Eyelid Surgery

What does this section cover?

Choosing the right blepharoplasty technique requires a thorough understanding of eyelid anatomy, skin quality, and the specific concerns to be addressed. Every option is discussed openly during a personal consultation at the Istanbul clinic.

Upper blepharoplasty addresses excess skin, fat, and laxity in the upper eyelid. Heavy, drooping upper lids can make the eyes appear tired or permanently sleepy — and when the hooding is significant, it can physically impair the upper visual field. Upper blepharoplasty removes the excess tissue through an incision hidden precisely in the natural eyelid crease, leaving a result that is virtually undetectable once healed.

Lower blepharoplasty addresses under-eye bags (fat prolapse), fine wrinkling, and skin laxity in the lower eyelid. Lower lid surgery is technically more complex than upper and requires careful assessment of the patient's orbital anatomy and lower lid support before planning. A transconjunctival or subciliary approach is tailored to the patient's anatomy.

Upper + Lower Combined

Many patients benefit from addressing both upper and lower lids in a single surgical session — maximising the overall refreshing effect and requiring only one anaesthesia and one recovery period. A combined procedure is also more cost-effective than two separate surgeries, with only one anaesthesia, one recovery, and one set of clinic fees.

Ptosis Repair vs. Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty removes excess skin and fat. Ptosis repair specifically tightens the levator muscle — the muscle responsible for lifting the eyelid itself. Some patients have true ptosis rather than excess skin, and require muscle tightening rather than — or in addition to — skin removal. This distinction is assessed during consultation.

Asian Eyelid Surgery (Double Eyelid Surgery)

A specialist procedure that creates or defines a natural upper eyelid crease in patients who have a single eyelid (epicanthal fold) or an indistinct crease. Asian double eyelid surgery is performed with deep respect for ethnic aesthetics — the goal is a naturally defined crease that enhances the eyes while preserving the patient's cultural identity and authentic appearance.

Relative cost and complexity

Upper blepharoplasty is the more straightforward of the two procedures — one of the most accessible surgical options offered in terms of both complexity and price. Lower blepharoplasty carries greater technical complexity, and cost varies based on whether fat is removed, repositioned, or skin is tightened, depending on anatomy.

Related areas

• Upper Blepharoplasty
• Lower Blepharoplasty
• Temporal Lift
• Rhinoplasty
• Facial Balance
• Cheek Enhancement

Who is a candidate?

Candidacy is decided during a personal consultation, where eyelid anatomy, brow position, and visual function are assessed. Some patients have excess upper eyelid skin causing a tired or sleepy appearance; in significant cases the hooding can physically impair the upper visual field. Others have under-eye bags, fine wrinkling, or skin laxity in the lower eyelid, which requires careful assessment of orbital anatomy and lower lid support.

Some patients present with true ptosis — drooping caused by the levator muscle rather than excess skin — and need muscle tightening rather than, or in addition to, skin removal; this distinction is made at consultation. Patients with a single eyelid (epicanthal fold) or an indistinct crease may be candidates for Asian double eyelid surgery, performed with respect for ethnic aesthetics rather than a westernised outcome. Many patients are candidates for addressing both upper and lower lids in one session.

How is the approach decided?

Choosing the right approach requires understanding what is actually causing the eyelid concern; each case is assessed individually, with surgical or awake (local anaesthesia) options tailored to the patient's anatomy and goals. Upper blepharoplasty removes excess tissue through an incision hidden precisely in the natural eyelid crease. Lower blepharoplasty uses a transconjunctival or subciliary approach tailored to the patient's anatomy, addressing under-eye bags, fine wrinkling and skin laxity.

Whether the upper lid, the lower lid, or both are treated — and whether skin, muscle or fat is addressed — is decided case by case after assessing eyelid anatomy, brow position and, where relevant, visual function. Upper eyelid incisions are placed within the natural crease, which hides them almost completely once healed. Lower eyelid surgery is often performed from inside the lid, leaving no external scar at all; where an external incision is needed it sits just beneath the lash line.

Recovery timeline

Recovery is faster than most patients expect. Bruising and swelling are most noticeable in the first few days, and the majority resolves within 7–10 days, by which point most people are comfortable in public. Fine swelling around the incision can take several weeks to settle completely, and the final refined result appears gradually over a few months.

Fine, non-dissolvable sutures used in upper eyelid surgery are removed comfortably and painlessly at the clinic 5–7 days after surgery. Patients cannot drive themselves home after the procedure — the eyes will be swollen and sensitive to light, so a companion must be arranged.

Upper eyelid surgery is generally long-lasting: the skin that is removed does not return, although the face continues to age normally around it. Lower eyelid results are similarly durable. Neither procedure stops ageing; both reset the starting point, and skin quality, sun exposure and genetics determine how the years that follow look.

Risks and limits

Eyelid surgery is a millimetre operation: the difference between a rested, natural result and an obviously operated one is measured in very small amounts of tissue. A rounded, pulled-down or startled appearance is a sign that too much tissue was taken. Incomplete eyelid closure, a visible white strip beneath the iris, or a lower lid that pulls away are all signs of over-correction.

In lower eyelid surgery, simply removing fat can leave the eye looking hollow and older rather than fresher, which is why repositioning tissue is usually preferred to removing it. In upper eyelid surgery, a crease placed too high reads as surgical immediately, while one that disappears at the outer corner leaves the hooding it was meant to correct.

Eyelid surgery does not treat dark circles caused by pigmentation, fine crow's feet, or a descended brow — a temporal or brow lift addresses those concerns instead. This distinction, and the correct depth and amount of tissue to remove, is decided at consultation, never assumed in advance.

Who carries out the assessment?

Eyelid surgery in this section is assessed and performed by Dr. Havva Duru İpek at her Nişantaşı clinic in Istanbul. For a personal consultation, use the contact page.