Lower Eyelid Surgery


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Blepharoplasty/Eyelid Surgery

Average Cost

$5,000-$5,500

Downtime

Up to 14 days

Eyelid surgery is frequently combined with a brow/temple lift or facelift.

Lower eyelid surgery is one of the many cosmetic surgery options that Newport Beach board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Joseph T. Cruise offers patients seeking facial rejuvenation. Joseph T Cruise, MD believes that all the patients who come to see him in his Orange County location deserve the best, most up-to-date information about lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), which is why he and his staff have created these pages. Finding answers to your questions and viewing before and after eyelid surgery photos of realistic results are often the first steps in deciding if the procedure may be right for you. Joseph T Cruise, MD is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions regarding the plastic surgery that will help you achieve your desired results.

Joseph T Cruise, MD and his staff have provided these pages to discuss many important topics, and to help you find answers to your questions about lower eyelid surgery, including:

  • Will lower eyelid surgery get rid of bags under my eyes?
    Several factors contribute to facial aging and cause bags under the lower eyes. Joseph T Cruise, MD’s CustomLift  addresses many of the causes.
  • Why do my eyelids look tired even when I feel alert?
    Joseph T Cruise, MD discusses how upper and middle facial aging create a sad, tired appearance in some people - regardless of alertness - and how to treat this concern.
  • Will fat transfer help with my lower eyelid rejuvenation?
    Fat loss around the eyes and cheeks occurs in everyone over the age of 40. Joseph T Cruise, MD’s Custom-Lift approach addresses aging problems directly for the best, longest lasting, most natural results.
  • What kind of results can I expect from lower eyelid surgery?
    The gallery of lower blepharoplasty before and after pictures shows you a variety of past patients, so you can compare your face to people who had similar concerns.
  • Are there any side effects?
    Joseph T Cruise, MD makes clear the potential complications and risks, and details what to expect during recovery from lower eyelid surgery
  • How affordable is cosmetic surgery?
    What financing options are available for my lower blepharoplasty?

Overview of Lower Blepharoplasty

As the focal point of the face, eyes are often the first thing people notice about you. They are the key to creating facial expressions, and can easily influence the perceptions that people have about you. So many patients come to Cruise Plastic Surgery in Orange County with the same complaint: their eyes make them look older and more tired than they feel.

Dr. Joseph T. Cruise, of Newport Beach, CA, is prepared to assist patients in achieving a look that is as young and as vibrant as they feel. With more than ten years experience as a board-certified plastic surgeon, he knows that the facial aging process can begin quickly and show more dramatically in some facial areas than others. As the eyes are one of the first areas to develop fine lines and wrinkles, in addition to bags, drooping, and other aging signs that contribute to a “worn-out” facial appearance, he has developed an exemplary skill for performing lower eyelid surgery and other facial rejuvenation procedures.

Diagram of ideal, youthful eyelid

In the attractive, youthful lower eye lid, the lateral canthus should be higher than the medial canthus. The lower lid should just touch the colored part of the eye.

Aging Around the Eyes

The eyes are often one of the places that Joseph T Cruise, MD’s patients report they first notice the signs of aging. In youth, the cheeks and area around the eyes are kept plump and voluminous by the fat that makes them round out. As people age, they may notice a more gaunt, skeletal appearance in addition to fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes as this facial fat begins to descend into the area around the mouth. Generally, when people notice the effects that aging has on their appearance they want to restore the look of their youth, and many people turn to lower eyelid surgery, fat transfer, and other facial rejuvenation procedures to help.

In the past, lower eyelid rejuvenation was based on only tightening facial skin via skin excision. Dramatic changes in the cosmetic surgery industry over the past decade mean that Joseph T Cruise, MD and the rest of his Newport Beach staff do not consider a “one-size-fits-all” solution to facial rejuvenation. Instead, the professionals at Cruise Plastic Surgery take the approach that skin excision is just one approach to counteracting facial aging. In fact, three major components of the face may need to be addressed in order to recapture the youthful, refreshed look on your youth:

  1. Skin
  2. Muscle
  3. Fat

Since Joseph T Cruise, MD meets with each patient individually in his Orange County office, he is able to consult with everyone about their concerns, desired changes, and the underlying components contributing to their overall problem. This customized approach to eyelid rejuvenation means that every patient receives the best long-term solution available for their particular issues.

Lower Eyelid Skin With Aging

Youthful lower eyelid

Aging lower eyelid

Many patients are concerned about crow’s feet around their eyes, which unfortunately, eyelid surgery alone may not completely correct. Joseph T Cruise, MD uses a highly successful technique that includes repositioning underlying fat and muscle so that you can regain youthful, wrinkle-free eye areas.

If you have concerns about the skin condition around your eyes, you might want to discuss your facial rejuvenation options with Joseph T Cruise, MD at your consultation. Many patients choose to have a brow lift, face lift, chemical peel, or dermabrasion in addition to their lower blepharoplasty to address concerns with the skin around their eyes.

Lower Eyelid Muscles with Aging

Youthful eyes - muscle view

Youthful Eyes. Muscles around the eyes are circular in shape.

Aging eyes - muscle view

Aged Eyes. Notice how the muscles and the lateral canthus sags.

 

Lower Eyelid and Cheek Fat with Aging

Over the last decade cosmetic surgery has developed a richer, fuller picture of how facial fat and muscle contribute to facial aging. Because of this innovative knowledge and techniques, Joseph T Cruise, MD is able to perform custom facial rejuvenation procedures that provide long-lasting effects for his patients.

Rather than remove fat, Joseph T Cruise, MD generally chooses to perform a fat transfer or cheek lift with a patient who is interested in lower eyelid surgery if the blepharoplasty won’t correct the person’s underlying problems. Additionally, many patients complain to Joseph T Cruise, MD that the lower eyelid, especially near the temple region, has begun to descend, giving their face a depressed appearance. This “droopy” countenance is easily corrected with an elevation of the lateral portion of the lower eyelid, creating a youthful, almond-shaped lower eyelid area. There are many options available to people who want dramatic results to their eye, cheek, brow, and temple area, and it is important to discuss if eyelid rejuvenation is right for you at your personal consultation with Joseph T Cruise, MD at his Newport Beach office.

Example of how repositioning the muscles and fat can markedly improve bags under the lower eyelid

Oblique view of same patient

Diagram of a youthful lower eye and cheek

Young eyes. Fat is situated high in the cheek under the lower eyelid, giving volume and preventing wrinkles.

Diagram of an aging lower eyelid and cheek

Aged Eyes. Cheek fat has descended, creating a creased lower eyelid and a deep fold above the lips.

In youth, a person’s facial fat is located high in the cheek, under the lower eyelid. As a person ages, the cheek fat descends, which creates a crease between the lower eyelid and the cheek.

Joseph T Cruise, MD often performs multiple procedures for patients who have multiple concerns with their eye area. By doing this, it allows Joseph T Cruise, MD to address all the components associated with aging, including separate problems in the facial skin, muscles, fat, and bone. At your consultation you can discuss with him if lower eyelid surgery alone will achieve the look you want. Browse the galleries of before and after pictures to see the difference that multiple facial rejuvenation procedures can make.  Contact us for more information!