Can A Skin Graft Help When Too Much Skin Has Been Removed From An Upper Blepharoplasty?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had an upper blepharoplasty done 6 months ago where too much skin was removed. My eyebrows were pulled down and my eye shape changed! They become widely open and I can’t completely close my eyes when I’m asleep. I have got dry eyes every morning. Can skin graft be performed so that my brows can go back to the normal position? After the skin graft, will my eye shapes change back to original shape? Does skin graft on eyelid look natural? Or very noticeable? How long does it take to heal?

A: The only effective treatment for too much skin removal in a blepharoplasty is skin grafting. Certainly a skin graft will restore 3 to 5mms of extra skin which often is the margin between an aggressive and an overly aggressive upper blepharoplasty. In theory replacing lost upper eyelid skin should restore your brow position. A skin graft will have a slightly patch look as their is no other place on the body where a skin graft can be harvested that has the exacft thickness and perfect color match. But this is more of an issue when the eye is closed than when it is open. Skin grafts heal quickly in the eyelids but it will take a few months for them to settle in and achieve their final aesthetic result.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana