Eyelid Surgery: Stories

James...I am having my upper and lowers done in June but after seeing 2 plastic surgeons, a friend recommended an Ophthalmologist. I went to see Ophthalmologist and was very surprised with how many upper and lower they do. Who know eye placement and anatomy better than an eye dr? Very please with her and her work and decided to go this route instead. Bonus is she can get insurance to pay for it as it interferes with my eyesight..Just an option..

Hi jameslosangeles, I had lower eyelid surgery a little over a year ago. I didn't have upper surgery, but in the last year I've read a lot of eyelid surgery reviews. First, I really want to caution you about having surgery at all, especially at the age of 26. Have you thoroughly read all of the negative eyelid surgery reviews here on RealSelf and on other review websites? If you haven't, please do it. Start with Realself. Go to the "Rating" option near the top of the page and sort by "Not Worth It". This will bring up all of the negative reviews. If you read all of these reviews, you will learn that both upper and lower surgery is very risky, and when it goes wrong, even just a little bit, it can completely destroy your life. So many of us women and men have lost all of our self-confidence and quality of life due to these surgeries. Bad eyelid surgery, and bad surgery of any kind, will rip a hole in your soul that many of us have never been able to mend. We live with the regret and devastation every day. At 26, you will have a lot of years of regret ahead of you if it goes wrong. I was relatively young when I had my surgery, mid-thirties, and I no longer have any social life. I should be out enjoying the world, but I just don't have the confidence or motivation since my surgery. Based on your photos, I don't see anything wrong with your eyes that would warrant surgery. Your eyes look very good, just the way nature intended. If you are feeling serious distress about the appearance of your eyes, please read up on the illness of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. If any of the symptoms apply to you, then do not have surgery! Get counseling instead. There is a very good BDD clinic in Los Angeles. However, if you're absolutely determined to have surgery, despite its risks, only consult with oculoplastic surgeons. You're in Los Angeles, and there are really good oculoplastic surgeons there. You should consult with Drs. Hoenig, Massry, and Parsa. Do not trust your eyes to a general plastic surgeon! As far as how many days you will need off work, you will probably need a good two or three weeks, if you don't want to go back to work with residual swelling, bruising, and redness. A "long weekend" won't be enough. As far as money goes, cheaper is not better. You will only know the cost when you have your consultations and get quotes. You should also be warned that if your surgery goes wrong, the cost of revision will kill you financially. Plastic surgery is not just about cosmetic appearances; it is also an expensive financial commitment. For many of us, it turned out to be a disastrous financial decision. As far as asymmetry, YES, there is a high risk of asymmetry!! The asymmetry is what has tortured so many of us after these surgeries. Everyone has some natural asymmetry. It is usually minor and nobody notices it. However, surgically produced asymmetry will make your eyes look like hell. A lot of us have to wear glasses now, not because of our eyesight, but to cover up our botched eyes. I hope you take all of this to heart. Surgery is permanent. Once you have it, it cannot be undone. If it goes wrong, you will have many years of regret ahead of you. And please don't assume that because your case isn't "severe" that a surgeon will automatically be conservative with you. Most of us didn't have severe cases. We all wanted minor changes. But we ended up with huge problems. Best of luck.