Sub-brow blepharoplasty (Eyelid surgery)
Sub-brow skin resection has become the latest Asian eyelid surgery fad. The surgery is touted as a much simpler way of accomplishing double fold surgery. It is far less technical that standard double fold surgery where an incision is made in the upper eyelid crease under the fold eyelashes. Surgeons want you to believe that the scar hides at the eyebrow.
The reality is that what is an acceptable scar to a surgeon will not be an acceptable to most people. The truth is that one is attempting to hide a scar in plain sight along the eyebrow. These scars, even when faint are visible. On top of that, eyebrows thin over time. The surgeon may pat himself or herself on the back and tell you how great the scar is but the reality is that you have to live with this scar, not the surgeon. Compare the always visible sub-brow scar with the scar placed in the upper eyelid crease. The upper eyelid crease incision scar is hidden under the eyelid fold. With your eyes are open, the scar is not visible.
The upper eyelid crease incision permits the surgeon to access the critical structures that make it possible to refine the crease and eyelid platform. Performing surgery at the brow not only creates a visible scar but also prevents the surgeon from modifying the eyelid crease, the eyelid fold, correcting upper eyelid ptosis or fixing eyelash ptosis. An anchor blepharoplasty performed through the eyelid crease incision connects the eyelid platform to the levator aponeurosis, the eyelid tendon that lifts the eyelid. This allows the surgeon to snug the skin and muscle on the eyelid platform like one would snug a bed sheet. This control of the platform helps the make-up hold on the eyelid. These essential details are needed to restore the youthful appearance to the eyes. This type of adjustment is just not possible with sub-brow blepharoplasty surgery.
Sub-brow blepharoplasty is a fad. It is not better than a traditional upper eyelid crease incision. The upper eyelid crease incision permits much more control of the over all eyelid surgery results. This control is not possible with sub-brow blepharoplasty. The only advantage of the sub-brow blepharoplasty is that it is easier to perform but that advantage is only helpful for the surgeon not the patient. You are far better off finding a more skilled surgeon rather than a surgeon is never mastered eyelid surgery through an upper eyelid crease. Be careful what you look for. Do yourself a favor and do not travel to Korea for this surgery.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculofacial plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Beverly Hills where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us today to learn how Dr. Steinsapir’s experience and training make him an expert in cosmetic surgery, which can be a vital part of your evidence-based treatment plan.
Services described may be “off-label” and lack FDA approval. This article is informational and does not constitute an advertisement for off-label treatment. No services should be provided without a good faith examination by a licensed physician or surgeon and an informed consent with a discussion of risks, benefits, alternatives, and the likelihood of treatment success. Only you and your treating physician or surgeon can determine if a treatment is right for you.
To learn more about procedures and treatments performed by Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Kenneth Steinsapir, contact us at 310-274-7422.