INTRODUCTION
If you are in your 30s or early 40s, you may already have noticed your upper eyelids starting to sag. Puffy "bags" may be forming beneath your lower lids, as well. As you move through your 40s, the eyelid sagging can worsen, and eyelid wrinkles may begin to form.

These changes occur because over the years, eyelid skin thins out and loses tone and becomes more susceptible to the unyielding force of gravity. The fat that cushions the eyeball gradually herniates forward, causing bags in both eyelids. Additionally, the muscle responsible for opening the eyelid can become over-stretched, causing the lid's natural position to drop. Sagging upper eyelids may result in hooding over the eyes.

As a result, your eyes look smaller and your face looks older and more tired.

To correct premature aging of the skin around the eyes, plastic surgeons perform eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty or eyelid-lift. The procedure can rejuvenate your whole face by removing excess fat and, if necessary, excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. An outpatient procedure, blepharoplasty is sometimes performed in conjunction with a brow-lift or face-lift.

Blepharoplasty achieves several goals: it tightens droopy or hooded eyelids, restores contour to the lids, and eliminates fatty bags under your eyes.

After surgery, your eyes will appear bigger and brighter, giving you a more alert, youthful appearance. Blepharoplasty is the second most popular facial cosmetic procedure in the United States.


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