Lower Eyelid "Skin Pinch"

“Skin Pinch” blepharoplasty is actually a very good option to use because it does not effect the eyelid muscles. It is very important not to divide or denervate the orbicularis oculi in blepharoplasty. It helps to maintain eyelid shape and symmetry. If one has dry eyes then one should not, perhaps, have anything done. If you choose to move forward with a history of dry eyes, it should be cleared with your opthalmologist and be done conservatively.

Anyone with dry eyes should have this maximally treated prior to any cosmetic lid surgery. This is because after any lid surgery, with the swelling, patients can have a temporary period of time where the eye does not drain tears properly or that the eyes don't close completely.  I recommend to see a doctor that will determine why you have the dry eyes and get that taken care of prior to the operation.  A skin pinch is just that. We take a small 1-2mm of skin from the lower lid, pinch it to make sure we are only removing the excess skin and we remove it. The risk of this or any lower lid procedure, is that the lid has too much tension with gravity and the pull of the facial tissues after. If this is the case you can get ectropion. Ectropion is a open appearance to the lower lid and it can affect tearing of the eye. To prevent this I typically do a lateral muscle suspension which secures the lid as a sling. See someone who does a lot of lid surgery and you should be able to have this done without any issues as long as the dry eye situation is under control. Hope this helps.Best of luck,Drc

The skin pinch is simply a way to remove excess skin from the lower lid.  As with any skin removal of the lower lud, it has to be done with caution to avoid having your lid drag down.

                  The
lower eyelid “skin pinch” blepharoplasty is a relatively minor surgical
procedure that addresses loose lower eyelid skin. This procedure is performed
when there’s isolated loose skin in the absence of underlying fat deposits. The
procedure avoids the underlying orbicularis muscle and decreases the potential
for damage to the lower eyelid support.

                  Although
this procedure is generally thought to be safe, complications can occur with
any surgical procedure. Patients with dry eyes should approach any type of
blepharoplasty with caution. With that said, this procedure is probably less
likely to cause dry eye syndrome then other types of blepharoplasty.

                  The
choice of blepharoplasty procedure depends on the patient’s unique anatomy and
specific aesthetic goals. Consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon
with experience in this area would be appropriate. 

The lower eyelids are complex structures containing skin, muscle, and connective tissue. A skin pinch is a way to remove only skin from the lower eyelids, without disturbing the muscle or connective tissue layers. This is often paired with removal of the fat bags in the under eye region, which is performed from the inside of the eyelid.

A skin pinch excision is the removal of a small strip of lower eyelid skin from below the subciliary margin.  This is used to remove skin when either a small amount of skin removal  is indicated or in conjunction with a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. The important point of this removal is that the tarsus is untouched thus alleviating problems with the tarsus.