By Amanda Lacey
Surgical and non-surgical options FOR LID LIFTS and other cosmetic eye surgeries
Photo By Shutterstock.com/ Artie Medvedev
Our eyes can convey a lot of messages and emotions. These messages can include whether we got a good night’s sleep or if we’re taking care of ourselves. But sometimes the eyes just need a little boost to give your whole face a more youthful, healthy glow. That’s where we may need a little bit of help. Surgical and non-surgical options can lend this helping hand, and we’ve asked for insight from local board-certified surgeons.
Among the top five cosmetic surgical procedures in the U.S. is a blepharoplasty, also known as an upper eyelid lift, where excess skin is removed to rejuvenate the appearance and an incision is hidden in the upper eyelid crease to make the scars heal almost invisibly. Other common upper eyelid options include a brow lift and a ptosis repair (an operation to tighten the muscle that lifts your upper eyelid). Standard lower lid options include a lower blepharoplasty (think eye bags) where excess fat is moved, and a skin pinch removes redundant skin from the lower eyelid along the lash line, assisting with crinkled or wrinkly skin.
While the thought of an invasive treatment may seem slightly unsettling, these surgical options typically aren’t very painful and likely require up to a couple weeks of downtime at the most. And you can rest assured of your results. “I often hear ‘I look tired’ or that they don’t recognize themselves in the mirror,” says Michael McCracken MD, FACS, of McCracken Eye and Face Institute. “These treatments aren’t done to make you look like somebody else—if the procedure is done well, the goal is to make you look natural, refreshed and like yourself. People may even think you’re simply rested from taking a week off from work, and that’s the best compliment of them all.”
Not sure if a surgical option is the best route for you? Enter non-surgical options. Laser resurfacing of the eyelids will help with wrinkles around the eyelids and help tighten the skin. Using Botox, a liquid brow lift will help raise the eyelids to take the hooding off the upper eyelids. Dr. Cory Bovenzi, a board-certified surgeon with Smith Cosmetic Surgery, notes that while it’s a good option, using Botox will not last as long and will not have as dramatic an effect. Smith Cosmetic Surgery uses its medical imaging software to give a realistic idea of how these procedures can look on each patient’s face. Additional non-surgical options include radio frequency tightening and thread lifts done under
the skin to lift the brow.
As for some things you can do at home: skincare, skincare, skincare! “A good skincare regimen is very important to try to prevent needing any kind of surgical intervention in the future,” Dr. Bovenzi says. “The three things I recommend the most are making sure you’re using a good sunscreen with high SPF, a good moisturizer—especially in the dry Colorado climate—and a retinol. These things will help to pre-rejuvenate or rejuvenate around the eyes.”
Put the twinkle back in your eyes with a bit of help from your favorite cosmetic professional.
Smith Cosmetic Surgery & Medical Aesthetic Center
5161 E. Arapahoe Rd., Suite 350
Centennial
303.741.2211
McCracken Eye and Face Institute
10465 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 105
Lone Tree, CO 80124
720.851.6600
