I've been talking about it for years, about my eyelids. Not every day and certainly not to everyone. But those who are close to me have known for a long time that this moment was coming. My eyelid correction. After a long 'thinking-sighing-complaining-and-thinking again' I finally took the plunge six months ago and made an appointment for a real eyelid correction. I'll tell you how I got to this point and what exactly such an upper eyelid correction entails. An eyelid correction before and after, with images and an honest story. Use it to your advantage if you've been walking around with this thought for some time!
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Why on earth would you have an eyelid correction performed, you may ask. If you're wondering this, then it's definitely not for you, and most likely you don't suffer from droopy eyelids † I do, as do many others. But I also recognize your situation, I had no problems in my twenties! I blame it on the sleepless nights with small children and the worries of a teenager in the house. Just kidding, some have more talent for it than others.
I had no physical complaints. Not yet. I did look at the bottom of my eyelid, which I found somewhat irritating, but really bothered by it? No, it wasn't there yet. That doesn't mean it won't come to that, of course. Because that's how I once thought about the bags under my eyes † Looking at my oldest brother (15 years older than me), I can say that the prospects for my eyelids were not very bright. It's much worse for him than it was for me. A picture of the future, of course, but a very realistic picture of the future.
Read also: With or without eyelid correction for my drooping eyelids
Well, when can you really call your complaints psychological complaints? I was raised with 'being satisfied with what you have', 'beauty comes from within' and 'don't complain'. I have not complained much about it and I am satisfied with what I have anyway. And it didn't make me depressed either. But still, especially in the last year, I did stand in front of the mirror every day to 'pull away' my eyelids. In addition, it was a frustration every time with the layout. I just had to lift my eyelid to get my makeup on. And of course the eye pencil always fell under 'my flap'.
Applying mascara? Keep your eyes closed while drying if you suffer from drooping eyelids, otherwise everything will be covered. Finally, the eyeshadow just didn't stay on well.
For me - after careful consideration - sufficient motives to have my eyelids corrected. And I'm so glad I made that decision. I will take you through my story of the eyelid correction before and after…
And then? Motives are therefore present, but where do you have your eyelids operated on? Of course you will carefully orientate yourself on the internet. Just read how others experience it, read on the websites of clinics and read on the website of my own GP, who also occasionally does an eyelid correction.
And then you come across many different stories. Mostly positive, though. But then I'm talking specifically about the results. I actually also wanted to know what to expect, but that was not so easy to find out, experience stories about an eyelid correction before and after there are not that many yet.
In the end I decided to have my eyelid correction done at Kliniek Veldhoven. They do much more than just eyelid surgery and really specialize in plastic surgery. Eyelid corrections are almost assembly line work for them. There is a lot of information on their website and they have a very good customer rating. I also know someone who works there, which are all decisive arguments for me to go there.
Last summer I had my very first appointment at Kliniek Veldhoven for an intake interview. If you are considering an eyelid correction, you will always be 'screened' during an initial intake interview. You will be asked all kinds of questions about your medical background and possible medication use or allergies, but also, for example, the question to give yourself a grade.
With my upbringing in mind, I gave myself a seven. Don't be too dissatisfied with what you have, so to speak, but a lot of room for improvement. Those seven meant that I had to give quite a bit of explanation. If you give yourself a seven, is an eyelid correction necessary? Do you really want as much as you think you want? I was made to think. Not because I thought I didn't want it badly enough, but more because I thought that someone else in my situation would probably give themselves a lower grade 😉 .
In the end, we found that the fact that I stood in front of the mirror every day to tighten my eyelids is in itself reason enough for many people to give themselves a low rating. All in all, I turned out to be a suitable candidate for an eyelid correction. Phew. Of course you can also express all your questions and wishes during such an initial intake.
Together with the plastic surgeon, the options were finally examined. An eyelid correction or an eyebrow lift both give the desired result. The procedure of an eyebrow lift is perhaps even more beautiful, especially because they also do it in combination with an eyelid correction, but it is also more drastic and the recovery takes a little longer.
I was sent home with orders to think about this for myself. What would I want? And what did I look like before? Is a possible eyebrow lift appropriate to how my face has always looked, or is the effect too amazing 😉 . After some deliberation, I decided to stick with an eyelid correction. Not only because of my childhood photos, but also simply because I found the procedure exciting enough itself.
Because I was so nervous. I can't exactly explain why. More and more positive stories emerged around me. I got to hear from more and more people that it all went very well and that they were happy with it (they themselves or the person in question). Not a single traumatic case. But the nerves remained.
In retrospect, I think the nerves came mainly from the fact that it's an operation on your face. And that in itself I think is a serious fact. I also find the term 'plastic surgery' quite heavy. You almost feel like such a Marijke Helwegen case!
And despite the fact that many people are familiar with eyelid surgery, have it done themselves or know someone, there are still people who don't like it. Could that be the reason why it is still a bit taboo? The people who think it's unnecessary, because you're not like that. You see them thinking… it's part of you, right, those drooping eyelids? Why should you have something done to yourself?
In fact… I've also once disapproved of a photographer who Photoshopped my daughter's school photos in order to get rid of her scar. I was so angry about that then. Wasn't my daughter pretty enough with that scar? That scar belongs to her and I want to tell her that she is beautiful the way she is!
Read also: My daughter's scar has been retouched in the new school photo
And yet it feels different. I'm 44 years old and - if all goes well - I still have a lot of years to go. Then why would I want to spend the rest of my life looking in a mirror and trying to smooth out more skin every year?
Make sure you have time on the day of surgery and a few days after. Since I work from home, this was relatively easy for me to arrange. Do you work outside the door? Then you might want to take a few days off.
So plan your surgery! I specifically chose to have surgery on myself in November. I didn't want to go in the summer… you can't go out in the sun for half a year. Logical, of course, because a scar burns quickly. And since it was my turn at the beginning of November, I was able to recover nicely for the holidays. Perfect timing, if I do say so myself!
This may all sound a bit harsh, but these are just precautions. It worked out 100% for me. I was already a week and a half after the operation at a concert in the Melkweg 😉 . With glasses, that is!
It is important to know that an eyelid correction only removes excess skin and any fat. There should always be some loose skin left to open and close the eyes properly. An eyelid correction is limited to the upper eyelid, any drooping eyebrows are not part of the purpose of the procedure. However, an eyelid correction can be combined with, for example, a eyebrow lift as indicated above.
You should take the following into account:
Before the operation starts, the doctor will mark on your eyes the part that can be removed.
You will then be given a small anesthetic injected into the skin above both eyes. This anesthetic stings briefly, but not very seriously. Almost immediately it feels like you are getting a kind of cold compress on your eye, not annoying, but just palpable. After a few minutes the anesthetic has already taken effect and the operation begins. It takes about an hour for the operation, but in my case they were done in 40 minutes I believe.
I would like to discuss that. You feel nothing, but you feel everything. Women who have had a caesarean section understand what I am trying to explain. You feel absolutely no pain. But you can feel that the doctor is busy. Personally, I don't like that feeling, but it's different for everyone.
They had covered me with a blanket before the operation so that I wouldn't get too cold, because the sterile environment of the operating room feels quite cool. During the operation I noticed that I was slowly getting a little dizzy. Just because I was thinking about what the plastic surgeon was doing 😉 . Stupid of course, but I just couldn't distract myself very well. When I indicated that I was getting a bit warm, the blanket went off, my legs were raised and a minute later I was all right again. So a good response!
I hear the surgeon Drs. D. Kerckhove still say… 'how nice that so little blood is released, that is pleasant to operate and also beautiful for the film'. To which I reacted almost nonchalantly 'haha, that's because I turned a bit white'. It remains strange that you are fully aware during such an operation and are therefore perfectly capable of making jokes.
What I remember most about the operation itself is that they close up the blood vessels. That's quite a pungent smell. The smell of scorched flesh I think, if I may compare it to something.
After about 40 minutes it was done on the operating table. I checked again to see exactly what was removed. In addition to 2 pieces of skin, two fat pads were also removed… a nice bonus that you also lose some fat 😉 .
Then I was taken to the recovery room, to drink a cup of tea and to cool my eyes for the first time. At the same time, one of the ladies from the OR took the trouble to let my husband know about the progress of the operation. After half an hour the plastic surgeon came to check with me and then I was 'released'. Yay! Home!
Frank had waited neatly for me in the waiting room and was naturally very curious! Of course I had to take my glasses off. The joke is that on day 1 immediately after the operation it still looks quite reasonable. Days 2 and 3 are the worst, if you are talking about the swelling for example.
I had released myself on day 1. Of course I had done some preliminary work so that my blogs could continue, but I just wanted to be able to give in to what I felt like that afternoon. Frank stayed at home that day to at least be able to do some things for the children if necessary.
The first two days you are busy with cooling. You have to cool for 5 to a maximum of 10 minutes every hour. And that's quite a lot I can tell you. Are you just in the middle of a nice Netflix series, you have to cool down again 😛 . That's what my first day after surgery consisted of. Hang out in bed a bit, get some sleep and watch TV. And walk to the freezer every hour to get the peas out.
After two days, further cooling is no longer useful. At least not for the swelling. What I have noticed is that the cooling can still be nice in the following days, just to take the tension off the eyelids. So do you want to cool for longer? Fine. But only the first two days matter.
Very simple. This was the advice from the clinic and very logical even if you think about it for a moment. Place the peas in a freezer bag in the freezer. Don't stuff the entire bag, but leave some space in the bag so that the peas can form well to your eyeball. This way there is good cooling in every spot! Cooling glasses are not that flexible and are much less able to cool directly.
Tip:Put the freezer bags with peas in a disposable glove every time you take them out of the freezer. Direct contact can cause your skin to freeze and you will be further away from home!
With the green peas you can then just make a delicious pea puree 😉 .
Day 2 I was back at work. At home of course, so that my eyes didn't look like that was no problem for anyone else. It worked fine and my glasses obscured quite a bit from the swelling so even the postman wasn't shocked. Only my children, they couldn't help but say 'EW' when I took off my glasses to show the result of that day.
From day 3 I have omitted cooling because it no longer makes sense. I did have some blue around my eyes, but actually very little. Only under my left eye hung a kind of 'moisture bag' with a blue border. As if Frank hadn't been so kind to me 😉 .
It is also a daily shower and rinse your eyes. On many websites you read that your eyes should remain dry for a week, but at Kliniek Veldhoven they think differently. Rinsing with water is important. In the beginning this is a bit exciting and I let the water run through my hands on my eyes instead of directly, but you soon get used to it and it is nice to freshen up.
So is the lens story. Here and there you read on the internet that you could put your lenses back in from day 2. Well, fool that cat! Besides the fact that in Veldhoven they advise not to put in your lenses for 4 weeks because of the risk of infection, I don't even have to think about it myself.
After a week I was allowed to go back to the clinic to have the stitches removed. Easy peasy! Of course you will be asked how you are doing, but then you are outside again in 10 minutes. The suture is removed from your eyelid in one go. I actually thought it was amazing. Your eyes are cleaned briefly, the nurse put a kind of compress on my eye and removed the long sutures on both sides of my eye.
Only then can you really see the result. Of course I had done that much earlier, but the plasters on the suture and on the bridge of your nose still give a very distorted picture.
My eyes feel tight from day one. This is partly due to the swelling, of course, but also because of the stitches. And of course simply by the fact that there is less loose skin! The tight feeling is a lot less when the stitches are removed and as the scabs disappear, my eyelids feel more and more flexible.
Especially the first 2 weeks I had very little feeling in my eyelids. For example, if I was itchy (because of the healing scabs), I sometimes wanted to gently touch the bottom of my eyelid. To relieve the itching for a while. Not near the scabs because you don't want an infection naturally. And at that moment you feel that the feeling in your eyelids (at least with me) is different than usual.
Little by little, that feeling in my eyelids is increasing again and now it feels almost normal again.
The scabs are almost all gone. Hoera! I can almost get my lenses back and I can't wait until I can get my makeup again! However, I'm still waiting. I am now used to my bare buttocks face and want the scabs to have completely disappeared before I start painting again. All make-up contains bacteria and a few days longer without make-up does not outweigh the risks of an inflamed eyelid.
The cut made to remove the excess skin has been neatly placed in the arcade arch, so that the scars are almost invisible, already from the first weeks! In the meantime I have already started applying scar cream to the parts on my eyelid where the skin has already healed completely.
I am very curious about the result in 1 to 2 months. Now I see (especially in the morning) that my eyelids still contain a little moisture and that too should be completely gone.
But despite the fact that I am not yet allowed to give a final judgment, I can already say that I am very happy with the procedure. Anyone who has already read about the operation for an eyelid correction but who still has some doubts… I hope my story has made it clear to you what to expect. I can't determine what to do for you, but I can tell you that I am very happy with the result myself!
