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Lower Eyelid "Skin Pinch"

What does a lower eyelid "skin pinch" address exactly and does it have the same potential complications as a lower Blepharoplasty? Would this be a good option for someone who has severely dry eyes? Thanks to all of you for your continuous patient education.

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25 Doctor Answers | Asked by jackster212 in west palm beach, florida

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Pinch addresses excess skin on the lower lids

Pinching lower eyelid skin is used only when excess skin is present on the lower lids, usually on patients 45 to 50 years of age and older. The incision in the pinch technique in our practice is closed with Histocryl glue. Typically, patients younger than 45 will only require a transconjunctival approach to the lower lids. This is a fat-only removal done from the inside of the lower lid.

Skin Pinch Blepharoplasty is skin removal and risky for people with dry eyes

Skin pinch blepharoplasty is a minor excision of a small amount of skin only from the lower eyelid. It is less extensive than a formal lower eyelid blepharoplasty and less likely to weaken lower eyelid support. It is done to remove small amounts of excess skin from the lower eyelid. Patients who have dry eyes are particularly prone to worsening of their dry eyes after any procedure which shortens the lower eyelid. Shortening the lower eyelid pulls the lid down and exposes the eye to more... more

“Skin Pinch” Blepharoplasty Eyelid Surgery

“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.

Rod J. Rohrich, MD

10 reviews

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Skin pinch is a blepharoplasty

In my opinion a skin pinch is a blepharoplasty, along with a high risk of eye shape alteration over time. Whether you consider this a complication will depend on how closely you examine the results of blepharoplasty. I personally believe all lower blepharoplasties should be supported structurally if skin is tightened in ANY way (including skin pinch) or the eye shape will, however subtly, round or pull down in the corners.

Lower Eyelid "Skin Pinch"

The lower eyelid pinch is removal of usually a small amount of skin so that the lower eyelid support is not damaged. It is a good option when one has good eyelid support. For a patient with laxity or dry eyes it may be wise to do a formal blepharoplasty or do nothing.

A skin pinch has a minimal effect

A skin pinch can be used when there is a little residual skin that can be pinched and removed without pulling the lower eyelid down at all. It does not remove wrinkles. In a competent surgeon, it shouldn't cause any problems including people with dry eyes. However, lower eyelid surgery in the wrong hands can cause significant complications that can be difficult to fix, so choose your surgeon wisely. Dr. Miller

Skin pinch removes just a "pinch of skin"

The skin pinch belpharoplasty removes just a "pinch of skin." This is good if you have strong lower eyelid support but a little extra skin. If the support of your lower lid is weak, then any added tension from the tightened skin can change the shape or function of the lower eyelid. In this case, it may be better to perform an anatomical belpharoplasty. Good luck.

Skin pinch is the easiest, safest alternative for dry eyes

Skin pinch is the easiest, safest alternative for someone with dry eyes. The skin is removed from under the eyelid without touching the underlying muscle. The procedure is limited and often has very little swelling. Although the outcomes are limited, so are the risks. If you are worried about complications, this is for you! Just don't expect the world.

Lower Eyelid Skin Pinch

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.

Lower Blepharoplasty Techniques and Dry Eyes

The skin pinch technique for lower blepharoplasty is a method for removing a small amount of excess lower lid skin. It is nice in that it does not disrupt the obicularis muscle, and is relatively safe. Other options for a similar change would be a skin flap blepharoplasty or resurfacing (laser or chemical peel). The skin flap technique allows for skin smoothing further from the lash margin, but has a higher bleeding risk. The peel also can smooth the skin further from the... more

Lower Eyelid "Skin Pinch"

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.

Lower eyelid skin pinch can be very effective

Most oculoplastic surgeons these days do transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty, meaning they go through an incision on the inside of the lower eyelid to remove or reposition the fat causing the lower lid bags. Then we assess if there is redundant skin in the lower eyelid and using a pinch technique to judge how much skin to take, we remove skin only just below the eyelashes. This works very well to tighten the lower lid skin with a very low rate of eyelid retraction. ... more

Matheson A. Harris, MD

6 reviews

Salt Lake City Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.utahoc.com

Lower Lid Skin Pinch

Hi Jackie, A lower lid skin pinch is a great procedure that can be done under local anasthesia to remove creepy skin from the lower eyelids. Since there is very little tissue contraction, such as would be the case from laser or chemical peel, there is less likelyhood of lower lid ectropion or pulling doewn of the lower lid. This procdure can be done in conjuction with other procedures such as blephoaroplasty or facelift. If you have dry symptoms, this should be examined and evaluated... more

Skin pinch

Any surgical procedure carries with it risks, but a lower skin pinch is considered one of the more safer options. I employ it a lot in conjunction with a lower transconjunctival approach. A skin pinch is a great option if your only issue is mild to moderate lower lid skin excess. Without examining you, it would be hard to determine the effects it will have on you. A thorough lower lid evaluation would be necessary. If your eyelid is weak, then any surgery would have to be considered in... more

Lower Lid Blepharoplasty

Thanks for your question - Lower lid blepharoplasty can address many issues including fat herniation and excess skin. Skin only excisions tend to be more limited in what they are able to improve. Both techniques can cause a condition called ectropion which can be caused by over resection or scar tissue. This can be serious and patients with a history of dry eye or inability to fully protect their cornea may be at increased risk from this complication after surgery. There are several tests... more

Skin pinch as a method of lower blepharoplasty

Patients with dry eyes should undergo stringent testing to examine the quantity of tear production and the support structures of the lower eyelid. The skin pinch blepharoplasty is an important procedure for patients who do not require formal lower eyelid blepharoplasty. The lower eyelid is composed of three major anatomic layers known as the anterior, middle, and posterior lamella. If the middle lamella, or septum, is crossed during surgery, there is a strong tendency to develop lid... more

Skin pinch estimates support structures of lower lids

Basically, we use the pinch test to see how good the lower lid elasticity is. If the elasticity is marginal, or not good, it is not an absolute contraindication to bleph. It will indicate that precautions should be taken to tighten the lower lid. These precautions could be a lid suspension, canthopexy, subconjunctival incision, etc. This is especially true in dry eyes. By the way, you may may want to consider getting silicone plugs put into your tear ducts to help keep the tears in the... more

Pinch blepharoplasty can be a useful tool

The pinch blepharoplasty can be a very useful tool in the right patient in the correct setting. I typically perform a pinch blepharoplasty when performing a MACS-lift (minimal access cranial suspension). In this situation the cheek and malar structures are elevated by a suspension suture. Once this soft tissue has been placed in a superior direction the excess skin of the lower lid is then removed using a skin pinching technique. In a patient with good structural support of the lower... more

Skin pinch usually combined with trans-conjunctival blepharoplasty

Lower lid blepharoplasty will continue to be a facial plastic procedure prone to complications and/or poor aesthetic outcome if not performed with care, accurate technique and artistry after appropriate assessment. Because fat removal through a trans-conjunctival approach can leave a patient with additional skin and skin wrinkles, a skin pinch has been advocated by some surgeons. Other plastic surgeons favor skin resurfacing (peel or laser resurfacing) to tighten skin. Personally, I... more

It's what else you do together with the skin pinch that's important.

Hi! Doing anything to the lower eyelids in someone with severe dry eyes has risk. You should either not have surgery, or you must have a canthopexy which tightens the outer corners of your eyes and supports the lower lids. The canthopexy is not to make you look better; it's to prevent complications. Together with the canthopexy, you need something done to the skin and to the fat, depending on your anatomy, to make you look better. "Skin pinch" is just one way to remove excess skin, and it... more

"Skin Pinch" Blepharoplasty

The so-called "Skin-Pinch" Blepharoplasty involves removal of a small amount of skin from just under the lash margin. This procedure is designed to remove excess lower eyelid skin and decrease the complications of a traditional lower blepharoplasty. Many times this procedure is combined with a sub-conjunctival removal of fat to address the lower eyelid "bags".

Skin Pinch is for skin only

Lower eyelid skin pinch is aimed at addressing excess lower eyelid skin and does not address fat or other concerns about the lower eyelid. In terms of risks, the biggest risk is pull down of the eyelid if too much skin is removed which can result in drying of the eye.

D.J. Verret, MD

4 reviews

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

innovationsfps.com

A lower eyelid skin pinch is a lower blepharoplasty

The idea of the lower eyelid skin pinch was innovated by Henry Baylis, M.D.. In the eighties, Dr. Baylis reintroduced the transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty. This was a much better alternative to then standard transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty which is associated with lower eyelid retraction. The problem was that some individual after resection of lower eyelid fat has just a little too much skin. Using a forceps, this skin can be pinched up just under the lower eyelid lashes and... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

8 reviews

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Skin pinch

I think you are referring to a method of estimating how much skin to remove during lower blepharoplasty. The surgeon pinches the skin across the lower lid below the eyelid lash line whcih temporarily causes the skin to tighten and create a skin roll. This is then the amount of skin that can be safely removed presumably without causing the lid itself to droop. It does not by itself affect the dry eye problem.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Skin pinch a good alternative for some

The skin pinch technique for lower eyelid blepharoplasty is a modification of a more traditional technique. It has a lower risk for complications since it only removes a small amount of skin from the lower eyelid. It will not, however, effect the extra fat many patient have effecting their lower eyelids. This is often the dominant problem for many patients. Sometimes, the skin pinch can be combined with a transconjunctival blepharoplasty to allow for removal and recontouring or extra fat and... more