Droopy eyelids? Blepharoplasty might help you keep your drivers license

Many people think of droopy eyelids as a cosmetic concern. While excess upper eyelid skin can make you look tired or older than you feel, it can also interfere with something much more important: your vision. Excess skin in the upper field of vision can interfere with everyday activities like driving. In some cases, restoring your peripheral vision with an upper eyelid blepharoplasty may help you meet the visual requirements needed to maintain your driver’s license.

As we age, the skin around the eyes naturally loses elasticity. Over time, the upper eyelids may begin to sag, causing excess skin to hang over the eyelashes. This condition can reduce your upper visual field making it harder to see traffic lights, overhead signs, pedestrians or vehicles approaching from above or the side.

Many patients don’t realize how much their vision has changed because the process happens gradually. Instead, they may notice symptoms such as:

• Frequently raising their eyebrows to see better
• Tilting their head backward to improve vision
• Feeling eye fatigue while reading or driving
• Difficulty seeing while driving, especially at intersections
• A heavy or tired feeling in the upper eyelids

These symptoms can indicate that your eyelids are affecting your functional vision, not just your appearance.

Safe driving depends on more than just reading the eye chart. Your visual field, the entire area you can see while looking straight ahead, is equally important. Many states require drivers to meet minimum visual field standards when renewing or obtaining a driver’s license. If drooping eyelids significantly obstruct your upper field of vision, you could lose your driver’s license.

An eye care professional can perform a visual field test to determine whether your eyelids are limiting your vision. If necessary, an upper eyelid blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin (and, when appropriate, small amounts of fat or muscle) from the upper eyelids. By lifting the eyelid and eliminating tissue that blocks the visual axis, the procedure can expand your upper field of vision while also creating a more refreshed appearance. For patients whose vision is impaired by drooping eyelids, blepharoplasty is considered a functional procedure rather than simply a cosmetic one.

Trusted Blepharoplasty in Bethesda, MD | Fairfax, VA | Gainesville, VA

Dr. Kevin Perman of Center for Eyelid and Facial Plastic Surgery is an oculofacial plastic surgeon with over 35 years of surgical experience in the greater Washington D.C. area, who is a recognized authority in the management of both aesthetic and reconstructive problems, dealing with eyelids, brows, tear drainage system, orbit, and surrounding facial structures.

Questions? Contact Dr. Perman today.