An AAFPRS member survey reports growing interest in eyelid surgery to help patients look less tired, while surgeons increasingly consider surrounding facial structures when planning treatment.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) latest annual member survey finds that 66% of members report a rising trend in eyelid procedures to help patients look less tired. Blepharoplasty remains among the top three facial plastic surgeries, alongside rhinoplasty and facelifts.
Interest Extends to Men
The AAFPRS reports that men are seeking facial plastic surgery in growing numbers and that blepharoplasty is among their most popular surgical procedures. Across genders, the release describes patients seeking a more rested appearance without a noticeable change to their features.
“Patients increasingly want to look refreshed rather than transformed,” says Anthony Brissett, MD, president of the AAFPRS and division chief of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at Houston Methodist. “The modern approach to blepharoplasty is not simply about removing what appears to be excess. We now understand that aging around the eyes is a three-dimensional process involving the skin, muscle, fat, brow, cheek, midface and underlying skeletal structure.”
Surgical Planning Beyond the Eyelids
The release describes a shift from routinely removing skin, muscle and fat toward assessing which tissues to preserve, reposition, restore or remove. In lower eyelid surgery, that may mean repositioning prominent orbital fat to smooth the transition between the eyelid and cheek.
Brow position can also affect the appearance of upper-eyelid skin, while under-eye bags may occur alongside volume loss in the tear trough or cheek. Those factors can influence whether treatment focused on the eyelids alone addresses a patient’s concern.
“Many of those tissues have value,” says Brissett. “The question is not simply what can be taken away. It is what should remain, what should move, what should be restored and what truly needs to be removed.”
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