When we are still quite young, we are taught to respect gravity. It’s a matter of life and death really. The same gravity that keeps us safely anchored to this earth will bring about our death if we put it to the test by jumping off a tall building or a high cliff.
Sadly, about two-thirds the way through our lives, gravity begins to turn on us. Slowly, unless we work at it, everything begins to head south—our tummies droop as muscles relax; something called dewlaps form under our jaw line; and even “the girls” start sliding towards our waistline.
The face doesn’t get away scot free either. The nose tends to get bigger and grow down; and in some people, the top eyelid begins to droop giving a “hooded” affect to the eye. A matter of hereditary, I’m told. This can not only be a beauty problem but a visual one as well as the peripheral eyesight is affected.
So after many years of determinedly stating there would be no “nip and tuck” for me—I was just going to grow old gracefully—last week I gave in and opted for an upper eye lid lift or what is technically called a “Blepharoplasty.” The actual procedure is not hard to take. You go into a very cold operating room and lie on a couch while some type of lazar equipment is moved above your head. Prior to having me lie down, they made some black marks over the eyelids where they were going to cut. The doctor pinched up the excess skin so I could see how much more visual area I would have. It looked marvellous. I was sure it would help my driving as well as give me a more youthful appearance.
My blepharoplasty was performed under local anethesia which was inserted by a needle into the eye brow area. To be honest, that was the most painful part of the whole operation. I was told I could open or close my eyes as I felt like it; it wasn’t going to make a difference to them. There was a fairly bright light above though so I kept them closed most of the time although I was able to blink.
During the actual procedure, the surgeon makes incisions along the line creases of the upper eyelid and possibly along the outer lower rim of the eye's skin. Fatty tissue is removed but not skin. These incisions often reach the outer corners of the eyes; in my case in the left eye as it drooped more than the right. The surgeon then divides the fatty tissue and muscle from the skin so that excess skin, fat or muscle can be removed. It was all over in a little under an hour and the surgeon was so pleased he had a picture taken which he gave to me the next day when I went in for a checkup. It was all nicely done up in a folder with the date of the procedure along with the names of the specialist and the technician. Not unlike those you buy of your cruise ship experience. I had to laugh a little at that.
Well the proof they say is in the pudding, so I was very anxious for the week to go by to see the actual results. I’ll let you know next week...
Sadly, about two-thirds the way through our lives, gravity begins to turn on us. Slowly, unless we work at it, everything begins to head south—our tummies droop as muscles relax; something called dewlaps form under our jaw line; and even “the girls” start sliding towards our waistline.
The face doesn’t get away scot free either. The nose tends to get bigger and grow down; and in some people, the top eyelid begins to droop giving a “hooded” affect to the eye. A matter of hereditary, I’m told. This can not only be a beauty problem but a visual one as well as the peripheral eyesight is affected.
So after many years of determinedly stating there would be no “nip and tuck” for me—I was just going to grow old gracefully—last week I gave in and opted for an upper eye lid lift or what is technically called a “Blepharoplasty.” The actual procedure is not hard to take. You go into a very cold operating room and lie on a couch while some type of lazar equipment is moved above your head. Prior to having me lie down, they made some black marks over the eyelids where they were going to cut. The doctor pinched up the excess skin so I could see how much more visual area I would have. It looked marvellous. I was sure it would help my driving as well as give me a more youthful appearance.
My blepharoplasty was performed under local anethesia which was inserted by a needle into the eye brow area. To be honest, that was the most painful part of the whole operation. I was told I could open or close my eyes as I felt like it; it wasn’t going to make a difference to them. There was a fairly bright light above though so I kept them closed most of the time although I was able to blink.
During the actual procedure, the surgeon makes incisions along the line creases of the upper eyelid and possibly along the outer lower rim of the eye's skin. Fatty tissue is removed but not skin. These incisions often reach the outer corners of the eyes; in my case in the left eye as it drooped more than the right. The surgeon then divides the fatty tissue and muscle from the skin so that excess skin, fat or muscle can be removed. It was all over in a little under an hour and the surgeon was so pleased he had a picture taken which he gave to me the next day when I went in for a checkup. It was all nicely done up in a folder with the date of the procedure along with the names of the specialist and the technician. Not unlike those you buy of your cruise ship experience. I had to laugh a little at that.
Well the proof they say is in the pudding, so I was very anxious for the week to go by to see the actual results. I’ll let you know next week...
