Your eyes can express so much about your own personality and confidence. But when the signs of aging start to cloud that expression, you might not feel as good about yourself as you once did. Fortunately, there are multiple methods of reshaping and restructuring your eyelids. Through several minimally invasive procedures, you can fully customize your appearance down to the very corners of your eyes. Below, we cover how to prepare for canthoplasty.
How to Prepare for Canthoplasty
One of our highly sought-after procedures can lift and tighten the skin at the edges of your eyelids to completely reshape your eyes. Though the changes are subtle, they can have a breathtaking impact on your overall appearance. Today, we will show you how to prepare for canthoplasty so you can quickly boost your confidence and self-esteem.
What Will Canthoplasty Treat?
Before knowing how to prepare for this procedure, it is important to discuss its purpose. You may be diagnosed with ptosis or other skin problems that affect your upper and lower lids. If your particular issue involves the eyelid muscles, your surgeon may recommend a canthoplasty.
Canthoplasty procedures are completely customizable, and our experts fine-tune the surgery to treat your own aesthetic needs. If you are dealing with tilted, sagging, uneven, or asymmetrical eyelids, then this is the procedure for you. It can also lessen the symptoms of cornea damage, entropy, and other trauma surrounding the eyes.
Before Your Canthoplasty
An initial consultation with your surgeon is the best way to learn everything there is to know about your surgery. You will be asked to get some lab tests done so the doctor knows exactly how to treat you. If you wear contacts often, you might be asked to exchange them for glasses in the weeks before and after your surgery. Like any other operation, canthoplasty requires general or local anesthesia and therefore it is important that you are properly prepared.
Additionally, you should use the time leading up to your appointment to kick any bad habits in the bud. If you currently smoke and drink on a regular basis, you will be asked to stop around the time of your procedure. Both tobacco and alcohol can inhibit your body’s ability to properly heal. Alcohol slows down the flow of blood, which slows down the entire healing process. Tobacco narrows the arteries which makes it difficult for blood cells to pass through.
During Your Canthoplasty
It is imperative that you are comfortable and level-headed on the day of your procedure. While canthoplasty surgeries are not super intensive, they still involve anesthesia and surgical wounds. Therefore it is important that you have absolutely everything prepared ahead of time. The procedure itself involves very small incisions made at the corners of your eyes, which are used to pull and tighten the eyelid muscles to create a new shape.
The surgery can be quick. Some canthoplasties are completed within 30 minutes, while others might take a couple of hours. The procedure itself does not hurt, but you can expect some pain and swelling after the anesthesia wears off. The doctor will prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection and painkillers like eye drops to relieve any physical pain.
After Your Canthoplasty
Recovery from this kind of procedure is typically mild, but you should plan to take at least a week off of work so you can rest. Aside from the mild pain and irritation mentioned above, you may have some swelling or bruising. Canthoplasty surgeries are minimally invasive and only carry small risks of scarring and bleeding. However, you should know about all the risks so you can do everything in your power to protect against them.
Your eyelids will heal from the outside in. This means that you will feel and look fully healed while you are still recovering. It can take about 4 weeks to fully heal from canthoplasty, so make sure you have planned your schedule wisely. You should not have any pain or swelling that lasts past the initial week. Contact your doctor for follow-up appointments and concerns.
Find Out if Canthoplasty Is Right for You!
Canthoplasty is just one of the many eyelid-improving procedures we offer at the office of Dr. Bradford Lee. If you have sagging lids due to weak muscles or flabby skin, this procedure can tighten up the areas around your eyes to give you a refreshed appearance. You deserve to feel confident about your face again, and a simple yet revolutionary procedure like this can be just the thing to get your pep back in your step. Contact our eyelid surgery experts to schedule your consultation today!