THE EYES HAVE IT

Our eyes are often the first area of the face to show signs of aging Well, our drooping lids, puffy bags, and dark circles can be transformed into the more youthful and well-rested look we see in old photos of ourselves. Meet Dr. Valerie Vick, FACS, a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in cosmetic surgery of the eyelids (blepharoplasty) and browlifts. When contemplating cosmetic surgery around your eyes, there’s no one better qualified and we’d do well to remember that with surgery of the eyelid, millimeters matter.

By Amber Wielkens Photos Stevye Photography, StevyePhotography.com

Plastic surgery has come a long way since face lifts first became available to wealthy patients, who emerged with their skin stretched so tight it looked the opposite of refreshed or youthful. The same can be said for other procedures, and in the past 20 years, the art of plastic surgery and cosmetic eyelid surgery has seen advancements in medical knowledge and surgical techniques, leading to subspecialties like oculoplastics, where Dr. Vick shines. “The anatomy around the eyes and orbit is both delicate and complex. I am trained in both ophthalmology and plastic reconstructive surgery,” she says. “Oculoplastics is an art combining the meticulous detailed microsurgical techniques of ophthalmology with the aesthetic understanding of plastic surgery.” And her patients couldn’t be happier (or look more youthful and refreshed).

Like many of us, Dr. Vick balances being a mom to her three children with her career providing her patients top-notch care before, during, and following their procedures. She understands the benefits of self-care and is driven to give her patients results because she understands what they’re going through. “I enjoy seeing patient results,” she says. “My goal is to set realistic expectations for my patients and at the same time, give them the result they came to me for. A happy patient is truly why I do what I do.”

Now in that Dr. Vick has been practicing oculoplastic surgery for almost 18 years, we wondered if she views her job like she did when she first began. “When I first started in practice I was determined to do my best treating the patient’s eyelid problem. That remains true today, but as I’ve grown older, I can sincerely empathize with the issues they want to address, since I’ve had to face my own issues as I age,” she shares, smiling, “Nowadays, I am much more tuned in to treating the patient while still giving attention to the problem.” With glowing reviews from her patients, she’s in demand for her surgical skills and the results they produce as well as her friendly bedside manner, putting patients at ease by explaining every aspect of procedures so they know what to expect. In addition, both her office and surgical teams are equally skilled and go above and beyond to ensure patients feel comfortable and valued. While plastic surgeons are certainly qualified to perform lid and brow lifts, Dr. Vick’s training in ophthalmology gives her (and her patients) an edge. “The advantage of having a cosmetic or corrective eyelid surgery performed by an oculoplastic specialist is that the physician can perform a full medical eye evaluation and then determine how much correction will be tolerated without over-correcting the eyelids, which is Important considering how essential our eyes are,” she maintains. Curious about how the procedures are performed and the ensuing results, we asked Dr. Vick for a brief primer on both eyelids lifts (blepharoplasty) and browlifts, and she supplied us with everything potential patients might want to know.

Starting with eyelid surgery, she reminds us it’s technically called blepharoplasty, from the Greek words “blepharo,” meaning eyelid, and “plasty,” meaning to change. Having learned that, we still have trouble pronouncing it, so she graciously allows us to use the term “eyelid lift” for the remainder of this interview (see why we love her?) There are legitimate medical reasons for having this surgery. If your eyelids are causing a visual obstruction that affects your daily life, an eyelid lift will make your field of vision clear. For the rest of us? Dr. Vick says, ”Many people seek an eyelid lift procedure because of the cosmetic appearance of the excess upper eyelid skin or the feeling that the eyelids are heavy. Often, patients mention that makeup doesn’t go on (or stay on) the way it once did. Healthy, motivated patients are the best candidates.”

And the surgery itself? “Eyelid surgery is a procedure to remove excess skin, usually along with some
eyelid fat pads and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids. The surgery can correct drooping upper lids and puffy bags below your eyes—features that make you look older and more tired than you feel. The surgery can be done alone or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a browlift,” she claims. “A big benefit to doing that is the downtimes for both surgeries are combined, meaning you don’t have to heal twice.”

If you’re considering eyelid surgery, this information will give you a basic understanding of the procedure—when it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. Dr. Vick says, “Upper eyelid surgery corrects dermatochalasis, which is redundancy and laxity of the eyelid skin and muscle, sometimes referred to as ‘baggy eyes.’ It’s one of the most frequently performed cosmetic procedures by an ophthalmic plastic surgeon. Additional wrinkle reduction by employing laser resurfacing or chemical peels can be used to address these changes, as well. There is generally bruising and swelling and the associated downtime before healing is complete.”

Once again, since our eye area is one of the first places that show signs of aging, it’s difficult for otherwise healthy patients to be told they look tired or see it in the mirror. Dr. Vick says hope is nigh, since eyelid surgery is a “simple outpatient procedure with the ability to reverse these changes and restore a more youthful and rested appearance.” Addressing browlifts, Dr. Vick says, “A forehead lift or ‘browlift’ is a procedure that restores a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above the eyes. The procedure corrects drooping brows and improves the horizontal lines and furrows that can make
a person appear angry, sad or tired.” Most commonly performed to smooth the forehead, raise the eyebrows, and minimize the visible effects of aging, a browlift can also help people who have developed furrows or frown lines due to stress or muscle activity. Dr. Vick performs them endoscopically, considered by experts as the procedure of choice as it “utilizes minimal incisions to achieve lifting of the eyebrows and forehead. Since incisions are minimal, endoscopic lift patients typically experience less pain, shorter recovery periods, and minimal numbness of the scalp,’ she reports.

Another tool used often in conjunction with brow and eyelid lifts is laser resurfacing, “a great way to reduce wrinkling, tighten skin and address sun and environmental damage on the skin surface.” Available at her office and at the aesthetic side of her practice, the Eye & Face Aesthetic Center, patients can also receive Botox and dermal fillers, facials, microdermabrasion, and a selection of medical-grade skincare products.

As a surgeon at the center of the fight against looking as old as we are, Dr. Vick’s personal thoughts on aging in our culture are not at all related to looking younger. “I wish people would take better care of themselves and listen to their body when things don’t feel quite right. See a physician and get a plan of action in regards to your overall health.” As much as we’re ready for our youthful eyes and brows to reappear with her help, we applaud her sage advice regarding addressing our overall health, not just the procedures appealing to our vanity.

Eye & Face Aesthetic Center

Premier Medical Group 2880 Dauphin Street, Mobile 251.470.8906, 251.473.1900 ValerieVick.com