What Is Blepharoplasty? Benefits, Risks, Recovery, and Results

They say your eyes are the windows to your soul, but these windows can get lost behind sagging, aging skin that forms unwanted curtains.

Leaving the window metaphor behind, the reality is that the aging process often first crops up in places where your skin is delicate, like the skin around your eyes. Over time, this skin can loosen and sag, and the fat beneath it can shift. And the end result? Your eyes can get swallowed up by aging skin.

The most effective way to bring your eyes out of the shadows of aging skin is through eyelid surgery, which is the 5th most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States — more than 120,000 were performed in 2024.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Zelken has extensive experience with blepharoplasty, which is the medical term for eyelid surgery. Patients seek Dr. Zelken out not simply to remove excess skin, but for thoughtfully planned eyelid surgery that complements the rest of the face and preserves natural expression.

Here’s a look at how we’ve helped many of our clients shift the focus back to their beautiful eyes.

Why patients choose Dr. Jonathan Zelken for Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty is a technically demanding procedure that requires more than skin removal. The eyelids are complex, delicate structures that play a critical role in eye protection, facial balance, and expression. Small miscalculations can lead to unnatural contours, lid malposition, or a hollowed appearance.

Patients choose Dr. Zelken for blepharoplasty because of several key differentiators:

Facial balance-driven planning 

Every eyelid procedure is designed in proportion to the brows, cheek structure, and overall facial anatomy.

Precision handling of delicate tissue 

Dr. Zelken is meticulous about how much skin and fat are removed or repositioned to avoid an over-operated look.

Natural, undetectable results

The goal is not to look “done,” but refreshed, brighter, and more like yourself.

Understanding Upper vs. Lower Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty isn’t a one-size-fits-all procedure. Depending on your anatomy and concerns, surgery may involve the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both.

Upper eyelid blepharoplasty

Upper blepharoplasty addresses excess skin and, in some cases, protruding fat in the upper eyelids. Over time, lax eyelid skin can fold over itself, creating a heavy or hooded appearance that may even interfere with vision.

Upper blepharoplasty can:

• Open the eyes and restore visibility of the upper lid
• Reduce heaviness or shadowing over the eyes
• Improve symmetry between eyelids
• Create a more rested and alert appearance

During upper eyelid surgery, Dr. Zelken places incisions within the natural eyelid crease, allowing scars to heal discreetly. Excess skin is conservatively removed, and fat is addressed only when necessary. The objective is to restore your lid definition while preserving a natural eyelid fold and brow-eye relationship.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty

Lower blepharoplasty focuses on the under-eye region, where aging often leads to puffiness, lax skin, or a tired appearance. Depending on your needs, Dr. Zelken may use various techniques to address excess skin, protruding fat, or lower-lid laxity.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can:

• Smooth under-eye hollows or bags
• Improve skin laxity and crepiness
• Reduce a tired or aged appearance
• Restore a more youthful transition between the eyelid and cheek

In some cases, we use a skin-pinch technique to remove minimal excess skin while preserving the underlying structure. 

In others, fat is repositioned or reduced to smooth under-eye contours rather than simply removing volume. If the lower lid shows signs of pulling away from the eye, supportive tightening procedures may be performed to maintain proper eyelid position.

The pinch tool explained

Think of the pinch tool like an eyelash curler, except it’s straight. With the grippy ends, Dr. Zelken can gently isolate excess skin, which he then removes along the seam. He does this near your lower eyelash line to minimize scarring.

Thanks to the pinch tool, we can smooth out the peaks and valleys that often develop under your eyes as you age, leaving smooth skin behind.

What happens during blepharoplasty surgery

Eyelid surgery is typically performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the surgical plan. Throughout the procedure, Dr. Zelken focuses on precision, tissue preservation, and tension-free closure.

Incisions are closed with meticulous suturing techniques tailored to delicate eyelid skin. These methods are designed to support optimal healing, reduce scarring, and maintain eyelid function.

For patients interested in the technical aspects of blepharoplasty, Dr. Zelken offers educational surgical videos. Surgical footage may be graphic and is intended for informational purposes only.

Benefits and risks of eyelid surgery

The main benefit of eyelid surgery is that we can make your eyes shine again. Your eyes are an important part of your appearance, and they also help with communication. By reopening them, you can feel more like yourself and express yourself more readily.

Blepharoplasty also offers long-term results. Yes, the skin around your eyes will likely still succumb to aging in the future, but our work means that it’ll be a while before your eyelids start to sag and droop again, if they ever do.

As with any surgery, eyelid surgery carries inherent risks, including infection. Bear in mind that we can work with local anesthesia so that you can avoid general anesthesia.

Another point to note is that recovery from blepharoplasty can take a few months before the final results are visible. That said, you’ll be presentable within a couple of weeks, and these early results can still be great.

Schedule a Blepharoplasty consultation in Newport Beach

If you’re considering eyelid surgery and you want a thoughtful, surgeon-led approach that prioritizes natural results, Dr. Jonathan Zelken offers individualized blepharoplasty consultations at our Newport Beach practice. 

To learn whether upper eyelid surgery, lower eyelid surgery, or a combined approach is right for you, call (949) 676-9119 or request an appointment through the online booking tool.