The Lowdown about Scarring in Double Eyelid Surgery

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One of the greatest concerns when one is thinking about getting a surgical cosmetic procedure is the thought of the occurrence of scarring. It is a worry which can be bothersome, whether you are going to get a major surgical procedure or a minimally invasive one. It is after all a valid concern, considering that you would not want to have any scar formation on the exact part of your body you want to get enhanced. But, scarring should never be taken out as a possibility, since a surgery requires the need for suturing or incisions depending on the approach of the procedure.

This very worry greatly applies on areas of the face or body where surgery, and the possibility of scarring, can be clearly visible by other people. A lot of those who want to have any procedure usually would want to hide or cover up the very fact that they have had something done. The concern over scarring is certainly reasonable especially when you go and have a double eyelid surgery performed to open up your eyes. Attention of most people usually goes straight to our eyes, after all. So, you probably would want to keep your windows to your soul show and tell about yourself rather than about the scar people see on your eyelids. 

The Healing Process

Double eyelid surgery, or East Asian blepharoplasty, is considerably a less invasive procedure compared to the more drastic or complex procedures like rhinoplasty or facelift. It requires the removal of fat pads underneath the upper eyelid to create a crease that is absent from naturally having monolids or droppy eyes because of aging. Double eyelid surgery has been closely associated with Asians considering that most have monolids. This means that they do not have the natural crease on the upper eyelids, making their expression look distant, disinterested or sad.

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A typical double eyelid surgery procedure usually lasts between one to two hours, depending on the extent of work that needs to be done on the eyelids. After the procedure, swelling and bruising may be evident. This will usually go down 5 to 7 days after the surgery. Also, blurry vision may also be experienced for the first two weeks.

For the first 5 days, the stitches on the operated area will be very visible especially when you close your eyes. The stitches will be removed after 5 days from the day of operation, or when your surgeon deems it appropriate and suitable to remove. After the removal of the stitches, apart from the minor swelling, if any, your eyes will not look like it had something done when you open them. But, this is where the concern happens when you close your eyes. There will be visible line on where the incisions were made.

Concern Over Keloid Scars

The concern over scarring on the eyelids might worry you, especially if you have a history or prone to formation of keloid scars. However, you might want to breathe a sigh of relief.

The skin on the eyelid is extremely thin. This means that, for one, it heals faster compared to the areas of the face and body where skin is much thicker. Since the collagen in the face is of different composition to that of the skin in other areas of the body, keloid scar formation is rarely to develop on the eyelid. According to MedicineNet.com, keloid scars are most likely to form on the chest, back, shoulders and earlobes. Also, an excellent double eyelid surgeon will make the incision or crease to your eyelid in such a way that it will be positioned on the “natural crease” of your eyelid. This make it less visible and look more natural as your eyelids continue to heal overtime.

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While it may be rare and highly unlikely for keloid scars to form and develop on the eyelids, the possibility of formation of a scar should never be taken out of consideration. Scar formation can be possible if your surgeon employs poor technique and poor aftercare that you will be doing after having the procedure done. That is why it is extremely crucial that you seek out a surgeon that uses the proper technique and has an experience in performing quality double eyelid surgery.

Visible scarring may be evident down to the first two months from the day of your operation. But, it will eventually lighten over the course of time. However, some people have a genetic predisposition to hypertrophic scars, which will darken and thicken the scars. If you are one of these people or if the sight of these scars bother you even before your eyelids completely heal, there are treatments that you can get to minimize the appearance of scarring.

How to Get Rid of Scarring

Steroid Injections

One of the most common treatments for minimizing the appearance of eyelid scars is steroid injection. Your dermatologist or surgeon will inject a steroid solution into the small areas of the incisions, which will soften up the scar tissue. However on the downside, if too much steroid will be administered, it can cause the skin on the eyelids to thin further and can cause atrophy.

Cortisone shots

Another treatment is to get cortisone shots. This can be used for small amount of scar tissue on the eyelid. The method is similar to that of steroid injections and works by softening little lumps and will help aid in the healing process.

Scar Revision Treatment

You may also go have a scar revision treatment done with a dermatologist, especially on scars that have more thickened tissue and has darkened. This can help reduce or improve the appearance of scars.

For all these possible treatments, you should take note that these are best performed six months to a year after your date of surgery. It is important that you should know that you will see the final results a year after the surgery has been performed. This will allow the incision to heal fully. Before trying on these aesthetic treatments, you can first try gently massaging the scars on eyelid area after a month or two using creams with shea or cocoa butter to help minimize the appearance of scars.

Patience is definitely a virtue when getting a double eyelid surgery done. Allow your eyelids to fully heal before you worry too much about the possibility of scar formation. If a tiny scar is bothering you, always seek out the opinion of your surgeon, he will know best about your case and if you indeed need a scar treatment done. With great technique used by your surgeon, you would be surprised that after a year having the procedure done, you and your friends will hardly even notice that you had a surgery done on your eyelids.