Blepharoplasty – Tired Aussie Eyes Launch a Thousand Ships Again

It’s a fact of nature that a face that could launch a thousand ships does fade over time. My wife was still beautiful after all the years together but there was a tinge of sadness when she looked at the old photos of our first days in Australia all those years ago. How young we were and how hopeful that the move from the old country would all work out.

It most certainly did!

But if one thing has taken more of a toll on our English-born skin it is the power of the down under sun and the outdoor lifestyle that we threw ourselves into from day one.

So it was one day last year when “Gladys” (not her real name) said she’d like a Facelift Sydney. My initial reaction was incredulity but it was clear from the outset that this was not some momentary flight of fancy but something she had thought about for ages.

Unconvinced by my compliments she started learning more about facelifts online.

Finding someone with 30 years of experience our expectations, misconceptions and frankly, ignorance, were put in perspective. He explained that there were many facelift options but each were specific to the anatomy of a face and the requirements and expectations of the patient.

In the case of my wife, something called blepharoplasty was recommended. This is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids that addresses issues such as excess skin fat and muscle that contribute to an aged look.

This, he explained, would be the answer to transforming a face rather than a more radical intervention. Intrigued, we heard how there are two kinds of blepharoplasty – on the upper and lower eyelids. Removing excess skin would improve the drooping on the upper part while tightening the skin under the underneath eyes would remove wrinkling.

While either can be performed on the eyes a combination of both would be better and more likely to dramatically slow down the appearance of ageing.

Facelift surgeons often deal with areas around the eyes as part of a broader plan. In this case, it was felt that was the only issue. The full consultation inspired confidence. A brow lift was ruled out as unnecessary.

In fact, at every turn, it appeared that the highly trained surgeon was trying to save us money rather than fleece us!

It was comforting to know that the procedures can be performed under local anaesthetic and that upper lid incisions are made along the natural folds of the eyes which helps to conceal scars and that lower lid work can be done actually inside the eyelid. All very clever.   

Post-surgery recovery included bruising and swelling but we are both thrilled with the results.

In conclusion, faces can be transformed by looking at the real reason a face looks older. After all, when we fell in love it was my future wife’s eyes I looked into.