In our current reality of wearing masks, the eyes have it! With the institution of universal mask-wearing during the COVID 19 pandemic, the primary way our faces show happiness or expression is through our eyes. To that end, let’s talk about what we can do to make our eyes look brighter and younger. BOTOX® can help make facial expressions look smoother, getting rid of lines and wrinkles. Dermal fillers can assist with plumping of the lips, reducing circles under the eyes, and softening the appearance of recessed scars. If you’re looking for longer-term results, laser skin resurfacing and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) for my Walnut Creek patients often work best.
Traditional Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgery is the best way to correct droopy, hooded eyelids and sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid and can sometimes even impair vision.
The procedure takes one hour and does not require a general anesthetic. Surgery is performed on the upper lids, lower lids, or both and restores the youthful appearance of the eyes by removing fatty tissue and excess skin while tightening the lax muscles that develop around the eyes. Recovery takes about one week.
Upper blepharoplasty procedure involves making a small incision in the natural crease of the upper eyelid. Excess skin is removed, lax muscles are tightened, and small amounts of fat are removed, and sometimes grafting may be used to fill areas that have hollowed, such as the tear troughs. For lower eyelid tightening, a small incision is made just below the lower eyelash or inside, the lower eyelid. The upper and lower eyelid lift may be done separately or at the same time.
For those wanting to combat horizontal forehead lines, sagging or heavy brows, and wrinkles between the eyebrows, I recommend also considering a brow lift. I most commonly use the endoscopic approach, which involves a few small incisions hidden in the hairline through which the brow is lifted. Like blepharoplasty, this procedure may be performed under local anesthesia. You can learn more about it in our related blog post.
Facial Rejuvenation
CO2 laser skin resurfacing can tighten the skin and remove fine lines around the eyes, face, neck, and chest. The treatment takes one hour, and downtime averages 10 days. However, at Persons Plastic Surgery, we have developed RecoverX to accelerate post-procedure skin repair. Patients have even cut recovery time in half! The non-irritant fragrance-free, paraben-free reduces redness and swelling and promotes faster skin healing. The proprietary formulation draws moisture from the air into the skin without clogging pores and continues to enhance skin tone, texture, and appearance hours after application.
To achieve full facial rejuvenation, the combination of blepharoplasty and a CO2 laser maximizes benefits while decreasing recovery to a single period. You can see more before-and-after pictures of our eyelid surgery and laser skin resurfacing patients in our photo gallery.
We are actively scheduling appointments and safely re-opening for in-office procedures and surgical procedures per our government’s guidelines. We are implementing additional safety and efficiency measures, some of which include staff wearing masks and gloves, physical distancing, and increased office cleaning. We are also offering COVID-19 testing during your visit.
If you’re in the East Bay (such as Walnut Creek, Concord, or Lafayette) and considering plastic surgery, I look forward to meeting with you at my Lafayette or Brentwood offices. You can request a consultation online or call us at (925) 283-4012.
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