Your Questions
Your Questions
Q: Dr. Eppley, I have read some articles online and some doctors said skin graft on eyelid looks horrible. Is that true? Have you done skin graft for your patients similar to my case? Will my eyes look uneven after the graft? And how to measure how much skin is needed for the graft? Will my eye shape change back to its original shape after the grafting? When the grafting is done, do I have to patch my eyes for few days? Is that mean I can’t open my eyes for few days? Do u think makeup can cover the unmatched color? I await your advice.
A: Skin grafts on the eyelids will create somewhat of a patch look as it is impossible to match the exact color of skin on the eyelids from anywhere else on the body. I would not necessarily call them horrible-looking. Generally one does skin grafting to the eyelids for a very compelling reason and not for a minor aesthetic concern. Skin grafts are covered by a small sewn-on bolster after surgery for five days which does not prevent the eyes from opening or closing nor does it occlude them. The graft does take time to blend better into the surrounding skin and makeup can be worn in the interim.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana
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