Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Board Certified Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Mentz is one of the nation's foremost experts in procedures to restore a refreshed and youthful appearance to the face and eyes.

The Goal of Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

At some point, most of us awaken to find that despite sufficient sleep, cosmetics, and eye creams, our eyes reflect a more tired and aged appearance than what we feel inside. Eyelid surgery restores a more refreshed and youthful look to the eyes by improving the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both. This procedure effectively helps to correct the characteristics which can cause the eyes to appear older and fatigued:

Houston Plastic Surgeon Dr. Henry Mentz

As the nation's first triple board certified plastic surgeon in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, plastic surgery, and otolaryngology (head and neck surgery), Dr. Mentz combines the extensive training and skills of these boards to provide facial rejuvenation results that are youthful, natural, and long-lasting.

Dr. Mentz's skill and groundbreaking contributions have made him a sought-out speaker worldwide and have led him to receive numerous awards and honors.In recognition of his work, Dr. Mentz's peers in the medical community have consistently selected him as one of the top plastic surgeons in Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, a national research study published in Forbes magazine listed him as one the nation's leading providers of plastic surgery.

Dr. Mentz has authored two chapters on facelifting in the last 10 years, including the "The Multilayer Facelift" in the textbook Operative Plastic Surgery. And he has introduced important new techniques and presentations to his peers at plastic surgery meetings and through articles and presentations. The respected International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery invited Dr. Mentz to share his facelift expertise with group members at its 2010 meeting. Dr. Mentz's presentations have included:

The Eyelid Surgery Procedure

For upper eyelid surgery, an incision is generally made within the fold of the lid. Through this incision, Dr. Mentz removes excess skin and fatty tissue, and he tightens the muscles and tissues.

To correct conditions of the lower eyelid, an incision is made just below the lower lash line. Through this incision, excess fat is removed or redistributed to restore a smoother, firmer appearance to this region. As an alternative, Dr. Mentz may perform a transconjunctivial blepharoplasty through an incision made inside the lower eyelid. With this technique, no skin is removed and the incision is closed with dissolving sutures.

Because incisions for eyelid surgery are placed within the natural creases and structures of the eyelid region, any scarring is typically well-concealed. Eyelid surgery is performed in 1-2 hours as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia at Dr. Mentz's private AAAASF-certified SurgiCentre facility in Houston, Texas under the supervision of a board-certified anesthesiologist.

Eyelid Surgery Recovery

If you live within 30 miles of our facility, Dr. Mentz will offer a visit to your home by a plastic surgery nurse who is trained to assist you with your recovery. The nurse will monitor your recovery, change any dressings, assist you with your medication, and provide Dr. Mentz with an update on your condition. In the first few days following surgery, you should rest with your head elevated. To reduce bruising and swelling, Dr. Mentz may instruct you to apply cold compresses to the surgical regions. Most bruising diminishes within 7 to 10 days.

You may initially feel a sensation of tightness around your eyes, which can be controlled with oral medications. You may experience temporary sensitivity to light, blurred vision, and excess tearing and/or dryness. Dr. Mentz may recommend eye drops to relieve any burning or itching.

Stitches are removed in one week. Scarring is usually minimal after three weeks and undetectable in six months. Most patients are able to return to work in 5 to 7 days and resume exercise in three weeks.

Eyelid Surgery Combined With Facelift, Necklift, and Browlift Surgery

Many patients choose to have eyelid surgery in conjunction with both surgical and non-surgical procedures which may include a facelift, necklift, endoscopic browlift, stem cell-enriched fat grafting, nose surgery, and laser resurfacing, which reduces fine wrinkles and improves the skin's tone and texture. During your consultation with Dr. Mentz, he will comprehensively evaluate the degree of laxity of each area of your face in order to recommend the procedure or combination of procedures that will help you to achieve the most youthful and natural appearance.

A facelift is considered one of the most comprehensive procedures to restore a youthful appearance to the face. To achieve maximum rejuvenation and natural-looking results, Dr. Mentz accurately measures, grades, and records the amount of aging or laxity in each area of the face to determine the facelift method that will achieve the most effective results for a patient. Dr. Mentz, who has achieved consistently successful results with this innovative method since 2007, introduced the technique to the Texas Society of Plastic Surgery in 2008.

Through computer imaging and the consultation process, the various methods which includes the mini facelift, MAC lift, deep layer, multilayer, and SMAS facelift, can be demonstrated on the patient's image to evaluate the best options for a patient. Dr. Mentz has consistently found that three options can be determined for each patient, and, of these, one will most effectively maximize the rejuvenating results that can be achieved.

Added Touch Medical Spa Services

To maintain the youthful appearance of your eyes, we recommend you use skin care products with active, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients designed to improve the tone and texture of your skin. Our products from skin care leaders SkinMedica and Obagi are specially formulated for the delicate eye area to reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles, and to increase skin firmness and elasticity.

Clarisonic Opal

The palm-sized Clarisonic Opal infuses a specially formulated Ant-Aging Sea Serum into the skin.  Through the gentle massaging action of sonic technology, products penetrate into the skin more deeply than is possible by using the fingers alone. The Opal helps to build the resilience of the delicate eye area and prevent future damage around the eyes.

Skin Care to Enhance your Youthful Appearance

As part of a daily skin care routine to maintain a fresh and youthful appearance, our Obagi and SkinMedica products contain highly effective ingredients which work at a cellular level to penetrate and transform your skin. In addition, we offer a number of treatment options which will restore a smoother, brighter appearance to the face. Many of these treatments can be completed in less than an hour and require minimal to no downtime.

Chemical Peels

Chemical Peels embrighten and smooth the skin's appearance by gently resurfacing it through the removal of its damaged outer layers. They are an effective non-surgical cosmetic treatment for those who desire to treat mild to more severe skin conditions including sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles, skin pigment abnormalities, acne, and acne scarring.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion gives the skin a fresh and healthy radiance through the gently abrasive mechanical action of crystals, which slough away the dead surface cells that can cause skin to appear dull and aged. The massaging action helps to increase oxygenation in the skin, which, in turn, stimulates the production of collagen to give the skin a more revitalized look. Microdermabrasion softens the appearance of skin imperfections such as fine lines, brown spots, and acne scars, and helps to clean out pores, as well.

Laser Treatments

Like microdermabrasion and chemical peels, lasers resurface the skin to rejuvenate its appearance. However, they achieve this action at a deeper level through the action of short pulses of light that penetrate the skin's layers to stimulate the growth of new collagen fibers. Our lasers are designed to target a wide variety of skin concerns to provide the following benefits:

  • fade brown spots such as freckles and age spots
  • soften fine lines and wrinkles
  • tighten the skin
  • diminish surgical scars
  • fade rosacea and facial spider veins
  • improve acne-prone skin
  • fade birthmarks
  • permanently reduce hair

Scar Therapy System

To help diminish postoperative scars, we have designed a Scar Therapy System, which consists of three products to be applied daily in the weeks following surgery. This package includes two SkinMedica products: TNS Recovery Complex and Tri-Retinol Complex, and an advanced scar treatment gel. As an added benefit, the SkinMedica products can be applied to the face as part of a long-term daily routine to improve the skin's tone and texture.

30-Minute Post-Surgical Therapeutic Massage

The massage therapists at Dr. Mentz's Added Touch Medical Spa offer a special post-surgical massage that is designed to support and speed your body's natural healing process after a cosmetic surgery procedure. A combination of lymphatic and Swedish massage techniques are used, which work together to relax you and stimulate the lymphatic system to help reduce bruising, swelling, and numbness.

To schedule your eyelid surgery consultation with Dr. Mentz, e-mail or call his office today at 713.799.9999.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty) Before and After Photos

Before After
Before After
Before After