LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi Dr Lam,

Is it possible for bruises to be permanent?

My daughter underwent the non-stitching suture Asian double eyelid surgery 3 months ago and she still has prominent reddish-purple bruises on her eyelids (resembles rust).

They started out bluish and became reddish-purple 10 days post-surgery and have stayed this way since. They don't seem to be fading much at all.

Is this normal? Are these still bruises or have they developed into some kind of permanent discoloration?

I am extremely distressed that they are permanent and she'll be disfigured. Is there a way to treat this?

We are all really worried and just want her to look normal again.

I am most grateful for your help!

most likely it is not permanent. she maybe just having some hyperpigmentation (darkening). ask her doctor the question because he/she might be able to prescribe a bleaching product to lighten it if in fact it is hyperpigmentation. if it is hyperpigmentation, this oftentimes is temporary and typically so is bruising. always be careful with the thin skin there if you go for bleaching. anyway, you really should follow up with your surgeon since it is not fair for me to answer on his/her behalf.
best wishes,
sml

Thanks very much Dr Lam, I really appreciate your response.

Thing is, every time I see her plastic surgeon, he keeps telling us that it'll go away, that we should give it more time and he would give us a couple of boxes of Sinecch.
So I was just hoping to get a 2nd opinion. I have no other aim than to find out as much as possible how to help her look normal again.

Thing is, 7 days post-op, she was told she could put on makeup and was also given some moisturising cream to apply over her eyes. After applying the cream, for a few days, my daughter would repeatedly tap the bruised areas hoping to aid lymphatic movement. The bluish tones then turned into much bigger reddish-purple areas. That was 10 days post-op and my daughter quickly stopped touching the area.

We thought the reddish-purple would slowly fade into greenish-yellow as bruises usually do but for the last few months, they've stayed this way. It's like they've become stuck at a certain stage of bruising and stopped changing.

What I am trying to ask is: did she do any damage (e.g. tissue staining or hematoma) ? It's been very traumatising for her and us to see her with persistent prominent bruises over her eyelids.

I was also wondering if I could pay for an email consultation with you (that is to email you her eyelid pics and have you give us your opinion)?

I am grateful for any assistance.

For asian eyelid cases i have not seen prolonged bruising. however, bruising in general around the eyes in particular can last upwards of a year or more. this is rare. i have seen 1 or 2 cases like that but they ultimately resolved. i think that will be your daughter's situation too if it is a bruise.
best wishes,
sam lam

hi Dr Lam,

i did some more research and was wondering if my daughter's case could be one of hemosiderin staining or a combination of both hemosiderin staining plus hyperpigmentation?

if that's the case, what can we do to eliminate or fade hemosiderin staining?

yes, it could be hemosiderin staining. in other parts of the face, i sometimes use an IPL or laser to manage it. however, on the eyelid, that is too risky because of vision issues. unfortunately, patience is probably your best option here.
best,
sml