Yes — that is the entire point. The best eyelid result is invisible as surgery. People just think you look rested. Dr. Sturgill preserves fat where it belongs, repositions what has shifted, and resects conservatively to maintain your natural eye shape. The goal is brighter, more open eyes — not a different face.

There’s no ideal age — it depends on your anatomy and genetics. Dr. Sturgill sees patients in their 20s with hereditary under-eye bags and patients in their 60s just beginning to notice upper lid hooding. The right time is when the changes bother you enough to want them corrected.

That said, he’d rather operate on healthy tissue with good elasticity than wait until the changes are severe — so don’t feel you need to “earn” the surgery by suffering with it for years.

For upper eyelid surgery, the incision hides within the natural eyelid crease — once healed, it’s essentially invisible even with eyes closed. For lower eyelid surgery, the approach depends on your anatomy. When a transconjunctival approach is used, the incision is made inside the lower eyelid with no external scar at all. When skin removal is necessary, the incision is placed just beneath the lash line where it heals imperceptibly in the vast majority of patients.

Upper blepharoplasty and ptosis repair can be performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia. Lower blepharoplasty is performed exclusively under general anesthesia — precise fat repositioning and meticulous hemostasis require it.

All procedures are performed at Meridian Plastic Surgery Center, our private accredited surgical facility with a board-certified MD anesthesiologist. This allows complete precision without any patient discomfort or anxiety.

Eyelid surgery is one of the least painful cosmetic procedures. During surgery, you feel nothing. Afterward, most patients describe the sensation as mild discomfort, tightness, or a gritty feeling in the eyes rather than actual pain. Significant pain is uncommon.

Dr. Sturgill prescribes pain medication to have on hand, but many patients find they only need over-the-counter Tylenol after the first day or two. Cold compresses and keeping your head elevated also go a long way toward minimizing discomfort.

This is one of the most common diagnostic questions in eyelid surgery. Approximately 40% of patients who think they need an upper blepharoplasty also benefit from addressing brow position. When the brow has descended, it pushes tissue onto the upper lid — creating the appearance of excess skin when the real problem is above the lid, not on it.

Removing upper lid skin without correcting a low brow can produce a flattened, tight appearance — or simply fail to fully solve the problem. Dr. Sturgill evaluates brow position specifically during every upper eyelid consultation and recommends an endoscopic brow lift or internal browpexy when indicated.

Upper blepharoplasty results typically last 10 to 15 years or more. Many patients never need a second procedure. Aging continues, but from a younger, cleaner baseline.

Blepharoplasty addresses the structural causes of puffiness and contour problems — fat prominence, septal weakness, and volume malposition. Filler can camouflage certain hollows temporarily, but it cannot remove bags. Trying to “fill over bags” often makes the under-eye area look puffier.

When bags are present, surgery is the definitive correction. When hollowing is the only issue and the anatomy is favorable, filler can be a reasonable option — but that distinction requires an in-person evaluation.

Skin quality, true skin excess, lid support and laxity, fat distribution, and what’s causing the contour issue. Your anatomy determines the approach, then technique follows.

When the primary issue is fat prominence without meaningful skin excess, a transconjunctival approach — through the inside of the lid — allows precise fat management with no external scar. When true skin excess needs to be addressed, a subciliary incision just below the lash line allows both fat repositioning and conservative skin tightening.

The traditional approach was to simply remove the fat pads that create under-eye bags. While this eliminates the bags, it can lead to a hollow, skeletonized appearance over time — particularly as the face continues to lose volume with age.

Dr. Sturgill prefers fat repositioning in almost every case. This technique moves the “bag” fat downward to fill the hollow tear trough, creating a smooth transition from lower eyelid to cheek. He also frequently adds facial fat grafting when repositioned fat alone isn’t sufficient to fully correct the hollowing.

If hollowing is a meaningful part of the tired look, fat grafting can be the difference between better and complete. Not everyone needs it, but the right candidate benefits significantly. Fat grafting is combined in approximately 70% of Dr. Sturgill’s lower eyelid cases.

The decision is always anatomy-based. When the volume deficit is limited, fat repositioning alone may be sufficient. When the tear trough, upper cheek, or temple also show deflation, grafting produces a more natural, fully restored result.

Ptosis is a true drooping of the upper eyelid margin itself — not excess skin hanging over the crease, but the actual lid sitting too low over the iris. It’s caused by a weakened or stretched levator muscle. The distinction matters because performing a blepharoplasty on a patient with undiagnosed ptosis removes skin but leaves the lid margin in the wrong position — the eye still looks droopy.

Dr. Sturgill measures ptosis specifically during every upper eyelid consultation. Most plastic surgeons refer ptosis cases to oculoplastic specialists — or miss the diagnosis entirely. Dr. Sturgill diagnoses and repairs ptosis as part of his eyelid surgery practice.

Ptosis repair is often covered by insurance when the drooping lid obstructs the visual field. This requires documentation of functional impairment, which Dr. Sturgill can assess during your consultation. When ptosis is purely cosmetic — bothersome but not obstructing vision — the repair is typically an out-of-pocket procedure.

Canthoplasty tightens the lower lid at its outer attachment point. It’s needed when lower lid laxity is present — when the lid pulls away from the eye too easily or shows excessive white below the iris (scleral show). Performing lower blepharoplasty on a lax lid without addressing support risks pulling the lid down further, creating a rounded or sad appearance.

Not every patient needs one, but Dr. Sturgill evaluates lid laxity during every lower eyelid consultation to determine whether canthoplasty should be part of the plan.

Most patients return to light activities within 7–10 days. Bruising and swelling peak at days 2–3 and improve significantly by week 2. Sutures are removed within one week.

For upper blepharoplasty, most patients are comfortable being seen socially by 10–14 days. For lower blepharoplasty, the timeline depends on approach: 10–14 days for transconjunctival and 10–21 days for subciliary. Cold compresses, head elevation, and following post-operative instructions closely make a significant difference.

Meaningful improvement is visible early — most patients feel encouraged by the end of week two. Residual swelling, particularly in the lower lids, can take 2–3 months to fully resolve. For ptosis repair, the final lid height settles over 4–6 weeks. Most patients feel they look very good by 6–8 weeks, with subtle refinement continuing through 3 months.

Yes — and often it should be. The eyes don’t age in isolation, and addressing only one dimension can leave the overall result feeling incomplete. Common combinations include:

Facial Fat Grafting to restore volume in the tear trough, temple, and upper cheek. Endoscopic Brow Lift for patients whose brow descent contributes to upper lid heaviness. Skin Resurfacing for fine lines, crepey skin, and pigmentation. Extended Deep Plane Facelift for comprehensive facial rejuvenation when aging extends beyond the eyes.

Combining procedures means one anesthesia, one recovery, and a more comprehensive result. Dr. Sturgill builds the operative plan around each patient’s anatomy rather than applying a default combination.