Blepharoplasty?

Parent Cafe
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I still haven’t gotten myself over to Sephora to be taught how to make up my new eyes, so I’m still not really doing much in the way of eye makeup. What I basically do, when I do wear it, is a slightly smudgy pencil eyeliner below, and more or less the same along the outer half of the top lash line. I swipe some very light tannish powder shadow over the whole lid, and use a little brighter whiter shade on the brow bone just under my brows. I’ve tried using mascara, but no matter what kind I try I end up with raccoon eyes after a couple of hours. That is something I’d love to remedy. (I understand that using clear mascara as a top coat might help?) Maybe next week…

My eyes look so much better that at this point I’m just happy with that! I would like to be able to achieve a bit more of a made-up look, such as the proverbial smoky eye, for dress-up, though.

I think the undereye thing would be a bit of a lift, but I’m not sure. It would not involve external incisions, though.

PS One reason I’ve waited on the eye makeup thing is that the lower part of my upper lids was somewhat sensitive until recently.

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BevHills…how nervous were you with the facelift? I do know that it’s important to do what is bothering you and stop. The only other part of my face that I see aging besides my eyes is the skin on either side of my chin…it’s starting to sag just a little. My face is more round, not heartshaped, so not really that noticeable yet…probably just to me. But I know in a heartbeat if I ever get that turkey neck, I will definitely be having that taken care of. My MIL had a partial facelift, cheeks up, and a brow lift at age 63. She looked fabulous. No one knew, not even us. We hadn’t seen her in 9 months and just though retirement and Florida just did her good…haha. That’s the way!

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I wasn’t nervous at all for the first run. I too had jowls with the round face. I mean surgery IS surgery, never taken lightly. But I was excited. I did have the “talk” with Mr. Ellebud about some things…we do have everything legal done…The second surgery…I was a bit nervous. If you live in an area with plastics are more common than not, ask around. iMy mil had a lift with a chin implant. She looked “done” and not in a good way.

If you have other question you can send a private message. :slight_smile:

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@conmama,
You don’t have to worry about the scars for the lower lids. First they get slightly darker so it looks like eyeliner, then they fade away and you won’t see them at all.

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@bevhills,

Have you seen others with the same procedure that have a better outcome?
I only have friends who had blephs but no facelifts.

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My uppers were down 10 years ago. For a while, it looked like a fine white line. That was easily covered with a little eye shadow, whether a gray, brown, whatever. By now, I don’t see any scar.

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@Yohoyoho Thanks. Although I wish I didn’t have to deal with scars at all, I do wear gas permeable contacts. I would think that the scars or wound inside the eyelid would make it a bit more difficult to start wearing them again, but I’m just guessing. It’s good to know that the bottom scars look like eyeliner…as I wear all that so it could be hidden until they fade. @bookworm Thanks, it helps knowing from those who have done this what to expect. I can read things on the internet, but it’s nice to know read your experiences. I wanted to wait until I was an empty nester to do this, so the boys wouldn’t see me. They will both be in college this coming fall, and I think if I have it done early December and take 3 weeks off, that gives me 2 weeks before they are home from Xmas break and the worst will be over in 14 days. I can’t do it before then because of vacation…and wanted to just do it in the winter when I’m hibernating anyway.

I will have had a year to contemplate, research and get up my courage. I think I’ll be ready. I’m starting to have a tired look now and am startled by the dark tear troughs when I look in a mirror at times when I’m out. Laura Mercier only goes so far.

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Just do not expect that you will look completely normal in 2-3 weeks.

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I wear gas permeable contacts…as well. prehistoric I believe…

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I was away for weekend, no internet connection. @Consolation, I do know that I won’t be back to normal in 2 or 3 weeks. I’m just sort of hoping my eyes aren’t glaring that I’ve had surgery…or maybe they will be. The only thing I have to go on are pictures on the internet or youtube, where people have put up their own private photos. Dr. Meronk also has pictures that I’ve seen. It just seems by week 2 or 3 (for upper blephs), if hidden with some makeup, it doesn’t look so traumatic. On the scale of 0 - 10, where 0 is no scaring pre-surgery and 10 is how awful your eyes look the 2 -4 days after surgery…where would you put week 2 -3? I know that everyone heals different, but this is a way for me to gauge how you felt yours looked without seeing actual photos.

I asked my DH straight out this weekend if he though I should get my uppers down and he said yes. I asked him about my lowers and he said he really didn’t notice that. I think because I don’t have actual bags of saggy skin. But I do agree with the docs that the fat puffs (that’s what I refer to them now) do age me, more so because of the shadowing they are causing in my tear trough, more so than the fat puffs themselves.

@Yohoyoho I have minor festoons, they are not that noticeable, and they are almost directly under my fat puff over to the side. They are more noticeable when I am having an allergy attack, sinus issues. When the fat is repositioned, I’m assuming he will fill in the tear trough for a nice smooth look. However, if you were doing that, would you make sure to leave a transition with the festoon so that is not noticeable…not take all the fat away above that, because i think the festoon would be quite pronounced if that is done. Also, if the lower blephs are done with the incision inside, does that scarring make it harder for people who wear gas permeable contacts. I guess is just seems that if you fool around with the smoothness of the inside of your eye, it could cause issues.

@Bevhills I have tried soft contacts and they feel like they are squeezing my eyes for some reason, and they get really red. I rarely have red eyes. I really wish i could wear them.

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I wear the same lenses. Blind in one eye and with the medical issues these are safe for me. Funny…my husband did the "as long as we are going in might as well through in the jowls and neck. Good decision…for me.

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I really don’t recall how they were at 2-3 weeks, I’m afraid. Not horrifying. :slight_smile:

BTW, I don’t think that putting makeup on the lid incisions at 2 weeks would be a good idea. Definitely not if it isn’t fully healed. You could probably wear eyeliner, but I would try to leave the incision alone. Concealer under the eye, in case there is lingering discoloration, sure.

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Yes, I won’t put any makeup on incisions until they are healed. Thankfully I have dark eyebrows and lashes. If I wear just wear my glasses, with some cheek color and lipstick, I don’t think anyone would really notice I didn’t have on eyemakeup. I’d like to get some prescription sunglasses beforehand actually.

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Yes, I think if you wear glasses, as I do, it won’t be as noticeable. I recall going to some meetings at church around that time, and I just told everyone I’d had it done. I was happy about it and didn’t have anything to hide. Our president, who is an RN, told me I was a good healer. Our minister was horrified at the idea of someone slicing into my eyelids, LOL, and everyone said “How can you SAY that to her!” I said it was okay, and it really was. :slight_smile:

Perhaps it was different for me because it was deemed a medical necessity, rather than something undertaken for purely cosmetic reasons. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I hasten to add.

There was a period early on when I could see people I encountered in public places, such as the dog park or the supermarket, covertly looking at me. I think that was probably the 2nd week or so. But I wasn’t making any particular effort to hide it. Obviously it is different if you are going to an office every day.

Honestly, my feeling is that while it is reasonable to keep out of the public eye or wear sunglasses at first–I did–that it isn’t worth brooding about whether people will “know” or not. In the long run, you’ll feel better and enjoy it. That’s what counts.

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“Me have work done? Oh no, we just came back from Maui/Lake Como/St John Cap I am just rested…” )everyone laughs at you behind your back…Or…I had my fact done and thank you.

My mil’s surgery (she is in her mid 90s now) was done by a doctor in Santa Monica, I don’t know his name so he was not on my list. My doctor was a baby when she had her work done. Perhaps this was a Parks Nose of that generation. Many of my friends have had work done…most I guess. Only one friend has the pulled look. She is a stunning woman…close to 70 and looks 45…on a bad day.

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You guys are right. Think Renee Zellweger (I’m just happy!) People will know, but its something I don’t want to talk about when I take the time off. I won’t lie if asked when I return, but i doubt anyone would ask. However, what do you say when you are getting ready to take 3 weeks off like I am…especially to a male boss…who is a nice guy but a big gossip? The thing is…my eyes aren’t horrible and people will probably think I’m ridiculous for doing it. I guess I just don’t want to be talked about. The procedure will be more fine tuning than anything, hopefully making my 55 year old eyes my 35 eyes again. They age me. It does seem easier to justify to people if it’s medical.

I have 15 day to take off work…that will be 24 days away from the office. I guess i was just hoping, with wearing glasses, that it won’t be noticed much. I don’t interact alot during the day with people…we have cubes and desk jobs.

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My two cents: If the people gossip about you after surgery you can bet that they gossiped before. So what?
They (the women especially) gossiped before about everyone. “Annie has gained so much weight. She jiggles”
“nothing says ancient like wearing you high school hair style 30 years later”

Rennee Zellweger aside, people hate when you look better. New people in your life won’t know…or care…why you look so great…As far as I know no one has walked up to a stranger to say…Hi! I’m …Did you have a facelift?

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I don’t hate when people in my life look better; I love it! It depresses me when people look worse.

This is partially because I am delusional. When I hang out with my best friend from college who, at 50, looks like a supermodel, I think, “50 isn’t so bad! We look great!”

Conversely, I hate it when I see an old friend who is aging badly. It makes me think, “God we are getting so old. Maybe all those recent bad photos of me are NOT due to poor lighting.”

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conmama, just tell your boss that you are having a medical procedure. You can be darned tootin’ he won’t probe.

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I had my courage all up and was going to forge ahead now that I’m not working…for who knows how long? Perfect time to get this done!! I went back to the oculoplastic surgeon that I really liked last year (I interviewed 3 docs). @yohohoho recommended one in my area and he was my favorite by far…so I went back to him this morning to talk some more about exactly what he would do. My eyes have dropped a little more since last year, and he could tell.

He said that blepharoplasty alone probable won’t produce the results I want. The main reason for the overhang at the sides and droopiness is because my eyebrows have fallen due to age. He said he could do it, but I’d probably still be thinking he should have taken more skin and there might still be a little droopiness and I probably wouldn’t be happy.

His suggestion was to just raise the eyebrows ever so slightly and also do a minor blepharoplasty. He lifted everything up just a little and it does look more how things were positioned when I was younger and took care of most of the excess skin…but I see where he would still do a little.

So, this throws a scary wrench in the plans. He said many surgeons do 3 small incisions to lift. They are placed about 2 inches up in the hairline…one in the middle, and two over to each side. He doesn’t like that method as he says the results aren’t as good. I’m assuming he means it doesn’t last. He prefers to cut all the way, either up in the hair, or at the hairline. He said 80% of his clients like at the hairline. He said something about having more forehead or less forehead and more don’t want “more” forehead. I don’t understand this to be honest.

So, this is much more invasive than I would like and it scares me quite a bit. Just the thought of my scalp being cut like that…ohhhh…so they cut the skin off to pull up and tighten. eek. That’s probably why people opt for just the 3 small incisions. I do believe him that it probably doesn’t give as good of results, whether that means aesthetically or just years, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t rather take that chance. Another issue is the hairloss I am currently experiencing. Let’s say that I have the one on the hairline. What if I really start losing my hair a lot, or loose it altogether? Now you will see a scar…there will be not hairline right there…whether I loose it all or a little.

I don’t know…now back to square one. My MIL had a brow life (no blepharoplasty). After she had it done he has the deer in the headlight look for awhile, which turned me off. It doesn’t do that now…11 years later…but when she raises her eyebrows, they seem to go WAY up from the browbone and I think that looks weird.

Hopefully Yoho still comes to the board once in awhile and wouldn’t mind giving her opinion!

He did say I still have time before it’s really bad.

Anyway, that is the discouraging news I found out today.