Eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is among the most common facial operations. Before deciding, it helps to know which eyelid is bothering you, what the operation can and cannot change, what recovery involves, and which risks to weigh. Many rhinoplasty patients also ask whether both can be done at the same time.

Key takeaways

  • Blepharoplasty can treat the upper lids, the lower lids or both. It changes skin and fat, not brow position, so a low brow may need a separate plan.
  • Medical societies list swelling, bruising and dry eyes as expected early effects, and rarer risks such as asymmetry, incomplete eye closure and double vision.
  • A review of 36 studies on lower eyelid surgery found a low overall complication profile, but published studies do not test eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty done together.

What does blepharoplasty change?

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) describes eyelid surgery as a procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids, done on the upper lids, the lower lids or both. On the upper lid it can address sagging skin that creates folds and sometimes affects vision. On the lower lid it can address fatty puffiness, under-eye bags, excess skin and fine wrinkles, and drooping lower lids that show white below the iris (ASPS).

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) adds that upper blepharoplasty typically involves removing excess skin and removing or repositioning fat that protrudes into the eyelid, with the technique tailored to each person. It also says eyelid surgery does not change brow position, so a brow lift may be needed when the brow is the main reason the eyes look heavy (BAAPS). If your brows sit low, see our guide on combining a brow lift with rhinoplasty for how the two areas relate. Our page on upper blepharoplasty goes deeper on the top lid.

What is the difference between upper and lower eyelid surgery?

They target different problems.

  • Upper: loose or heavy skin and fat that protrudes into the lid, sometimes with a fold that affects vision.
  • Lower: puffiness, bags, excess skin and fine wrinkles, or a drooping lower lid.

The ASPS and BAAPS pages describe the goals more than the techniques, so incision placement, anesthesia and whether fat is removed or repositioned vary by surgeon. Ask your surgeon to explain the plan for each lid. A 2025 systematic review of 36 articles on lower blepharoplasty concluded that the procedure has a low complication profile overall, with no major complications causing ocular or visual disturbance reported. Most functional and aesthetic complications were resolved with conservative management or revision surgery. The authors also call for more rigorous studies to compare techniques (Gimenez and colleagues, PubMed). A review of published studies is encouraging but is not a guarantee for your eyelids.

How long does recovery take?

Neither society gives a single timeline. ASPS says initial healing may include swelling, bruising, irritation, dry eyes and discomfort, and that cold packs and ointment can help. It tells patients to use darkly tinted sunglasses until healing is complete and to ask their surgeon when they can resume normal activity and exercise (ASPS recovery page).

BAAPS notes that the eyelids will become swollen and stiff, which can make eye drops necessary for some people. It reports that numbness usually resolves after 9 to 12 months, that some movement problems last a few weeks to months, and that difficulty fully closing the eye usually settles within a few months (BAAPS). Surgeons commonly give written instructions on cold compresses, sleeping position, contact lenses and makeup. In common practice in Turkey, patients stay 5 to 7 nights after eyelid surgery and the stitches come out on day 5 to 7 (editorial note, October 2026). Ask for your own dates in writing.

What are the risks?

BAAPS lists general risks (bleeding, hematoma, seroma, infection, scarring, delayed healing, skin discoloration, sensory changes, allergic reactions, blood clots) and eyelid-specific ones: skin and fat necrosis, dry eyes, nerve injury, inability to fully close the eye, double vision, and corneal abrasion or ulceration. It also lists asymmetry and an unsatisfactory result, and notes that removing excess skin can reveal a pre-existing droopy lid (ptosis). Higher BMI, smoking or vaping, certain medications and diabetes are linked to a higher complication risk, so tell your surgeon about all of them and ask what they advise before surgery.

Dry eyes and difficulty closing the eye appear on both societies’ lists of effects. Ask how your surgeon assesses eye dryness before operating and what the plan is if it appears afterward.

How long do results last?

BAAPS says that under normal circumstances it is unusual for excess skin to recur on the upper lid, and that skin which seems to have come back can in fact be the brow having descended; it names collagen-related conditions, recurrent eyelid swelling and thyroid-related changes as exceptions. Aging continues after surgery, and how long a result lasts differs between people. In common practice in Turkey, the result of upper eyelid surgery is described to patients as permanent, while aging carries on (editorial note, October 2026). The sources cited give no figure such as “8 to 10 years”, so be cautious when one is quoted.

Can eyelid surgery be done with rhinoplasty?

People often ask this because both change how the middle of the face reads. No published study tests blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty done in one operation against the two done separately, so there is no published answer on whether the combination is safer or riskier than staging. In common practice in Turkey, the stay for a combined operation is the same as for the main procedure, and the package is usually priced below the two separate quotes (editorial note, October 2026).

What the literature does show is narrower. A retrospective study of 46 patients found that adding blepharoplasty to an endoscopic brow lift did not increase complications (Hjelm and colleagues, PubMed). That is a different pair of operations in a small sample from one center, so it does not answer the rhinoplasty question. In a retrospective review of 1,753 plastic surgery cases, each additional hour of surgery was associated with 21% higher odds of complications (Hardy and colleagues, PubMed). That study covered mostly complex multi-procedure operations, so it is a reason to ask about total operating time, not a verdict on any specific combination.

If you travel for surgery, the NHS says flying is generally advised against for 7 to 10 days after facial cosmetic procedures, and that a holiday straight after surgery is unrealistic (NHS). In common practice in Turkey, patients usually fly once the stitches are out, around day 5 to 7; the NHS figure is the more cautious of the two (editorial note, October 2026). See our guides on procedures that can be combined with rhinoplasty and whether more is always better. For a total trip budget, see eyelid surgery cost in Turkey.

What should you ask your surgeon?

  • Which part of my eyelid problem is skin, fat, or brow position?
  • Which technique do you plan, and where will the scar be?
  • How do you check for dry eyes and eyelid droop before surgery?
  • What is your plan if I cannot close my eye fully after surgery?
  • If I also want rhinoplasty, would you do both together or in stages, and why?
  • Who handles problems after I leave, and what does it cost?

Sources

All pages were checked on 10 October 2026.