Upper Blepharoplasty Melbourne
(Upper Eyelid Surgery)

An incision is placed in the natural upper eyelid crease so that the resulting scar sits in the fold when the eye is open. Through this incision a measured strip of excess skin is removed, sometimes with a narrow strip of orbicularis muscle. Fat is preserved, repositioned or conservatively reduced depending on the anatomy, and the crease may be anchored to deeper tissue for a stable, natural fold. Fine sutures close the wound.

The aim of upper blepharoplasty is to remove surplus skin and restore a defined crease, not to alter the shape or expression of the eyes. Conservative skin removal and careful crease placement help keep the result consistent with your own features. Where a change in eye shape is the goal, or where the outer corner of the eye needs support, different procedures are discussed rather than blepharoplasty alone.

No. Crow’s feet are lines at the outer corner of the eye caused by the orbicularis muscle contracting when you smile or squint, and they lie outside the area treated by upper blepharoplasty. They may be softened with anti-wrinkle injections, skin resurfacing or, in some cases, fat transfer to the temple and outer eye region, which can be discussed alongside eyelid surgery if relevant.

When excess upper eyelid skin rests on the lashes and narrows the upper field of vision, removing that skin can relieve the heaviness and restore the obstructed field. Documented visual field testing and photographs are needed to confirm this. If the criteria are met, a Medicare item number may apply and private health insurance may contribute towards hospital costs; otherwise the surgery is treated as cosmetic.

Swelling and bruising are most noticeable in the first three to four days and largely settle within one to two weeks. Sutures are removed at five to seven days. Most people return to office work within seven to ten days, often wearing glasses to cover residual bruising. The scar is pink for a few months before fading into the crease, and the final contour settles over three to six months.

Eye makeup can usually be resumed about two weeks after surgery, once the incisions have fully closed and sutures are out. Gentle walking is encouraged from the first day. Activities that raise blood pressure, such as running, weights or hot yoga, are best avoided for two to three weeks to limit swelling and bleeding risk. Swimming waits until the wounds are sealed, typically around three weeks.

The skin removed does not return, so the improvement is long-lasting. The eyelids and brow continue to age, however, and skin laxity gradually recurs over ten to fifteen years in many people, sometimes sooner with sun exposure or smoking. A small number of patients choose a secondary procedure later. Maintaining brow support and skin quality helps prolong the result, though individual outcomes vary.

Fees include the surgeon’s fee, the anaesthetist’s fee and the hospital or day-surgery fee, which vary with the type of anaesthetic and whether other procedures are combined. A written quote is provided after consultation. Medicare and private health insurance contribute only when a documented visual field obstruction meets the criteria for the relevant item number (MBS 45617); otherwise upper blepharoplasty is considered cosmetic and is self-funded.

Yes, a secondary upper blepharoplasty can be considered when skin laxity has recurred years later or when an earlier procedure left asymmetry or an unsatisfactory crease. The amount of remaining skin is the limiting factor, because enough must be kept for comfortable eye closure. Revision cases are assessed carefully, and in some the better option is brow lift or fat transfer rather than further skin removal.

Upper blepharoplasty is most often performed in hospital as a day procedure under local anaesthetic with intravenous sedation, with an anaesthetist present. A general anaesthetic is used when the eyelids are treated together with a brow lift, facelift or fat transfer. For selected patients with isolated skin excess, the procedure can be performed in the clinic under local anaesthetic alone. The choice is made together at consultation.

It depends on where the hooding comes from. If the brow sits low and is contributing to the fold, removing eyelid skin alone can draw the brow down further and flatten the eye. In that situation a brow lift, alone or combined with a conservative blepharoplasty, gives a more balanced result. Brow position is assessed at rest and with the forehead relaxed during consultation.

There is no fixed age. Most people considering upper blepharoplasty are in their forties to sixties, when skin excess has developed, but younger adults with inherited heavy lids or hooding, and older adults in good health, may also be suitable. Suitability depends on the anatomy, eye health and general health rather than age, and each case is assessed individually.