Upper Eyelid Tightening (Blepharoplasty) | Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

When you look in the mirror, do hooded upper eyelids (also called “floppy eyelids”) bother you for purely aesthetic reasons? Or is there even a more urgent medical reason? In either case, an upper eyelid tightening (blepharoplasty) is an appropriate treatment method that we can conduct for you at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. For more self-confidence and a clear look in the mirror – now and in the future.

It is not a rare occurrence that less resilience in the upper eyelids comes with an age-related slackening of the skin on and around the forehead – making the eyebrows droop, even increasing the impression of hooded eyelids. In this case, the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery recommends combining eyelid tightening with a Forehead lift.

We will be happy to advise you in detail about which possibilities exist in your particular case. Please feel free to contact us about this.

We at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery usually conduct the operation under general anaesthesia. This will take about one hour. The gentlest way is to stay one night at our clinic in Nuremberg, also in order to provide you with optimum care after your upper eyelid tightening.

The incision is made in the fold of the upper eyelid, about 7mm away from the edge of the eyelid, and is drawn towards the laughter lines beside the eye. The excess skin is marked and then removed. If necessary, parts of the fatty tissue will be taken out as well. At the height of the desired lid fold, we will remove a small muscle band. Then, the wound is carefully sutured, and a cooling dressing is applied immediately.

In terms of aftercare, permanent cooling of the eye area is important: this makes the blood vessels contract, decreasing the risk of bleeding, and mitigating swelling. Generally, the eyelid swelling will go away on its own during the first few weeks after the upper eyelid tightening (blepharoplasty), and smaller haemorrhages will also disappear during this time. Swelling and tension of the scarring tissue may initially prevent the lids from closing completely. After five to seven days, stitch removal takes place at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. You should refrain from doing sports or exercising for up to six weeks. The scars will generally heal well and discreetly.

With advancing age, it may be necessary to perform another upper eyelid tightening, but experience shows that this will be the case only after ten years or more.

We will inform you comprehensively in a detailed personal consultation at our clinic in Nuremberg about any potential risks of the upper eyelid tightening (blepharoplasty) as well as how we will proceed with our treatment in your individual case. Please feel free to contact us about this.

For two weeks before an upper eyelid correction, no nutritional supplements and no blood-thinning medication such as aspirin should be ingested. We will inform our patients in a detailed consultation before the operation about what is important to do and to avoid before an upper eyelid tightening.

The swelling following an upper eyelid tightening will usually slowly recede after 2–3 days. At the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, we use an innovative method which helps reduce swelling and haematomas.

About 1–2 weeks after an upper eyelid tightening, our patients will as a rule be presentable again. Depending on the individual wound healing process, heavier physical activities and sports can be begun about 2–6 weeks after the eyelid tightening, but this should be done gently and carefully at first.

The treatment result of an upper eyelid tightening is permanent. However, due to the natural aging process of the skin, excess skin may develop again over the years. If desired, we can then perform another upper eyelid tightening at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Experience shows, however, that such a case will not occur any sooner than 10 years after the first operation.

At the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, we will remove the stitches about 5–7 days after the upper eyelid correction. After that, you can put on makeup again.

When professionally performed, an upper eyelid tightening is considered to be very low-risk. In rare cases, there may be post-operative haemmorrhage, blood vessel injuries or intolerance reactions.

If there is a certifiable psychological strain or an impairment of one’s field of vision caused by the drooping eyelids, the health insurance will usually take over the costs for an upper eyelid correction.

The costs for an upper eyelid tightening in our Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery start at 2,500 €. We will be happy to prepare an individual cost calculation for you during a personal consultation.