Blepharoplasty of Upper Eyelids. Is fat and muscle removed or just skin?

Blepharoplasty technique depends on the result you need.  If you only have excess skin then only skin needs to be removed although usually some of the muscle is also removed.  If you have excess "bags" of fat then some of the fat can be removed as well.

The classic upper blepharoplasty involves skin removal, limited muscle removal, and fat removal or contouring.  When I perform upper blepharoplasty I  tailor the procedure to the patient's goals and their anatomy.   For example,  patient's with thin or skeletonized looking upper eyelids to begin with certainly don't have any fat removal done during the procedure. 

Upper blepharoplasty removes the excess or " hooding ' of skin. Often the inner portion of the upper eyelid is puffy due to excess fat and can be removed at the same time. Removal of muscle or strip of muscle can also be performed to tighten and define the crease.

It is important not to remove too much fat of the upper eyelid and cause an aged hollowed out look of the patient. Each patient undergoing surgical rejuvenation of the upper eyelids is evaluated to meet their needs determined by the plastic surgeon.