How to Qualify for Eyelid Surgery
Posted March 20, 2025 in Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is designed to address changes to the appearance of your eyelids primarily due to age. Blepharoplasty can be both a cosmetic and functional procedure, eliminating excess skin that not only makes you look older but can also obstruct your vision. Whether you wish to undergo blepharoplasty for aesthetic reasons or to address functional concerns, first, you must determine if you’re a good candidate for the surgery. In this blog, we’ll go over some of the qualifications you must meet to be considered a candidate for eyelid surgery.
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What Is Blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty (literally: ‘plastic surgery of the eyelids’) involves removing excess skin and other tissues from your upper or lower eyelids (or both), enhancing the appearance of your eyes and giving you a more refreshed look. It is also performed to improve your field of vision by lifting droopy eyelids that affect how well you can see.
There are two main types of blepharoplasty. Upper blepharoplasty focuses on trimming away excess skin and removing excess fat and muscle to rejuvenate the appearance of the eyelid. In cases where the upper lid margin covers all or part of the cornea, tightening of the levator muscle (the muscle that elevates your eyelid) will improve vision. Lower blepharoplasty is performed to reduce under-eye puffiness, bags, and wrinkles. Here skin, fat and muscle are removed or repositioned. Whether performed alone or together, eyelid surgery can give a smoother, more youthful appearance around your eyes.
What Can Eyelid Surgery Fix?
Eyelid surgery can address the following issues associated with aging around the eyes, including:
- Removing excess skin, fat and muscle from your eyelids
- Reducing under-eye bags and puffiness
- Improving vision obstructed by sagging skin
- Improving vision caused by eyelid droop (ptosis)
- Restoring a more youthful, alert appearance
While blepharoplasty can fix several problems, it cannot eliminate dark under-eye circles or deep wrinkles. Additionally, while blepharoplasty results are considered long-lasting, they don’t stop the natural aging process.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Blepharoplasty?
Before deciding to undergo eyelid surgery, you should understand the basic requirements to be considered a good candidate for the procedure. The following factors can help determine your eligibility for blepharoplasty:
Your Age
There is technically no specific age requirement for undergoing blepharoplasty; however, most candidates are at least 35 or older. In some cases, younger patients with genetic conditions such as droopy eyelids (ptosis) or excessive under-eye bags may also be good candidates.
Your Health
Before choosing any cosmetic surgery, you must be in good overall health to help ensure your safety and avoid complications during surgery and recovery. You may not qualify for blepharoplasty if you have certain medical conditions, including:
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Thyroid disorders like Graves’ disease
- Pre-existing eye conditions like glaucoma or dry eye syndrome
You may need to undergo evaluation by your primary care doctor or an ophthalmologist before proceeding with blepharoplasty surgery.
Your Level of Vision Impairment
Patients seeking functional blepharoplasty may be required to undergo vision tests to document that their drooping eyelids affect their vision. Blepharoplasty is one of the few cosmetic procedures that may be covered by insurance if the surgery is considered medically necessary.Visual disturbances are caused by two mechanisms:
- Folds of excess skin hanging over the pupil (blepharoptosis)
- The lid margin drooping so that it covers the pupil (ptosis)
How Do I Find Out if I’m a Good Candidate for Blepharoplasty?
While you may think you’re a candidate for eyelid surgery, the only way to find out for sure is by scheduling a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience performing blepharoplasty surgery, such as Dr. Brian Boyd. During your appointment, Dr. Boyd will listen to your concerns and review your medical history to ensure you’re healthy enough for surgery, as well as to determine if you have any underlying conditions that may affect the procedure. He will then examine your eyelids to assess your skin elasticity and overall condition of your eyelids, as these can affect your surgery outcomes. If you have vision impairment because of drooping eyelids, he may also perform a vision test. Finally, Dr. Boyd will discuss your goals for treatment to ensure that your projected results align with your expectations.
Non-surgical Treatments for Eyelid Rejuvenation
If it turns out that you are not a good candidate for eyelid surgery or if you decide that you’d like to explore non-surgical options, you may want to try the following treatments offered by Dr. Boyd:
BOTOX® Cosmetic to help smooth crow’s feet around your eyes and lift your eyebrows
Injectable dermal fillers to help reduce hollowness under your eyes.
LightStim® LED light therapy to tighten skin and smooth wrinkles
Chemical peels to improve skin’s texture
These non-surgical procedures may be performed alone or combined and can also be used to enhance your blepharoplasty results.
Learn More About Eyelid Surgery in South Bay
If you are dealing with drooping eyelids, excess skin on your lids, or under-eye bags, you may be a good candidate for blepharoplasty. As mentioned above, the best way to determine if eyelid surgery is right for you is to schedule a consultation with a board-certified, experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Brian Boyd. Whether your goal is cosmetic or functional improvement, Dr. Boyd can rejuvenate your eyes and provide the beautiful results you’ve been looking for. To discover if you’re a candidate for blepharoplasty, call our office today at (310) 597-4734 or fill out the online contact form.