How Well Does Scar Tissue on Upper Eyelid Heal?

Question

How well do scars on upper eyelids heal. I also dislike the idea that scar tissue grows inside (fibrosis) so how well does the scar inside the eyelid tissue layers heal, considering blood flow is good inside the eyelid. Also, I heard sometimes sutures are used in Asian eyelid surgery; are they permanent inside the eyelid? Doesn't that cause a body reaction?

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

When performing eyelid surgery, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon will make the incision inside the crease of the eyelid and suture underneath the lid, where the stitches cannot be seen. It is also fortunate that the skin on the eyelid is very thin and heals so well that the scars will be virtually invisible. Massaging the scar, once it's healed, can help break down the collagen and make it blend into surrounding skin faster.

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

It's important to understand that all incisions heal with some scarring, but the eyelid skin is thin and has unique qualities that tend to minimize scarring. In the immediate post-operative period, eyelid incisions tend to be red and raised. These scars tend to respond nicely to massage and avoidance of sun exposure. In the vast majority of patients, these scars heal nicely and are almost imperceptible.Occasionally internal sutures are used for structural purposes. These sutures are always absorbable sutures that dissolve with the passage of time. In the majority of cases, these sutures can't be felt and the internal scar softens with time. If you're concerned about scarring, it's important to discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon prior to surgery.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

As a rule the skin of the eyelids heals very well with a nearly imperceptible scar. The sutures, which are all run under the skin are removed in 4 -5 days. The scarring which occurs under the surface of the skin will mature, as all scars do and not be visible nor able to be felt. Any sutures used in the deeper tissues of the eyelids are dissolvable.

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi Rose,

	Eyelid skin incisions heal extremely well and there should be no problems with the sutures used in Asian eyelid surgery. Any early scar tissue usually resolves over time. Choose your eyelid surgeon most carefully.  Good luck and be well.

	Dr. P

Robert W. Sheffield, MD · Answer

Hi!Thank you for your questions. Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty should beperformed only by a board certified plastic surgeon to reduce the risks ofscars from forming. An expert plastic surgeon will know best to do the incisionon the innermost eyelid crease. Suturing will be required for optimal healingand sutures are often placed underneath the eyelids so that the stitches cannotbe seen while they are healing. 
Asfor scarring, it is most fortunate that the eyelid skin is the thinnest one in theentire body hence making the healing better and faster thereby eliminating thepossibility of scars from forming. That said, it is not totally impossible forscars to occur as certain factors may come into play such as the length of timethe sutures are left on the eyelid. Sutures should be taken out as early as 6days and at a max of 10 days to avoid scarring. The expertise of the plasticsurgeon may also be weighed in. Remember to look and only work with a boardcertified plastic surgeon to reduce surgery after effects.

Debra Irizarry, MD · Answer

In adults, the only way the body "heals" a cut that is "full-thickness", (through all the layers), is the collagen known as "scar tissue", so this is really a good thing - if it did not form, the wounds would not close. When eyelid surgery is done well, the incisions heal as very thin lines that are almost imperceptible. The sutures are removed in the immediate post-op period, or if they are "internal", absorb over time. Pick a Plastic or Oculoplastic Surgeon.

Carlo Rob Bernardino, MD · Answer

In general, the eyelids heal quite well after surgery. After typical blepharoplasty, initial healing of the incisions take a week whereas ultimate swelling may normalize within 4-6 weeks. You also mention asian blepharoplasty in which a double lid crease is formed. Some techniques use permanent sutures whereas other techniques use planned scars to form the new eyelid crease. Permanent sutures are usually of inert materials but rarely can cause foreign body reactions.

James M. Kurley, MD (retired) · Answer

The eyelid skin is the thinnest skin on the body and heals very quickly. Upper eyelid scars are almost imperceptible. The sutures used inside are almost always dis-solvable and the internal scarring is often not able to be felt.

How Well Does Scar Tissue on Upper Eyelid Heal?

Answers (8)

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