Facial aging affects the entire face, but nowhere is it more noticeable than in the area around the eyes. The eyes are truly the window to our souls and tell everyone how we are feeling. Aging of the soft tissue in this area not only makes us look older, but can change how we are perceived. Excess eyelid skin can make us look tired and less energetic, while brow descent can make us look serious and even angry. For these reasons, Blepharoplasty and Browlift are commonly requested cosmetic procedures.
The big question is: When and why do we choose each of these alternatives? Patients with aging of the eyebrow and eyelid complex may have several things going on simultaneously. With aging, we develop redundant eyelid skin with prominent fat pads. This is typically one of the earliest signs of facial aging. As time goes on, our brows start to drop as well—this is typically associated with transverse forehead wrinkles and vertical frown lines as we subconsciously compensate for our brow descent. At first, it would seem that this is a relatively simple problem; all you need to do is fix each of the individual components of the aging process. In reality, however, it’s much more complicated because the soft tissue of the brow interacts with the soft tissue of the eyelids. For example, lifting the brow is frequently accompanied by a decrease in eyelid skin laxity.
It’s safe to say that any given patient may need Blepharoplasty, Browlift, or possibly both procedures. Therefore, it’s essential that careful analyses be performed by an experienced plastic surgeon before surgery is undertaken. At Aesthetic Surgical Images, we feel that computer imaging is especially important for both the patient and the surgeon. By utilizing this approach, the patient’s aesthetic goals may be accomplished.
In summary, Blepharoplasty and Browlift are not competing procedures and can be utilized to treat the same problem. They are complementary procedures, which address different problems that are associated with facial aging. Careful analysis of periorbital aging, with the application of the best available surgical technique, is essential to obtaining an excellent aesthetic result. Depending upon the patient’s anatomic findings, the appropriate treatment may involve Blepharoplasty, Browlift, or both.
