Eyelid Surgery in San Francisco & Sonoma County

Without a doubt, the eye area is often the first part of a person’s face to show signs of aging. Bags below the eyes, drooping of the skin above the eyes, and wrinkling around the eyes can all contribute to an appearance that may appear aged, tired, or even sick.

If droopy eyelids, puffy bags, or premature aging around your eyes makes you feel like your outer appearance does not match your inner vibrancy, eyelid surgery may be an excellent option. An eyelid procedure can restore a refreshed, alert look and have you looking and feeling years younger.

An ideal esthetic outcome helps balance and rejuvenate your appearance by targeting the most age-affected areas around your eyes.

An ideal functional outcome improves the contour and position of the eyelids to promote unobstructed vision, eye protection, and collection / drainage of the tear film.

Why Choose Dr. Pourtaheri

Dr. Pourtaheri is a specialist in facial plastic surgery. He meticulously evaluates your face and plans a customized procedure to help you achieve a natural, refreshed look.
Dr. Pourtaheri’s philosophy is that great results should look natural for you, be unique to your tastes, be achievable with your anatomy, and last a long time.
Dr. Pourtaheri performs extensive 2-D and 3-D photography to analyze your face from every angle. He uses presurgical planning to make your surgery safer, faster, more symmetric, and more accurate.
Dr. Pourtaheri completed some of the most extensive training available in plastic surgery of the face from recognized experts in the field. Through his six years of plastic surgery residency, Dr. Pourtaheri trained with one of the top facial plastic surgeons in the world, Dr. Bahman Guyuron. He learned sophisticated techniques to analyze the face, scientifically create a patient-specific plan, and deliver long-lasting results.
Dr. Pourtaheri also completed a craniofacial fellowship and understands how to correct every layer of the face, all the way down to your bones. Knowing the anatomy makes the procedures safer and more effective.
Dr. Pourtaheri has given numerous national and international presentations, published two textbook chapters on facial plastic surgery, and has written several articles on facial surgeries published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Now is the time to take the next step and see the difference eyelid surgery can make for you. Please contact us online or call / text 415-523-5235 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Pourtaheri.

Schedule a Consultation

Please contact us online or call (415) 523-5235 to schedule a surgical consultation with Dr. Pourtaheri.

Summary

Service Type

Eyelid Surgery

Provider Name

Dr. Navid Pourtaheri,

Area

San Francisco Bay Area

Description

San Francisco eyelid surgery specialist and plastic surgeon Dr. Navid Pourtaheri can help you achieve a natural and more refreshed look around your eyes.

Who Can Benefit from Eyelid Surgery?

Common reasons why patients choose blepharoplasty include having:

Excess skin or bagginess of the upper or lower eyelids
Eyelids that droop, that are too lax, and may block your vision
Hollowness and/or discoloration below the eyes

It can help if you bring images of your face at younger ages to help us understand your goals for age reversal. It is better to use photos of yourself for discussing your goals instead of using photos of others.

Your Consultation Appointment

Before your first visit, you will be asked to complete an intake form to document your personal and medical history, prior surgeries, medications, and allergies.

At your visit we will review your goals and concerns. We will also want to learn more specifically about any prior facial procedures you have had performed. We will examine your overall face and neck from various angles. We use a special mirror to show you how you appear to others. We will also take photographs that will be used to plan your surgery and track your progress after. You will have a chance to review these images and discuss the plan with Dr. Pourtaheri prior to surgery.

Eyelid Rejuvenation Procedures

Eyelid rejuvenation may include blepharoplasty, ptosis correction, canthopexy or canthoplasty. As eyelids age, the skin can sag (dermatochalasis) and fat deposits shift in their location, creating bags. Over a longer period of time there can be laxity of the eyelid structures resulting in a drooping eyelid (ptosis), which can also adversely affect your vision. Lastly, your lower eyelid can sag or turn outward leading to dryness of the eyes, difficulty collecting or draining your tears, and give you a sad appearance. A combination of skin excision, fat redistribution, and or laser tightening can provide natural and long-lasting results. For any eyelid procedure, it is important to let us know if you have a history of dry eyes so we can take the appropriate precautions.

Blepharoplasty: Ideal candidates for blepharoplasty are those with loose or wrinkling skin and or bulging fat of the upper or lower eyelid. Treatment of “bags” under the eyes are commonly requested in younger adults while treatment of both the upper and lower eyelids is more commonly requested in older adults. Blepharoplasty involves removal of excess skin and redraping or adjustment of the fat compartments of the upper and lower eyelids. The addition of a laser treatment or chemical peel can remove fine wrinkles and stimulate new skin to form, completing the rejuvenation process.
Eyelid ptosis correction: Ideal candidates for eyelid ptosis correction are those with drooping upper eyelids. There may also be asymmetry with one eyelid drooping more than the other. We may recommend a special eye exam to assess your visual fields as eyelid drooping may block part of a person’s vision without even realizing it. In either case we can stimulate the eyelid muscles using eye drops to determine the ideal procedure to correct the problem. A ptosis correction procedure involves adjustment of the muscles of the upper eyelid or brow to lift the eyelids. These incisions may be inside or on the outside of the eyelid depending on the approach. These procedures can be greatly satisfying as they provide both esthetic and functional benefit for our patients.
Canthopexy or canthoplasty: The canthus refers to the corners of the eyelids. Ideal candidates for canthal procedures are those with loss of eyelid elasticity (eyelids that do not hug the eye) and lower eyelids that turn out, hang, or have an inappropriate slant. A canthopexy involves suturing the outer portion of the lower eyelid to lift and tighten it. A canthoplasty involves incising a portion of the eyelid margin and using it as a strip in order to lift the eyelid even more. These procedures can be greatly satisfying as they provide both esthetic and functional benefit for our patients.

Dr. Pourtaheri hides all incisions as best as possible to create minimal scarring after surgery. For upper eyelid surgery, incisions are made in the natural folds of the eyelid. For lower eyelid surgery, incisions are placed in the lower lash line or inside of the lower lid.

If you have considerable drooping of your eyebrows in addition to an aged appearance around your eyes, Dr. Pourtaheri may recommend a brow lift in addition to eyelid surgery. This will help to give you a more alert, vibrant appearance and accent the refreshed look of your eyes.

Eyelid Surgery Recovery

After the operating room, you will be taken to a recovery area to be cared for. You will go home the same day or recover in a hotel if you have traveled in from out of town. You may have a mask or bandages that should be kept in place as well as eye drops to help refresh your eyes and keep them clean.

Antibiotics are generally given on the day of surgery but not after surgery. We also prescribe pain medications to limit discomfort. Blood pressure medications may be added to minimize problems after surgery if your blood pressure ran high during the procedure or in recovery. You will receive after-care instructions before and after your surgery and have plenty of time to ask questions.

After surgery, you may have bruising, swelling, and soreness that will gradually go away. It is best to sleep with your head elevated on 2 or more pillows and not strain yourself for 2 weeks to reduce swelling. We may ask that you apply cold compresses to the area for 24 hours to further reduce swelling and bruising. Regular walking is encouraged to prevent blood clots, starting the morning after surgery.

We generally like to check on you by phone or in person the day after surgery. We also plan to see you about a week to ten days after surgery. You can begin to wear eye makeup after this point. We will schedule additional visits to check on your healing progress, which can be done virtually if you live out of town.

Healing takes time. Most patients feel comfortable socializing after 2 weeks when the bulk of the swelling and bruising has resolved. We recommend an after-care protocol that can help resolve bruising and swelling sooner. Your face will continue to make gradual changes and your final results may take a couple months to be fully evident.

When you are ready to take the next step, please contact us online using our confidential form or call / text 415-523-5235 to schedule a consultation.