You don't just walk in off the street, say you want upper or lower eyelid surgery and go under the knife all in the same day.
While the procedures that correct sagging lids and puffy eyes are relatively simple, you still have some prep work to do.
First of all, choose your surgeon carefully.
Most importantly, he must be board certified.
Find out what his experience is with these type of procedures.
Look at his before and after photos.
If you go in to inquire about eyelid surgery and he says he can squeeze you in today, keep looking.
Check out the facility and make sure it is clean and safe.
Next, if you are a smoker, stop smoking at least a couple of weeks prior to your eyelid surgery.
Also, don't drink any alcoholic beverages in the days before and ideally, weeks before the procedure.
These activities inhibit your body's ability to heal quickly and properly after the procedure.
These instructions are standard pre-op instructions.
Be sure to follow any other orders given by your surgeon.
Clear your work or school schedule for at least 4 days.
Because eyelid surgery is minimally invasive, you could have the procedure on Thursday and be back at work on Monday.
However, that doesn't mean you can get right back to your normal activities.
You still need to be prepared to take it easy for about two weeks.
It is very important that you have arranged for someone to pick you up after the procedure.
Even if the surgery is only performed under a local, you will still be under mild sedation and kind of groggy as you come out of it.
Make sure your helper can stay for at least the first day to help you out.
Another issue to prepare yourself for is that your plastic surgeon may suggest multiple procedures to achieve the look you want.
You may need a brow lift as well to give you the best results.
This is very common though and does not really affect your recovery time.
Endoscopic brow lifts have made this combo procedure fairly simple.
Finally, you need to go into this with realistic expectations.
Plastic surgeons can rejuvenate your face by removing excess skin and tissue around the eyes that give you an exhausted and aged appearance.
They cannot make you look like you're in your 20s when you are really 60.
They cannot make you look like a movie star.
What they can do is make you look like the best you possible.
A great plastic surgeon will perform eyelid surgery that leaves you looking like yourself but a more rested, a little younger and happier you.
He will not leave you looking "done.
" The end result should be natural and subtle so that everyone will notice something different, but they aren't sure what it is.
"Deer in the headlights" is not a good look!