Hallo welcome to my frequently asked questions,
today I’m answering a very commonly asked question
about lower Blepharoplasty, how long will my surgery last?
And in answering this question we’ll talk about
how long the surgery last on average,
what factors can influence how long the surgery lasts
and finally we’ll talk about what factors
you can take into account in your lifestyle
to ensure the lower eyelid surgery lasts
for as long as possible.
My name is Dr. Julian De Silva
and I’m a London based Facial Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon
and blepharoplasty is the commonest procedure
that I complete for my patients on a daily basis.
This question is information
that I discuss with my patients every day
and I hope this information will be useful for you.
So, on average how long does lower blepharoplasty last?
Well as a minimum lower eyelid surgery will last
for a minimum 8 to 10 years
for many patients, having lower eyelid surgery
is surgery that you only need to have once in your lifespan.
What can affect this well some of the patients that I treat
are younger patients often in their 20’s or 30’s
and you know life-expectancy at this point and time
may well be over a 100 and if you have 50 more years
in terms of your life
well there will be some further ageing and facial changes
over that period.
And there is nothing that one can do today
that will last for more than 50 years.
Having said that, for the majority of patients,
lower eyelid surgery is surgery that you only need to have once,
and it generally lasts lifelong.
However everyone is a little different
and it’s hard to be sure how every single person will age
as there will be differences.
So, what factors will influence ageing?
Well firstly the genetic factors
and genetics is what we inherit from out parents
and some patients will have bags at the younger age
and this will be one of the influence factors.
Genetics is something that is largely outside our control
as we inherit those genetics.
The other factor is environmental lifestyle factors
and they are factors that you can do
and you can take into account in your lifestyle
in order to get the best possible and longest lasting results
from lower Blepharoplasty.
The other aspects are your unique anatomy
and everyone’s lower eyelids can be subtly different
and depending on how your lower eyelids are,
and what specific surgery is required
well this will influence just how long the surgery lasts.
The final aspect is surgical technique
and broadly speaking there is 2 different techniques
that are widely used for lower blepharoplasty
and one involves a scar in the lower eyelid
and this can affect more of the anatomy of the lower eyelid.
The other technique which is a newer technique
on the inside of the lower eyelid
well this avoids a scar and can have a longer lasting effect.
So, what factors can you take into account
in order to ensure that you have
the longest possible lasting result?
Well firstly smoking and smoking ages the skin
and ages the face and affects the soft tissues
and skin quality and if you wanted to do one thing
in order to ensure you have the longest lasting result
from lower blepharoplasty and more youthful appearance,
it would be to stop and avoid smoking.
Another factor is sun exposure
and the sun causes significant damage to the skin
it can encourage fine lines and wrinkles
and pigmentation changes and minimizing your sun exposure
wearing sun protection factor of 30 and above regularly.
Well these are factors that will influence you skin
and generally will preserve the lower eyelid surgery for longer.
Other factors are cosmeceuticals
and although there is a very wide range
of different cosmeceuticals,
there’re some products such as the retinoic acid
that are very effective in reducing fine lines and wrinkles
particular in patients with thinner skin.
This will give you a longer lasting result
with lower blepharoplasty.
The final aspect is in terms of your lifestyle
and having a healthy lifestyle
and this may include a healthy diet, regular exercise.
Well this will influence your general health
and influence the longevity of the lower eyelid surgery.
So, in summary we’ve talked about
how long lower eyelids surgery last on average,
we’ve talked about what factors can influence
how long the surgery lasts and finally we’ve talked about
what measures you can take in your lifestyle
in order to ensure that you have the best possible results
that last for the longest period of time.
I hope this information has been useful for you,
thank you for watching.