Eye Bags / Blepharoplasty
Available at Amrit Clinic, Mulund West, Mumbai. Every treatment starts with an in-person assessment.
Blepharoplasty removes or repositions excess skin and fat around the eyes. Upper eyelid surgery addresses hooding that can also obstruct vision; lower eyelid surgery addresses under-eye bags. It is one of the higher-satisfaction facial operations, with recovery of roughly one to two weeks.
Key facts
| Anaesthetic | Local with sedation, or general |
|---|---|
| Upper lids | Scar hidden in the natural crease |
| Lower lids | Scar just below lashes, or hidden inside the lid |
| Off work | 1–2 weeks |
| Bruising | 1–2 weeks |
| Recognised risk | Dry, gritty eyes — usually temporary |
Upper and lower are different operations
Upper eyelid surgery removes a strip of excess skin, and sometimes a little fat, from the upper lid. The scar sits in the natural crease and becomes hard to see. Where hooding is heavy enough to obstruct the upper field of vision, this is partly a functional operation.
Lower eyelid surgery addresses the bags caused by fat pushing forward through weakened tissue. Modern technique often repositions that fat into the hollow below rather than simply removing it, because over-removal creates a hollowed, older-looking eye that is difficult to fix.
Make sure it is the right operation
Heaviness over the upper eye is sometimes caused by the eyebrow having descended rather than by excess eyelid skin. Removing eyelid skin in that situation pulls the brow lower still and worsens the appearance. Distinguishing the two is a key part of assessment, and the answer is sometimes a brow lift rather than a blepharoplasty.
Similarly, under-eye darkness is often shadow from hollowing rather than a bag, and a droopy upper lid may be ptosis — a problem with the lifting muscle — which needs a different repair. These distinctions determine whether surgery helps you or disappoints you.
Risks
Dry, gritty or watery eyes are common for weeks and usually settle, but can persist and are worse in those with pre-existing dry eye — which is why it is asked about. Asymmetry between the two sides, and swelling that resolves unevenly, are common early. Over-removal of lower lid fat causes hollowing; over-removal of skin can pull the lid away from the eye. Visible scarring, altered lash position, and difficulty fully closing the eye can occur. Bleeding behind the eye is very rare but is a surgical emergency threatening vision, and is the reason for specific post-operative instructions and prompt review of sudden pain or visual change.