Rubbing Eyelid to Fix Botched Blepharoplasty?

It sounds like you have ptosis (a lower lid) on one side after surgery.  If only blepharoplasty was performed this is unusual but does occur.  Eyelid massage can help a number if issue.  It's success depends on what is being treated and timing.  The ptosis can be mechanical (from swelling), neurogenic (from nerve injury), myogenic (from muscle trauma), or simply may have been present prior and not identified (if skin was droopy and covering lid).  I do not know if the latter was present.  I think an evaluation by an oculoplastic surgeon would help.  Good luck

There is a possibility that you may require additional surgery but I would follow those recommendations for the time being.  I would hold off any additional surgery at this point for at least 3-6 months until the swelling and healing has finalized. 

Dear JPriestly

Hard as it is to believe, lid message can help many issues.  It is best if it is done with close follow up by the operating surgeon.  Unfortunately, it does not fix all issues.  Things can happen during surgery that are not benefited by eyelid message.  At 6 weeks out, I would not expect too much from eyelid message.  The good news is that you are in a town with great oculoplastic surgery.  I can recommend Texas Oculoplastic Consultants.  They are the largest group of oculoplastic surgeons in the country and are highly qualified.

For one eye to be higher after blepharoplasty because an excessive amount of skin was removed is highly unlikely.  The more likely symptom after too much skin is removed would be difficulty completely closing the eye.  A close examination of preoperative photos may reveal that one eye was actually higher even before surgery.  It's also possible that a muscle was injured during surgery, but this would cause an eye to be lower, not higher.  Postoperative swelling can be an issue, but typically this also causes an eye to be lower, not higher.  Massaging the higher eyelid shouldn't make a difference.

This is all assuming only a blepharoplasty was performed.  If a ptosis repair was done, tightening of the muscle can lead to an overly elevated lid, which sometimes does respond to massage.  You need to ask your doctor if this might be the case. 

It is difficult to assess your problem without looking at preop and postop photos.  You may have underlying ptosis (droopy eyelids), facial asymmetry, postop swelling, or possibly asymmetrical surgical result.  Consult an oculoplastic surgeon.  (Massaging eyelid 6 weeks after surgery should not have much effect on anything.)

Mehryar (Ray) Taban

Blepharoplasty can be uneven sometimes.  Too much skin and tissue can be removed from one side.  Rubbing the lid is actually a very good way to create symmetry, and since no surgery is exact (and no person’s face is exactly symmetrical) I find that rubbing can really help.  Depending on how the doctor tells you to do it, to even it out or for scar tissue, it is very effective within the first couple of months after surgery.  It’s not BS. 

I would suggest speaking to your physician about your concern. Massage can help in situations where there may be swelling or scar tissue which must be broken up. From what you describe you may have an eyelid ptosis that was undiagnosed and needs repair, too much skin was taken off, or the eyelid is not closing for some other reason. More than the cosmetic look, I would be concerned with the dry eye symptoms and I would definitely talk with your surgeon about how to take care of dry eyes.

No photos to help us. Push down the forehead skin above the eye brow on the eye of concern and see if the eyelid closure is improved.........if so then maybe too much skin was removed. Regardless, I'd massage and stretch the skin downward and wait for the healing to progress. If still a problem after a few months then more surgery may be needed such as a full thickness skin graft from your other eyelid if it had some excess still present or from some other site such as lower eyelid excess skin or skin from behind the ears. 

Your wounds have not healed well. Give 6-9 months then you can make better judgement about the result. Scar tissues have not matured yet and with time the eyelid skin will relax.

Hi there.  Massaging your scar may help things. 

Massaging a scar helps re-orient the collagen fibers.  It can also help get rid of some of the extra swelling.  That being said, and without examining you, I'd have to say that if there is a substantial (~1-2 mm) difference between the two lids, a revision surgery may be necessary. 

Reasons for a height discrepancy between the lids could be due to any of the following (and more):

- too much skin excised from one side

- an underling asymmetry (unevenness between the two sides) before the surgery

- an underling ptosis (droopy lid) of one or both sides - before the surgery

 - damage to the eyelid opening muscle/tendon on the other side making it sit lower (ptosis)

Depending on the reason, a future procedure MAY be necessary.  In the meantime, massage the eyelid as this will help the scar relax and may help drop your eyelid enough to make it similar to the other side.  If your eye is dry, make sure you are using artificial tears and/or a lubricant.  Make sure you follow-up with your provider regularly to ensure things are progressing and your eye isn't becoming irritated. 

 All the best.