According to Sydney cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr Darryl Hodgkinson, there is a common reservation in patients seeking cosmetic eyelid surgery to redress the effects of ageing: not wanting to look overoperated on.

This is the result of many patients having had too much skin removed, leaving them with a too-tight, surprised look, explains Dr Hodgkinson. 'Most patients just want the extra skin that is hanging down over their lids to be trimmed,' he says. 'This is an outpatient surgical procedure, which requires careful assessment as to how much remaining skin should there be.'

The surgeon's assessment of the amount of skin to be removed from the eyelid determines the final aesthetic outcome of the procedure, so it is important to engage a surgeon experienced in eyelid surgery or Blepharoplasty. In Dr Hodgkinson's opinion, conservative upper eyelid blepharoplasty will result in a more natural-looking lid, rather than the stretched look resulting from the removal of too much skin.

The incisions for upper eyelid blephoraplasty are placed right in the original supratarsal fold just above the eyelashes, so they are virtually invisible after surgery. 'Patients can apply makeup about five days after the operation when the stitches are removed,' says Dr Hodgkinson.

Removing excess hooding can also improve the vision. According to Dr Hodgkinson, patients who have eyelid skin that is touching the eye lashes may have about a 15 percent area reduction in their visual fields. 'Blepharoplasty can improve the vision,' he says, 'allowing more peripheral vision when the eyelid surgery is completed.'