How Would Blepharoplasty Affect Thin Face?

I had my upper & lower eyelids done 9 yrs. ago. I am now looking at neck and facial surgery at the age of 61.

I feel that a brow lift would improve my eye area but the surgeon I spoke with wants to do a lower lid blepharoplasty also. And he also wants to inject fat under the lower eye and cheek area. I'm concerned that having eyelid surgery again can cause the lower lid to droop if repeated.

Also, I have always had a thin face and I'm afraid adding fat might make me look too different. Do I need to be concerned?

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age 55-64 cheeks face lower eyelids neck upper eyelids fat facial plastic surgery thin

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10 Doctor Answers | Asked by Bclark in Florida

Doctor Answers (10)
Community Comments (0)

Fat injections and repeat lower blepharoplasty

The goal of an upper lid blepharoplasty is to remove excess skin and a little bit of fat from the upper lid area causing the puffiness. There are two fat compartments in the upper lid and when removed gives a more natural contour to the upper lid and will not have any effect on a slim face. The goal of lower eyelid surgery is to remove the fat bags that create puffiness on the lower lids. Additionally, a small strip of excess skin can be removed through an incision just below the... more

Redo blepharoplasty rarely indicated

Repeating upper and lower lid blepharoplasty is rarely a good idea if it was done correctly in the first place. Usually it's worth considering a forehead or browlift instead of redoing the upper lids. Because of your high hairline, I would think about a hairline incision forehead lift. This would shorten the forehead and lift the whole upper face. The downside of the hairline incision is that you would need to reconfigure your hairstyle to camouflage the scar until it fades. You are right... more

Avoid fat injections around the eyes!

The full res view of your picture actually shows a good bit of detail. From this one photo, here are some observations and ideas: 1) Avoid fat injections around the eyes and eyelids! Too many times I've seen these result in hideous, lumpy messes and they are very difficult, if not impossible to fix. 2) You may have a little bit of orbicularis hypertrophy of the lower lids (a muscle issue, not a fat or skin issue). This is NOT something fixed by lower blepharoplasty. I do not see a lot in... more

Facial rejuvenation with thin skin and previous cosmetic surgery

Hi Bclark - You raise some very good points, and it's difficult to tell without physically assessing your skin and facial contours. However, from your attractive photo I would recommend a lateral temporal browlift (limited incision hairline browlift,) Restylane underneath the eyes (fat can look lumpy here,) and a full facelift with a necklift. It can all be done with one operation giving you only one recovery and saving on facility fees and anesthesia costs. Consult with several other... more

Reapeat eyelid surgery is riskier than the first time

Scondary eyelid surgry cn be riskier than the first time and should only be done if you really need it. It sounds as though you are unsure so I would suggest you do the lower face and see if you are happy with the result. You will have saved yourself some potential complications that are difficult to treat by avoiding a second lower lid surgery.

Fat injections under your eyes will not make your face look fat.

Hi! 1) I urge you not to have a brow lift. Your brows are high enough already, and you also have a high forehead. Not a good idea. 2) Skillfully done fat injections under your eyes help to create a smooth transition between your lower lids and your cheeks, and this is the look of youth. The amounts of fat are tiny, and you can keep your thin face. 3) From this one picture, it is not clear that you need a conventional facelift. You look quite good and I don't see much jowling. You... more

Repeat Lower Blepharoplasty

There is not enough detail in the picture to tell very much about your particular needs. It does appear that you do have a hollowness under the eyes. This is a common problem resulting from the way we used to do blepharoplasty. Sometimes, a redo blepharoplasty will correct this by tightening the tissues enough. Occasionally, however, we need to replace the fat that was removed in the original surgery. If this is what your surgeon wishes to do, then it is very reasonable. This will only... more

Do what you are comfortable with

Dear B Once you have done your homework to find well qualified surgeons to do your cosmetic surgery, the chemistry of confidence is the most important next element. Part of that chemistry is finding someone who listens to your concerns and does not just do their thing. Perhaps you might do well with fat grafting. However, if you are not comfortable with it, don't have it done. I also agree that more eyelid surgery can significantly increase your risk of having an altered lower eyelid... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

8 reviews

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Facial surgery and fat injection around eyes

Facial surgery may be a good proceudre for you. I personally do not like to inject fat around the lower lids for fear of lumpiness developing. If you have poor tone in the lower lid, then a canthopexy can help support them.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Blepharoplasty for "thin" face

I cannot reach any clinical conclusions from your photo because it doesn't show enough detail-but every cosmetic consultation should address your particular anatomy and the treatment options to get from "point A' to "point B" . If these options don't make sense to you then don't...