Is Lower Blepharoplasty Not Enough? Achieve a Natural Youthful Look with Lower Blepharoplasty + Midface Lift! by Dr. Young-moon Yoo of Vibe Plastic Surgery

Hello.

I am Dr. Young-moon Yoo from Vibe Plastic Surgery.

Many people come to us because they hear they look tired due to sagging under the eyes and hollowed front cheeks.

During consultations, I often get asked, ‘Will lower blepharoplasty alone fix this?’

To give you the conclusion first, in many cases, a simple lower blepharoplasty is not enough.

In such instances, a midface lift (cheek lifting) is an excellent procedure to consider alongside it.

Today, I will explain in detail how things change when lower blepharoplasty and midface lifting are performed together, and who can benefit from this combination the most.

Why do the under-eyes look aged?

Aging under the eyes is not just about fat. The representative causes are as follows:

• Protrusion of under-eye fat
• Sagging of under-eye skin
• Volume loss in the front cheeks (midface)
• Deepening of nasolabial folds
• Formation of a boundary between the under-eye and cheek (tear trough)

Among these, sagging of the midface (front cheek) is particularly important.

When the front cheeks sag downward, the following phenomena occur:

• The under-eye area looks more hollow
• Dark circles appear more severe
• Nasolabial folds become deeper
• An overall tired and aged impression

In other words, it is often not just an issue with the under-eye area, but a problem involving the entire middle part of the face.

The Limitations of Simple Lower Blepharoplasty?!

Lower blepharoplasty is basically a surgery to improve the following:

• Rearranging under-eye fat
• Removing sagging skin
• Improving under-eye wrinkles

However, it cannot solve the sagging of the front cheeks.

Therefore, if only a simple lower blepharoplasty is performed:

• The under-eye area is cleaned up
• But the front cheeks remain sagging
• And nasolabial folds stay as they are

In these cases, performing a midface lift together often creates a much more natural and highly satisfying result.

** The Difference with Lower Blepharoplasty + Midface Lift **

A midface lift is literally a surgery that lifts the sagging front cheeks upward.

When this surgery is performed alongside lower blepharoplasty, the following changes occur:

1. Front cheek volume is naturally restored

By lifting the sagging cheeks, the volume of the front cheeks—a key element of a youthful look—is naturally recovered.

It does not feel artificial like adding fillers; rather, it is a method of repositioning your original facial structures upward, which is a major advantage for natural results.

2. Improvement of nasolabial folds

When the front cheeks sag, nasolabial folds deepen. A midface lift helps alleviate these folds as well.

As a result, it’s not just the under-eyes that improve, but the entire face undergoes a youthful transformation.

3. Smoother transition between the under-eye and cheek

When a boundary forms between the under-eye and the front cheek, dark circles look worse.

By performing a midface lift together, the line from the under-eye to the front cheek connects smoothly, creating a much more natural impression.

4. A more three-dimensional youthful face

Rather than just removing wrinkles, the three areas—under-eye + front cheek + nasolabial folds—are improved simultaneously, allowing for a much more three-dimensional youthful effect.

We recommend this to the following people!

If you fall into any of these categories, it is worth considering lower blepharoplasty + midface lift together:

• ✔ Those with protruding under-eye fat
• ✔ Those who look tired due to sagging under-eye skin
• ✔ Those whose front cheeks look hollow or sagging
• ✔ Those whose nasolabial folds are getting deeper
• ✔ Those with a distinct boundary between the under-eye and cheek
• ✔ Those who have been told that lower blepharoplasty alone might be insufficient

Especially after the 40s, midface sagging often progresses simultaneously, so satisfaction is usually much higher when the two surgeries are combined.

The Key to a Natural Youthful Look is the ‘Midface’

What many people want these days is not an obvious ‘plastic surgery look,’ but a face that looks naturally younger.

The most important part for this is the midface (cheek).

Instead of just tidying up the under-eyes, the front cheeks and midface must be lifted together to create a natural and balanced youthful face.

Closing

Under-eye surgery is not just about removing fat; it is a surgery that must consider the balance of the entire face.

That is why during consultations, I always look at:

• Under-eye condition
• Front cheek sagging
• Nasolabial folds
• Overall facial balance

to decide whether to perform only lower blepharoplasty or combine it with a midface lift.

If you are concerned about your under-eyes, simple lower blepharoplasty might not be the only answer.

Through lower blepharoplasty + midface lift, you can achieve a much more natural and satisfying youthful effect.

If you are struggling with under-eye and midface aging, I hope you find the method that is right for you through a thorough consultation.

Thank you.

Vibe Plastic Surgery

Dr. Young-moon Yoo