“Eyelid Surgery Got Rid of Dark Circles and I Feel Pretty Again!”

I'd had dark circles under my eyes for as long as I can remember, but over the past few years the shadows had gotten worse (I'm 45). I thought it was due to stress and lack of sleep, but even when I was rested I could no longer hide the shadows with concealer, and I felt haggard and unattractive. One day, I looked more closely in the mirror and noticed puffy bags under my eyes. This was a relief because I knew I could do something about it!

I went for several consultations and ultimately went with the surgeon who had done my liposuction last year. He'd done a great job on the lipo, but I was initially a bit hesitant because I thought a facial specialist would be better. However, once I saw him I felt confident that he knew exactly what he was doing, and he also gave me some very helpful info on how certification works for general plastic surgery vs. facial vs. oculoplastic. I decided to get both my upper and lower lids done.

The surgery was performed in my doctor's office (an accredited surgical center) with local anesthetic. He said it was much less risky than general anesthesia and that 80% of eye and face plastic surgery in Europe is done under local. It would also save me about $2000 in facility costs. The surgery took about 2-1/2 hours and was somewhat painful at times, and he had to inject additional lidocaine. Overall the discomfort was similar to what I'd experienced with dental surgery, except it was longer and the sensation of cutting through the eyelids was weird.

I had very little post-op pain and only took Percocet for one day after the surgery. I was bruised and swollen for several days but was presentable enough to go out to dinner with my husband exactly one week afer the surgery. After 10 days I was absolutely ecstatic with my new look! The lower bags were GONE and I actually had to re-learn how to apply my makeup like I did 15 years ago, when I didn't have to hide them. And my eyes seemed much larger and more open overall. I hadn't realized what a huge difference doing the upper lids would make, but you can certainly see it from the pictures.

I'm now 5 weeks post-op and I still have a slight amount of swelling under my right eye, and chemosis in my left eye, which prevents the lower lid from staying fully snug against my eyeball. However these are gradually continuing to improve, and don't detract cosmetically- I only see them because I'm looking.

Overall I'm absolutely thrilled with my result and would do it again in a heartbeat. I feel confident and attractive again- I no longer dread overhead lights or cringe when I look in the mirror at the gym!

Updated on 14 Feb 2011:
6 months after the surgery, the chemosis had completely resolved and the scars were almost invisible, but I still had a small area of puffiness under my right eye. The doctor said he didn't think it was fat missed during the procedure, since he pays special attention to the outer compartment, but that other fat sometimes moves into the area after the overlaying fat is removed.

Either way, he said he would be happy to do a revision surgery for free. However, I was hesitant about the risk of complications to correct such a minor issue- especially working on only one eye. I would never forgive myself if the eye didn't heal right or didn't match the other one. I decided to be happy with how much better I look already instead of chasing perfection!