Blepharoplasty

Droopy upper eyelids and puffy lower lids can result in looking tired even when you’re well-rested. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Frederick K. Park performs upper and lower eyelid surgery in Rocky Mount, NC, for men and women from Greenville, Raleigh, and surrounding areas. Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, refreshes your appearance and can improve peripheral vision.

What Is Blepharoplasty?

Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, can be performed on the upper or lower eyelids or both. Upper eyelid surgery removes lax upper eyelid skin and surrounding pockets of fat that can make patients look tired and aged. Some patients need a brow lift instead of or in addition to upper eyelid surgery to look rejuvenated.

Lower eyelid surgery corrects issues like wrinkles, excess skin, drooping, bags, and shadows caused by bags. Under-eye darkness caused by excess pigmentation can often be softened with a chemical peel or light laser.

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Before & After Photos

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

What Are the Benefits of Eyelid Surgery?

When performed by a skilled plastic surgeon, eyelid surgery can transform your overall appearance. If you combine upper and lower blepharoplasty, the benefits include:

  • Tightened skin
  • Enhancing the upper eyelids’ natural contours
  • Reduced puffiness, bags, and wrinkles under your eyes
  • A more alert, open, and approachable appearance
  • Easier makeup application

Patients whose upper eyelids sag enough to obstruct their peripheral vision also benefit from blepharoplasty.

Dr. Park’s Approach:

Classic signs of aging around the eyes include upper eyelid skin that hangs too low and appearing tired from lower eyelid dark circles and bags. Patients may also notice that their eyebrows seem to have fallen and that fine wrinkling has taken over their eyelid skin.

The good news is that there are excellent techniques to reverse these changes. With facial plastic surgery, I can remove and tighten skin and reposition and remove fat. Laser treatments smooth wrinkles, and a brow lift elevates sagging brows. The fear that some patients have that they will look “surprised” after eyelid surgery can be easily avoided with sound, conservative techniques.

How Is Eyelid Surgery Performed?

During upper and lower blepharoplasty, Dr. Park makes small incisions concealed within the lids’ natural creases. You can have upper or lower eyelid surgery or both during the same operation.

Upper Eyelid Surgery

Dr. Park performs upper eyelid surgery with the patient under a local anesthetic. He makes inconspicuous incisions in the natural creases of the eyelid, then removes or repositions fatty deposits and tightens underlying muscles to reduce drooping. He trims excess skin and then closes the incisions.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

The incision location for lower eyelid surgery may be external or internal, depending on the patient’s needs. Dr. Park makes external incisions along the lash line of the lower lid. Dr. Park makes incisions inside the lower eyelids for younger patients concerned about dark circles and puffy under-eye bags. This technique is called transconjunctival blepharoplasty.

Dr. Frederick K. Park smiling, wearing black suit with coral tie
Dr. Frederick K. Park Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

With more than 30 years of experience providing the highest quality aesthetic care at his Rocky Mount practice, Dr. Park is the choice of women and men considering plastic surgery from Greenville, Raleigh, and throughout North Carolina.

Meet Dr. Frederick Park

How Much Does Eyelid Surgery Cost in Rocky Mount?

The cost of eyelid surgery in the Rocky Mount area varies, depending on whether the procedure includes upper and lower eyelids, the type of anesthesia, and your surgeon’s level of expertise. The best way to determine your pricing is to meet with Dr. Park for a private consultation. 

Can You Combine Eyelid Surgery With Other Procedures?

If you’re noticing signs of aging around the eyes, chances are good that you’ll want to rejuvenate other areas of your face. Combining eyelid surgery with a facelift or nonsurgical treatments such as laser skin resurfacing is common.

Financing Options

It’s easy for qualified patients to finance their procedures through CareCredit®, which offers attractive payment plans for women and men choosing elective cosmetic surgery or nonsurgical treatments.

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What Is Recovery Like After Eyelid Surgery?

Whether you get upper or lower eyelid surgery or combine the procedures, you expect swelling and bruising to peak during the first week after surgery. You shouldn’t rub the eye area or apply direct pressure to the incisions while healing. Most patients are ready to return to non-strenuous jobs and activities within 7 to 10 days of the procedure.

Other factors to remember during your recovery include:

Apply ice packs as directed to minimize swelling and bruising. Keeping your head elevated while sleeping also helps reduce swelling.

Keep external incisions clean and apply antibiotic ointment as directed. Lightly dab any leakage with sterile gauze.

Dr. Park removes upper eyelid sutures within 5 to 6 days. In most cases, Dr. Park uses dissolvable sutures for lower eyelid surgery.

Wait until the incisions heal before applying eyeshadow, eyeliner, or mascara. Healing can take 2 to 3 weeks. You can apply makeup to hide bruising under the eyes after about 10 days, as cleared by Dr. Park.

Start taking short, gentle walks on the day of the surgery to increase circulation and promote healing. You can resume nonstrenuous activities and exercise after 2 weeks. Most patients are ready to return to regular workouts after 4 to 6 weeks.

Do not wear contact lenses for at least a week after upper eyelid surgery and 2 weeks after lower eyelid surgery. Wearing contacts sooner than that increases the risk of infection and disrupts the healing process. Swelling around the eyes can make wearing contacts uncomfortable.

Meet With Dr. Park

If you’re looking for a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform eyelid surgery in Raleigh, Greenville, or anywhere else in North Carolina, you can request a consultation with Dr. Park at our Rocky Mount location by using the online form. Or give us a call at (252) 937-5003 to schedule an appointment.

Eyelid Surgery FAQ

What’s the best age for blepharoplasty?

Dr. Park performs blepharoplasty for adults of all ages, so there is no “best” age for having the procedure. He helps younger patients address genetics-related concerns such as heavy eyelids. He can correct skin laxity and fat deposits associated with the natural aging process in middle age to older patients.


Are you awake during eyelid surgery?

Depending on your surgical plan and personal preferences, Dr. Park may perform blepharoplasty while you are awake using a local anesthetic or with a general anesthetic so you sleep through the surgery.


Will lower eyelid surgery correct dark circles?

Lower eyelid surgery improves the appearance of dark circles caused by puffy bags or undereye hollows. Other causes, such as excess pigment, requires a different solution, like a chemical peel.


Do you look younger after the procedure?

Dr. Park believes rejuvenating the area around the eyes is the most effective way to create a more youthful overall appearance. Addressing sagging skin and fat deposits refreshes the look of the upper face.


Is the surgery painful?

Even though bruising and swelling are common after eyelid surgery, patients are often surprised by how little discomfort they experience. Most do not need pain medication at all.


Will upper blepharoplasty affect my eyelashes?

No. Dr. Park conceals the incisions in the upper eyelid crease away from the upper eyelashes.


How long do eyelid lifts last?

Results from an upper eyelid lift typically last at least 5 to 10 years as the natural aging process continues. Lower eyelid surgery results last indefinitely with healthy habits and consistent protection from the sun. The skin under the eyes will continue to age, so wrinkles may eventually develop.


Are there nonsurgical alternatives to eyelid surgery?

Patients with minimal eyelid sagging and brow heaviness may benefit from BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal filler injections instead of eyelid surgery; however, most have lax skin and pockets of fat that need to be physically removed. Results from surgery are more noticeable and last much longer than nonsurgical treatments.

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