it does not replace the examination in person.
Questions
FAQ
Is an eyelid lift the same as blepharoplasty?
Usually, yes. “Eyelid lift” is the common search term for blepharoplasty, which treats the upper lids, the lower lids or both.
Does an eyelid lift lift the eyebrows?
No. A brow that has descended needs a brow procedure. Blepharoplasty treats the eyelid itself.
Is a droopy eyelid always treated with an eyelid lift?
No. Excess skin folding over the lid is treated with blepharoplasty. A lid that sits low because the muscle that lifts it is weak is ptosis, a different condition with a different operation.
Who performs eyelid surgery at this practice, and where?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury operates on every case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at the clinic in Mansourieh.