What it addresses
Upper blepharoplasty addresses excess skin that hoods the eyelid crease; lower blepharoplasty addresses under-eye bags, often by repositioning fat rather than removing it.
The eyes are central to how rested and alert you appear, which is why eyelid surgery has one of the highest satisfaction rates in facial surgery — and why conservative technique matters.
Who it suits
- Hooded upper lids, puffy lower lids, or skin resting on the lashes.
- If drooping is caused by the lid margin itself (ptosis) or the brow, those require different operations — a key distinction your surgeon should examine for.
- Dry-eye history deserves careful discussion before lower-lid surgery.
Recovery
Bruising and swelling for one to two weeks; many patients return to desk work within a week.
Contact lenses are typically avoided for about two weeks.
Incisions in the natural crease and at the lash line fade to near-invisibility over months.
Risks worth understanding
- Over-resection can cause dryness, difficulty closing the eye, or a hollowed look — the modern trend is preservation and repositioning.
- Asymmetry, visible scarring, and rare but serious retrobulbar bleeding.
- Temporary blurred vision from ointments and swelling.
Common questions
- Will it fix my dark circles?
- Shadowing from bulging fat improves; pigmentation of the skin itself does not, and may need skin-directed treatment.