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Nothing ages our face more than our eyes.  As we get older the skin around the eyes loses its elasticity and begins to droop below the eyes.  The muscles in this area also slacken enabling fat to become stored here and giving the overall appearance of bags under the eyes, which can make us look tired and older.  While puffy, baggy eyelids are a telltale sign of ageing, they can also be heredity occuring in young people too.

Eyelid reduction surgery (also known as blepharoplasty) removes excess skin and protruding fat from the eyelid to produce a more alert appearance.  It can be carried out on the upper, lower or both eyelids and is sometimes performed at the same time as a facelift for an overall improvement to the look of the face.  

Blepharoplasty gives the face a fresher, more youthful appearance and for many people is the first step in reversing the signs of ageing. 

The procedure
This procedure is normally performed as day surgery under general anaesthetic.  During a blepharoplasty, excess skin in the upper eyelid is removed through an incision made in the natural crease above the eye.  Protruding fatty tissue in the lower eyelid is usually removed through an incision either just under the eyelashes or, in some cases, just inside the eyelid.

Recovery
Some tenderness and minor swelling can be expected but usually subsides fairly quickly - it may help to wear a pair of dark glasses for a few days.  If you wear contact lenses you must wait two to three weeks before you can start wearing them again.  Most people return to work within seven to ten days of surgery.  Scars will be pink for a few weeks but will eventually become almost invisible.