Recently, I opened up my Instagram stories to talk about my upper and lower Blepth. There were so many questions, and since it’s something I talk about occasionally, I wanted to have a place for you all to come back to should you start thinking about the process yourself. Let’s get started!
My Blepth Journey
Q: What is Blepth exactly?
A; Belpharaoplasty (BLEF-uh-roe-plas-tee) is a type of surgery that removes excess skin from the eyelids. With age, eyelids stretch, and the muscles supporting them weaken. As a result, excess skin and fat can gather above and below your eyelids. This can cause sagging eyebrows, droopy upper lids, and bags under the eyes.
Q: What is the goal of this type of procedure?
A: To just remove the excess skin above your lashes and below your brow. It doesn’t change the shape of your eyes or lift them…I asked that! I assumed it was going to lift them, but it doesn’t.
Q: What made you do it? What were your concerns? What bothered you about your eyes?
A: Hooded eyes run strong on both sides of my family. So I knew I would do it one day. I didn’t want to wait until they got too bad that it affected my vision and thought it would be better to do it while I’m younger vs. older. I decided after seeing my friend do it and how easy she made it look that I would do it now versus waiting. It ended up being a lot rougher than I expected, but I’m still glad that I did it now.
Q: Did you do fat/pad removal or location for lower Blepth?
A; Lower was a fat relocation, stretching back out I believe. Which is why I bruised so badly!
Q: Was the procedure painful?
A: I was completely under – I know some people have done the upper not fully under. But I was out, and I’m glad I was, as it took a few hours.
Q: Were you awake for this or general anesthesia?
A; I was under general anesthesia. I’m not sure if it’s because I did bottom and top.
Q: Did the doctor give you an idea of what will be removed?
A: Kind of, but once he got in there, he said one said took more work than the other. So you really don’t know until the actual surgery.
Q: How much did the Blepth procedure cost? Who was your Doctor?
A: Around $6000. Clark Mooty did my procedure and my explants too! I 100% recommend him.
Q: Recovery? How long before you felt like no one would notice the swelling/bruising?
A; The bruising was gone in a month. Scarring/swelling/stitches took 2-3 months. In my case, the bruising and swelling were really bad for me. The incisions and stitches were irritating throughout the healing process. The bruising and swelling completely changed the shape of my face while I was healing, which made me freak out so badly. I thought it was going to stay that way forever.
Q: Can you open your eyes after, how long was it bruised, and did you need pain medicine?
A: The morning after there was a ton of swelling and bruising but the pain wasn’t bad at all. I had pain meds, but I only took them for one or two days after
Q: Did you question your decision at all?
A: Only in the beginning, because of the scars. I thought they would never go away and they made my eyes look droopy..which my eyes are already droopy. So I assumed I made that worse. But everyone kept saying “Give it a year” and it’s so true!
Q: If you could go back would you do it again?
A; If you would have asked me right after, the answer would have been HECK NO. Today – YES! I am super happy with the results, but you definitely have to trust the process. My friend’s recovery was 10x smoother than mine; mine ended up being more invasive and my body just responded differently. Everyone’s experience will be slightly different.
Q: How long until you started liking your results?
A: 6+ months! The biggest thing I’ve disliked is my scarring, but just over the last few months, it’s gotten SO much better. I need to go in for my follow-up, actually!
Q: Do you think upper/lower at the same time plus having auto-immune issues made the swelling and recovery worse?
A: Yes, I’m sure the combo of both and my autoimmune made the recovery longer and harder.
Q: Did you try doing Botox or Fillers to help?
A: Botox can help lift your brow/arch, but it can’t get rid of excess skin. Fillers also don’t give the same result. All of my Botox experiences can be found here!
Q: Did they do the procedure while you had lash extensions on?
A: Yes – they don’t cut near your upper lash line, so they weren’t an issue. I’m sure the doctor preferred me to take them off, but he had no problem with them being on.
Q: Do you wish you had removed your lash extensions for the surgery?
A: Yes and no! Yes, because they did get clumpy some days and I wanted to be able to just rub my eyes. No, because they helped prevent me from rubbing my eyes. They also helped me feel somewhat put together while I was healing. They also helped hide the stitches and incisions, so I could go out in public and not feel too crazy looking.
Q: Were you just MIA on Instagram for the whole time? Pre-recorded?
A: I had a few pre-recorded stories and posts, but mostly wore a lot of sunglasses, blue light glasses, etc. My hair and lashes helped hide a lot too!
Q: Why didn’t you share when you did it?
A: I legit freaked out afterward. One of my close friends did the surgery about a month before me and didn’t swell, bruise, etc. as I did. I had a different experience. Mine was more invasive because of the amount of skin. I cried to Ricky numerous times scared that I had completely ruined my face. My recovery was longer and harder, just because everyone is different. Everyone kept telling me to give it a year. So, I decided to just wait it out and see how I felt after I could see and say I was fully recovered. Some of you noticed and we talked through DMs. Anyone that asked, I told and even sent photos to! But I didn’t want to encourage anyone to do it or discourage anyone from doing it until I was fully through it. And honestly, it was nice to just do something for me privately at the moment. But now, almost a year later, I’m happy with the results and the decision. Don’t compare your experience to anyone else’s because it can be 100% different. Just because it was rough for me doesn’t mean it will be for you.
Q: Before and after photos?
A: Of course! Here are my Blepth before and after photos:
