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Upper Eyelid Lift

Upper eyelid surgery lifts & reshapes the upper eyelids to create a more youthful, well-rested look.

Quick Facts

• Droopy eyelids are one of the first visible signs of aging…and they can give you a tired or sad look.
• Blepharoplasty consistently ranks in the top 5 surgical procedures performed yearly.
• 113,229 patients had eyelid lift surgery in 2019.*
• Combining eyelid surgery with other rejuvenating procedures can take your results to the next level.

** Statistical information listed here is drawn from 2019 The Aesthetic Society data

Eyelid Lift
 Before & After Photos

Case: 1 of 9

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Before & After

Case: 1 of 8

Case #104

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This 61 year old existing patient of Dr. Parker’s requested improvement in the appearance of her eyelids. She was bothered by their aging appearance and that her lower eyelids had become increasingly puffy over the past 2-3 years. At surgery, Dr. Parker performed a conservative upper lid blepharoplasty removing skin only. Regarding the lower... Read More

Before & After

Case: 2 of 8

Case #883

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This 53 year old patient had her herniated fat repositioned into her “tear troughs” as well as excess skin removed. In addition, a lateral canthopexy was performed for lower lid support.

Before & After

Case: 3 of 8

Case #1091

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This 57 year old expressed concern about the aging appearance of her eyes. Specifically, she was bothered by her redundant upper lid skin and puffiness of her lower lids. She had seen another plastic surgeon who recommended a brow lift but she was adamant in not wanting this done. Dr. Parker discussed various options with her during her initi... Read More

Before & After

Case: 4 of 8

Case #1100

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This 74 year old patient was referred to Dr Parker by another patient. She asked Dr Parker to improve the appearance of her upper and lower eyelids. Specifically, she was bothered by her redundant upper lid skin and puffiness of her lower lids. Dr. Parker performed an upper eyelid blepharoplasty with an internal browpexy. Regarding her lower... Read More

Before & After

Case: 5 of 8

Case #87

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This 42 year old patient was referred to Dr. Parker by another patient. She asked Dr. Parker to improve the appearance of her upper and lower eyelids. The patient was bothered by the excess skin on her upper lids and puffiness in her lower lids. At the patient’s request, Dr. Parker performed a lower lid blepharoplasty first, then two years la... Read More

Before & After

Case: 6 of 8

Case #44

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This 77 year old existing patient of Dr Parker’s requested facial and neck rejuvenation. She complained of her “turkey” neck, prominent jowls, heavy upper eyelids and puffy lower eyelids. The patient reported her weight to be stable. Dr Parker performed an upper and lower lid blepharoplasty as well as a face and neck lift. The patient is very... Read More

Before & After

Case: 7 of 8

Case #90

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This 60 year old patient was first referred to Dr. Parker 3 years ago by her primary care physician with concerns about the heaviness of her upper eyelids. Dr. Parker performed an upper lid blepharoplasty on the patient to remove her excess skin and a small amount of herniated fat. She healed well after the surgery. She returned 3 years later... Read More

Before & After

Case: 8 of 8

Case #1017

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This 55 year old existing patient asked Dr Parker to improve his upper and lower eyelids. He was bothered by the puffiness of his lower eyelids, asymmetric upper eyelids and eyebrows. In addition, he had read on Dr Parker's website about having the corrugator muscles resected at the time of upper eyelid blepharoplasty to minimize, or eliminat... Read More

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Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.

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Excess skin and tissue of the upper eyelid is probably the earliest and most common sign of facial aging, causing drooping, sagging, and “frown lines” that give us a tired, sad look. Today there are many options for eyelid rejuvenation surgery, or blepharoplasty, to lift and reshape your upper eyelid area and create a younger, well-rested look.

Page Contents

• What are my options?
• Upper Eyelid Lift Alone
• Corrugator Muscle Removal With Upper Lid Blepharoplasty
• Lateral Browpexy With Upper Lid Blepharoplasty
• Eyelid Surgery & Recovery

What Are My Options?

At your initial consultation, Dr. Parker will help you determine the best option(s) for upper eyelid lift surgery, which will depend on your age, your desired results, and also the condition of the skin, muscle, and fat around your brow and eyelids. An upper eyelid lift can be performed as a single procedure or in combination with other facial procedures such as facelift, brow lift, lower eyelid surgery, or nonsurgical options.

Upper Eyelid Lift Alone

Before & After Upper Lid Blepharoplasty Only*

Prior to surgery, with the patient sitting upright, Dr. Parker will draw an elliptical incision for skin removal on the patient’s upper eyelids. The lower incision is placed in the upper eyelid crease, called the “supra tarsal fold.” The upper incision is carefully placed to remove the excess skin, yet allow eyelid closure after surgery. Dr. Parker will review the operative plan in detail with you using a hand-held mirror.

Dr. Parker will then remove the excess skin, fat and a small amount of underlying muscle to help sculpt a cleaner, crisper, and more youthful upper eyelid. Finally, Dr. Parker will close the incision with very fine sutures. The incision almost always heals as a thin, inconspicuous scar hidden in the supra tarsal fold. The blepharolplasty alone takes about 45 minutes to perform.

Corrugator Muscle Removal With Upper Lid Blepharoplasty

Before & After Upper Eyelid Lift with Corrugator Muscle Removal*

During your initial consultation, Dr. Parker will discuss the option of removing your corrugator muscles during your upper lid blepharoplasty procedure. These are paired muscles located at the inner aspect of your eyebrows. They are directly responsible for causing frowning and wrinkling in between your eyebrows, and they also contribute to the horizontal wrinkles that occur in your forehead. BOTOX® or Dysport® are commonly injected into these muscles and are very effective in softening these wrinkles for three to six months.

During an upper lid  surgery, Dr. Parker can  remove these muscles through the same incisions. This procedure adds approximately 30 minutes to the blepharoplasty procedure and very little additional time to the recovery afterwards. The removal of the corrugator muscles should provide long-term correction of frowning as well as softening of the forehead wrinkles.

Paul M. Parker, M.D., FACS

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Known for his surgical talent and caring personality, Dr. Parker has been serving the community for over 35 years. He has dedicated his practice to the education, safety, and comfort of his patients—making each one feel as important as family.

Meet Dr. Parker

Lateral Browpexy With Upper Lid Blepharoplasty

Before & After Upper Eyelid Lift with Lateral Browpexy*

During your initial consultation for blepharoplasty surgery, Dr. Parker will comprehensively evaluate your face, including the position of your eyebrows and their relationship to your upper eyelids. One of the goals of forehead rejuvenation is to reposition or reshape the eyebrows into a more youthful position or desired shape. This is discussed in greater detail on our brow lift page. Options for repositioning and reshaping the eyebrows include brow lift procedures performed through scalp incisions as well as a lesser procedure performed through the upper lid blepharoplasty incisions called “lateral browpexy.”

Lateral browpexy can be performed during upper lid blepharoplasty through the same incisions. Using this approach, Dr. Parker can moderately elevate the outer aspect of your eyebrows by suspending them internally with sutures. Doing this adds approximately 30 minutes to your upper lid blepharoplasty procedure and very little additional time to recovery. Lateral browpexy should provide long-term mild elevation of the outer aspect of your eyebrows, as shown by the patient above.

Eyelid Surgery & Recovery

An upper lid blepharoplasty alone takes approximately 45 minutes to perform, using local anesthesia, alone or with intravenous sedation, to keep you comfortable. You will briefly be monitored in our recovery room, and then discharged home. If Dr. Parker performs another facial procedure at the same time, the time for surgery and method of recovery might be somewhat different. Dr. Parker will fully explain the details of your procedure(s) at your consultation.

Following surgery, there is little postoperative pain. The eyes are not bandaged. Sutures are removed within five to six days. Swelling and discoloration subside within 10 to 14 days. Camouflage make-up may be applied after one week. Patients may return to normal activities in seven to ten days and exercise in two weeks.