Lena Clara / Getty Images
There’s no doubt that “anti-aging” continues to be a trend in the beauty industry thanks to “Botox in a bottle” serums, non-surgical facelifts and even age-reversal pills. “The desire for a younger, more awake appearance has always been a desire with patients in my practice,” Board Certified Ophthalmological Surgeon, Dr. Robert Schwarz says SUBSTANCE. “Patients want to look like themselves or more like when they were younger.”
As we age, our skin loses its elasticity over time (collagen is known to decrease about 1% per year) which can lead to skin stretching, sagging and wrinkles. With this, you may notice that the skin on your cheeks, forehead and neck changes over the years, and the most notable, your eyes. That being said, people often opt for blepharoplasty surgery to help reduce puffiness and wrinkles around the eye area.
Below, with the help of Dr. Schwarcz, we break down everything you need to know about the surgery.
What is blepharoplasty?
“Blepharoplasty is a type of eye surgery that specifically addresses bulging or excess skin on the eyelids,” says Schwarcz. Performing approximately 40 blepharoplasty procedures each month, blepharoplasty is the most common procedure he performs in New York.
From eye creases to fine lines, puffiness to impaired vision, a blepharoplasty can target both cosmetic and medical problems in the upper or lower eyelids, or both. “An upper blepharoplasty helps lift the upper eyelid for a more awake, brighter look,” she says, which may be preferable for eye contour concerns. While on the lower lids, surgery “can remove excess skin or fat, which leads to a reduction in shadows and dark circles.”
Are there non-invasive alternatives?
Over the years, younger people are opting for immediate solutions through surgery and cosmetic procedures – from the BBL bump to Uzbek madnessand now blepharoplasty – as opposed to temporary alternatives. “For a patient with mild under-eye hollowing, there’s Restylane Eyelight,” a non-invasive, FDA-approved alternative to prescription Upneeq eye drops, which can help gently relax the upper part of the eyes .
Why is surgery more popular now?
“This awareness of wanting to reduce the appearance of aging around the eyes I believe is due to a mixture of social media, reality TV culture and the reduction of the stigma around plastic surgery,” she says. However, the age at which people seek blepharoplasty is falling. “What’s different now is that patients are coming to see me in their mid-30s for the procedure compared to their mid-40s, which was more common a decade ago.”
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Blepharoplasty is one of the top five cosmetic surgeries performed in 2022, with other sources placing the surgery at number two in 2023. That said, blepharoplasty is on the rise and is expected to find popularity in an “anti-aging”-obsessed beauty industry this year.
