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

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Eyelid Lift Case 1385 Before & After Front | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 1 of 8

Case #1385

This 38 year old was referred to Dr. Parker by another patient, and came in requesting improvement of her low eyebrows, excess upper eyelid skin, puffiness of her lower eyelids and deepening tear troughs. Dr. Parker performed an endoscopic brow lift, upper lid blepharoplasty and lower lid blepharoplasty. He carefully transferred herniated fat... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 95 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 2 of 8

Case #95

This 38 year old existing patient of Dr. Parker requested rejuvenation of her upper eyelids. She was bothered by the relative excess skin of her lids. Dr. Parker performed an upper eyelid blepharoplasty, excising the excess skin under local anesthesia. The patient recovered quickly afterwards and loves the more youthful appearance of her eyel... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 56 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 3 of 8

Case #56

This 41 year old, referred to Dr. Parker by another patient, asked him to lift her heavy eyebrows, remove her excess upper eyelid skin and lift her drooping left upper eyelid. During the patient’s consultation with Dr. Parker, he explained he could perform an endoscopic brow lift to lift her eyebrows, excise her excess upper eyelid skin and t... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 75 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 4 of 8

Case #75

This 63 year old patient, referred by another patient to Dr. Parker, requested improvement in the appearance of her eyelids. Specifically, she was bothered by the heaviness of her upper eyelids and the puffiness of her lower eyelids. Dr. Parker performed an upper lid blepharoplasty, removing excess skin and herniated fat from the patient’s up... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 87 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 5 of 8

Case #87

This 42 year old patient was referred to Dr. Parker by another patient asking him 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. Dr. Parker performed an upper and lower lid blepharoplasty. In the upper eyelids, he excised the excess skin.... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 94 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 6 of 8

Case #94

This 44 year old existing Parker Center patient asked Dr. Parker to rejuvenate her upper and lower eyelids. In recent years, her upper eyelids had developed some excess skin and her lower eyelids had become increasingly puffy, making saying that she looks tired, even when she is well-rested.  Dr. Parker removed the small amount of excess... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 65 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 7 of 8

Case #65

This 62-year-old female, referred by her primary care physician, expressed concern about the tired and aged appearance of her eyes. Dr. Parker performed an upper and lower lid blepharoplasty. He removed the excess skin from the upper eyelids. In the lower eyelids, he removed the herniated fat causing the puffiness, then excised the excess ski... Read More
Eyelid Lift Case 60 Before & After View #1 | Paramus, NJ | Parker Center for Plastic Surgery
Before & After
Case: 8 of 8

Case #60

This 70 year old woman, referred to Dr. Parker by her dermatologist, was bothered by the heaviness of her upper eyelids and hanging skin from her neck. Dr. Parker performed an upper lid blepharoplasty and neck lift. She healed rapidly and returned to her activities of daily living quickly. She is quite happy with her more youthful appearance.... Read More

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

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?

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 faceliftbrow liftlower eyelid surgery, or nonsurgical options.

Upper Eyelid Lift Alone

Before & After Upper Lid Blepharoplasty Only*

New Jersey Eyelid Surgery
Before and After
This 61 year old patient underwent an upper lid blepharoplasty removing asymmetric excess skin and herniated fat.

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*

Upper Eyelid surgery
Before and After

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.

Dr. Paul Parker

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.

The Aesthetic Society; American Society of Plastic Surgeons; International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; The Rhinoplasty Society
The Aesthetic Society; American Society of Plastic Surgeons; International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; The Rhinoplasty Society

Lateral Browpexy With Upper Lid Blepharoplasty

Before & After Upper Eyelid Lift with Lateral Browpexy*

New Jersey Eyelid Surgery
Before and After
This 54 year old patient, at the time of her upper lid blepharoplasty, also underwent a lateral browpexy to slightly elevate the outer aspect of her eyebrows without undergoing a brow lift.

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.

Our Signature

Rapid Recovery Program

Our surgical procedures, anesthesia, medications, and aftercare are tailored to minimize post-operative discomfort and accelerate recuperation.

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