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Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Dr. Barbara Persons is a fellowship-trained, board-certified facial plastic surgery specialist who offers upper and lower blepharoplasty, often called eyelid surgery, to men and women of virtually all ages. Her reputation for creating natural-looking results attracts eyelid surgery patients from Lafayette, Brentwood, Walnut Creek, CA, and throughout the Bay Area.

Eyelid Surgery
 Before & After Photos

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Before & After

Case: 1 of 7

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This woman was unhappy with the appearance of her undereye bags and sagging, crepey skin around her eyes. She came to Dr. Persons for eyelid surgery to give her eyes a more lifted, youthful appearance. Dr. Persons performed upper and lower eyelid surgery to address her concerns, and the results look natural and refreshed.  Read More

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Case: 2 of 7

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This woman was unhappy with her heavy, hooded eyelids that gave her the appearance of being unhappy and tired all the time. Dr. Persons performed upper and lower eyelid surgery to lift and open her eyelids, allowing the patient to have a refreshed and open appearance.  Read More

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Case: 3 of 7

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This man wanted to improve the appearance of his eyes. His hooded, drooping eyelids gave him a sad appearance that made him look older than he feels. Dr. Persons performed eyelid surgery on his upper and lower eyelids to give him a more awake, rested appearance.  Read More

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Case: 4 of 7

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This man wanted to improve the appearance of his sagging upper eyelids and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and bags under his eyes. Dr. Persons performed upper and lower eyelid surgery to lift and tighten his eyelids and give him a more youthful appearance.  Read More

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Case: 5 of 7

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This woman felt that her eyes made her look older than she feels. She came to Dr. Persons for options to improve her appearance so that she looks as good as she feels. Dr. Persons performed an upper and lower eyelid surgery to remove the sagging skin above her eyes and reduce the appearance of bags below them. The result is a natural-looking... Read More

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Case: 6 of 7

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This woman felt that her drooping eyelids gave her a sleepy appearance. She also wanted to reduce the size and shape of her nose. Dr. Persons performed both upper and lower eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty to give this patient a more refreshed, awake and refreshed appearance. The changes are subtle but striking.  Read More

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Case: 7 of 7

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This woman was concerned about the appearance of sagging upper eyelids and under eye bags and wrinkles. She came to Dr. Persons to understand her options for improving the appearance of her upper and lower eyelids. Dr. Persons performed eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) on both her upper eyelids and lower eyelids to give her a refreshed, more y... Read More

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

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Are You a Good Candidate for Eyelid Surgery?

Candidates for eyelid surgery are adults in good health who want to tighten loose or sagging upper eyelids, get rid of eye bags, remove excess fat from the corners of the eyes, or address a combination of these concerns. 

Dr. Persons may recommend brow lift surgery instead of eyelid surgery if laxity of the forehead is causing the upper eyelids to descend. Often, people benefit from a combination of the two procedures along with a facelift.

Barbara L. Persons, MD, FACS

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

As a fellowship-trained plastic surgeon whose personal connection to plastic surgery inspired her to pursue this career as a lifelong calling, Dr. Persons engages with each of her patients on a very personal level. She's known for creating results that look natural and brings a woman's perspective that patients appreciate.

Meet Dr. Persons

Upper vs. Lower Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty can be performed on the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both during a single operation. These procedures address different issues that can make patients appear tired or older than they feel.

Upper Eyelid Surgery

Droopy upper eyelids can impede your vision, in addition to creating cosmetic concerns. Dr. Persons begins upper eyelid surgery by making incisions in the natural creases of the lid. Using these incisions, she removes excess skin, muscle, and possibly fat along your upper eyelid.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

For lower eyelid surgery, Dr. Persons makes an incision just below the lash line or on the inside of the lower lid so that no scar shows. If the incision is on the inside of the lid, the procedure may be combined with laser resurfacing of the lower lid skin. Lower eyelid surgery involves removing excess skin and fat before Dr. Persons closes the incisions with sutures. Sometimes, loss of fat around the eye creates a hollowed-out appearance. If this is the case, she transfers fat to areas around the eyes rather than removing it.

What’s the Best Age for Blepharoplasty? 

The best age for blepharoplasty is when sagging or puffiness around the eyes becomes noticeable enough to bother you; age isn’t the determining factor. Eyelid surgery patients are typically in their 40s to 60s; however, people in their 20s and 30s also undergo the procedure.

What To Expect During and After Your Blepharoplasty

Dr. Persons usually performs eyelid surgery in our fully accredited surgery center using light sleep anesthesia to induce a state of relaxation and a “twilight” sleep. As a result, patients typically have very little memory of the operation itself. Once the patient is asleep, we numb the surgical area with medication.

Anesthesia

Patients normally prefer light sleep anesthesia because it requires almost no recovery from the anesthetics themselves, unlike general anesthesia, which may produce nausea after the surgery. It also entails a lower risk of complications.

Possible side effects

Swelling and discoloration after surgery are normal, which one needs to accept before contemplating this operation. Rarely, the whites of the eyes may become temporarily discolored for several weeks.

How Long Is Recovery After Eyelid Surgery?

Most patients navigate eyelid surgery recovery across a 2- to 3-week period, with the most noticeable healing occurring during the first week.

First week after surgery

Immediately after the surgery, you spend about an hour in the recovery area. There, ice compresses are placed over the eyes, and you should keep them on your eyes for 48 to 72 hours. The compresses should be changed as often as necessary to keep the eyes quite cool during this time. You should also keep your head elevated at least 30 degrees during this time. Eyeglasses may be worn 2 days after surgery. We schedule your first postoperative visit 6 to 8 days after the surgery. 

Weeks 2 & 3

With careful attention to elevation and cooling of the eyes, combined with our gentle surgical technique, most patients can go back to work in 8 to 10 days. It is important to keep the head elevated and refrain from lifting anything heavy or exercising for 3 weeks. Regular activities may be slowly introduced at that time. Makeup may be applied gently after approximately 8 days. 

Possible Risks and Complications

As with any surgical procedure, there are some associated risks. The risk of bleeding and infection is less than one percent. Blindness is another risk, affecting less than one percent of patients who get eyelid surgery. You should not rub or clean the eyes until you’ve healed. Occasionally, small cysts, which resemble whiteheads, may appear in the suture line. These are easily removed in the surgery center.

You may have blurred vision for the first several days to 2 weeks after surgery due to the ointment that is placed in the eyes, along with swelling. Notify us if you are concerned or if any visual changes should occur. Finally, if you are undergoing any procedure in conjunction with eyelid surgery, please be sure to read the pertinent information on that procedure as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is upper eyelid surgery the best option for hooded eyes?

Upper eyelid surgery is usually the most effective way to tighten sagging eyelid skin that causes hooding. You may need a brow lift instead of or in addition to eyelid surgery to rejuvenate the upper eye area completely. Dr. Persons will perform a physical exam to determine the best surgical plan for your unique needs.  

Are there any nonsurgical alternatives to eyelid lift surgery?

Patients with mild to moderate upper eyelid sagging may benefit from a nonsurgical brow lift with BOTOX® Cosmetic injections. Results with this option are temporary and subtle.

Is the surgery painful?

Eyelid surgery generally involves minimal discomfort or incapacitation. The surgical area might be sore for the first few days, but most patients don’t require pain medication.

Are there any cons to getting eyelid surgery?

Having eyelid surgery involves taking time out for recovery. Inexperienced surgeons can remove too much skin, making it difficult to completely close the eyes, or remove too much fat from around the eyes, making the eye area look hollow.

What’s a functional blepharoplasty?

Functional blepharoplasty can improve the patient’s peripheral vision by removing excess upper eyelid skin that impinges on the field of vision.

Is the surgery risky?

The surgery involves minimal risks when performed on a carefully screened patient by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon such as Dr. Persons.

Will my results look natural?

Dr. Persons takes care to use moderation when removing excess skin and fat from the eyelids so patients look refreshed and more youthful yet natural.

How long will my results last?

Upper blepharoplasty results generally last at least 10 years. Results tend to last longer on patients with good skin elasticity, who lead healthy lifestyles and minimize sun exposure. Lower blepharoplasty results last indefinitely.

Is there a difference between eyelid surgery and blepharoplasty?

The terms “eyelid surgery” and “blepharoplasty” are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same.

• Blepharoplasty is a specific type of eyelid surgery that removes or repositions excess skin, fat, and muscle to rejuvenate the appearance of the upper or lower eyelid.
• Eyelid surgery is a broader term that can refer to blepharoplasty or other procedures involving the eyelids, such as ptosis repair.

In most cases, though, when people refer to eyelid surgery for cosmetic reasons, they mean blepharoplasty.

Get Started

Choosing an eyelid surgery specialist is the first step in your journey. Request an appointment with Dr. Persons using the online form or call our office at (925) 283-4012 to schedule an appointment.

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