At The Skin Center Medical Spa in Pittsburgh, Blepharoplasty surgery is one of Dr. Brandy’s favorite procedures to perform. Dr. Brandy told me lower eyelid surgery is relatively simple to perform (I’ll take his word on that!) with a relatively simple recovery when post-op instructions are followed (I can attest to that!) and that his patients are always so thrilled with the results…and now I know why. The difference is unbelievable! And it’s scarless—since the tiny incision is INSIDE the lower eyelid where it’s invisible. When I at look at my blepharoplasty before and after photos, I just have to ask myself why I waited until I did to have the surgery! If I knew it was going to be this easy, I would have done it years ago.
It was only a few days post-op when Teresa, one of Dr. Brandy’s nurses at The Skin Center, said that I was in the homestretch. She had called me on Saturday morning (surgery was Tuesday) just to see how I was recovering from my lower eyelid surgery and chemical peel. As I told her what I was experiencing, she said that things were good.
I was feeling excited—and confident—about the healing process, since I was following my post-op instructions to a T!
Blepharoplasty before and after: Post-Op Routine
BLOOD PRESSURE CHECK: For the first few days, we did this at home just to make sure everything remained on target. No big deal.
CLEANSING/MOISTURIZING: Did this faithfully 6 times a day. It was actually very soothing, so I didn’t mind doing it. I just lathered up, gently rubbing around eyes and cheeks (where the peel was) and patted everything dry. What felt like an inordinate amount of lotion and ointment was just sucked right up and absorbed by my skin almost instantly. I also used a refreshing facial spritzer as a treatment between cleansings. Again, this was part of the routine for the chemical peel, not the lower eyelid surgery.
MEDICATION: After a few days, I was happy to finish off the anti-inflammatory meds and oral antibiotics because I felt like they were giving me a dry mouth and a chronic mild headache. I can’t tolerate Vicodin, so I’ve only been taking extra strength Tylenol. The eye drop routine was easy and quite soothing.
DIET: Since compliance is key to recovery, I stuck to the protein-rich diet, as instructed. Eggs and bananas (the only allowable fruit I desired) were my staples. I drank plenty of water to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And while I missed my vino, I knew that my favorite Malbec would be a nice reward—and all the sweeter—in just a few more days.
EXERCISE: Finally! A doctor’s excuse to lay around! No exercise for 2 weeks—or any other strenuous activity, if you catch my drift. A small price to pay for beautiful eyes!
SLEEPING: This was a bit of a challenge, simply because you have to sleep upright and on your back ONLY. A few nights of this is fine. I ended up moving to the couch for the last “upright” night. I was much happier once I did that! I’m guessing a recliner would be a nice option.
EYE SIGHT: Patience is key. Not being able to read or stay “connected” via email was a bit challenging. My co-workers got a few chuckles out of my “autocorrects” when texting. But, by Day 5 or 6, my eyesight was just about back to normal. I only had a slight blurriness when using the antibiotic eye drops. In the morning they were a bit bloodshot, but not too bad. And that cleared up rather quickly as the day went on.
Here’s how my peeling process went:
- It first started at the inside corner of my eyes, then moved to my upper eyelids, then to just below my lower lid. The skin underneath was light pink and although it stung slightly when I put the cream on, it felt better in just a few minutes.
- Each time I washed, the dry skin turned soft, then simply sloughed off when I patted dry my face. I used lukewarm water and made sure to gently rub, using circular motions. I was explicitly instructed NOT to pick or peel off the dead skin, as it could cause scarring—so now I know the reason for so many washings.
- My cheeks started peeling next, but more in patches than strips or sheets. The youthful, new layer was really exciting to see.
And a few days later, when all that fresh, dewy skin was completely revealed, I was back to my full make-up routine—and loving life with my puffy eye bags now a THING OF THE PAST! I am thrilled with the way my eyes look now—so refreshed! And as an added bonus, with the eye bags removed, my cheeks appear lifted—just as Dr. Brandy said they would. AMAZING!
PLEASE COMMENT BELOW, if you’d like to know anything else about my lower eyelid blepharoplasty and/or the chemical peel. I would love to answer any of your questions or concerns!