Upper blepharoplasty — surgery to remove excess upper eyelid skin — is one of the most popular facial procedures in the world. It's also a procedure where the details of technique make an enormous difference in how natural, comfortable, and lasting your result will be.
If you're comparing surgeons, here are five questions worth asking — and how we answer each one in our practice.
1. "Where will you place my incision?"
Our answer: at your natural crease, or just above it.
The natural eyelid crease is the one place an incision can truly hide. We plan each incision to sit within your own crease so that once healed, the scar is concealed every time your eyes are open. Careful placement doesn't just hide the scar — it can define and enhance the crease itself, restoring a brighter, more open eye.
2. "Will you remove any muscle?"
Our answer: never. We remove skin only and completely preserve the orbicularis muscle.
The orbicularis oculi is the muscle responsible for blinking. Preserving it completely means:
- Your natural blink strength and rhythm are undisturbed
- The fine sensory nerves in the eyelid are protected, helping prevent numbness along the lash line
- Motor nerve branches remain untouched
- The blink-driven tear film stays healthy — which, in our view, may help reduce the risk of dry eye after surgery
3. "How will you close the incision?"
Our answer: with a running subcuticular 6-0 suture.
This ultra-fine suture runs beneath the skin surface, inside the incision itself, so it never punctures the surrounding skin. That completely prevents the "railroad track" marks and suture tunnels that surface stitches can leave — especially on thin, delicate eyelid skin.
4. "How do you protect my eyebrow position?"
Our answer: we never remove sub-brow skin.
Removing skin too close to the eyebrow pulls the brow downward — a change that cannot be corrected and that recreates the heaviness the surgery was meant to fix. We confine skin removal to the true eyelid, precisely measured, so your brows stay exactly where they belong. If brow descent is part of your picture, we'll tell you honestly and discuss the right procedure for it.
5. "Will I still look like me?"
Our answer: yes, just more rested.
Every element of our technique — crease-based incisions, muscle preservation, invisible closure, conservative excision — serves one philosophy: refresh the eye without changing its character. The best compliment our patients receive is "you look great," not "you look different."
What to Expect at Your Consultation
At your visit, we will:
- Examine your eyelids, brows, and tear film
- Show you exactly where your incision would be placed
- Explain what your surgery would — and wouldn't — involve
- Answer every question, with no pressure
Upper blepharoplasty is typically performed as an outpatient procedure, and most patients are surprised by how manageable the recovery is.
If heavy upper eyelids are making you look more tired than you feel, we'd be glad to meet you. Call our office or request a consultation online today.
