EYELID SURGERY: (blepharoplasty - shown above)

WHAT IT DOES: Removes excess eyelid skin and fat, making the eyes younger and fresher.

BEST CANDIDATES: Men over 30 with sagging upper or lower eyelid skin.

LENGTH: 1 hour

RECOVERY: Sutures removed in 4 to 6 days. Swelling and discoloration gone in 1 to 2 weeks.

BACK TO WORK: 3 to 10 days

COST: $2,000 — $4,000 (plus $500 fee for Anesthesia)

Your eyes can make you look much older and more tired than you actually feel. The skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face and is often the first place to show signs of aging. As you age, the eyelid muscles weaken, the skin sags and fat accumulates around the eyes creating bags. Heredity, sun damage, smoking, stress and fatigue are factors that affect the appearance of your eyes.

Eyelid surgery can remove excess skin and fat from the upper and lower eyelids. Men, both young and old, can benefit from this cosmetic surgery procedure. It can make a big difference in how you look and feel about yourself.

While eyelid surgery can correct those drooping tired eyes and puffy bags, it can't eliminate dark circles under your eyes, remove crow's feet, or lift sagging eyebrows. A forehead lift, another procedure that often accompanies eyelid surgery, can lessen wrinkles and creases, and raise sagging eyebrows.

Before surgery, your surgeon marks the natural skin lines and creases of your upper and lower eyelids. These marks will be used for the incisions. Both the upper and lower eyelids are usually done at the same time. Some patients only need either upper or lower eyelid surgery. Surgery takes from one to two hours and can be performed under local or general anesthesia.

Once the incisions are made, your surgeon separates the skin from the underlying muscle and fatty tissue. The sagging skin and muscle are trimmed and the excess fat is removed. The incisions are then closed with very tiny sutures, which are removed in four or five days. Your scars will be pink at first and will gradually fade to a nearly invisible line.

After surgery you may experience some soreness and discomfort. This can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. You should rest with your head elevated for a couple of days. Cold compresses help to reduce swelling and bruising. Bruising will peak during the first week and will gradually subside over the next two to four weeks.

FACELIFT: (rhytidectomy)

WHAT IT DOES: Tightens loose face and neck skin for a younger and fresher appearance.

BEST CANDIDATES: Men over 40 with wrinkled or sagging facial skin.

LENGTH: 2 to 5 hours

RECOVERY: Bandages removed in 2 days, sutures removed in 5 to 8 days, swelling usually gone in 2 to 3 weeks.

BACK TO WORK: 1 1/2 to 2 weeks

COST: $2,500 — $8,000 (plus $500 fee for Anesthesia)

Everyone, including men, deserves the chance to turn the clock back, to look younger and to feel better about the way they look. A facelift can improve the visible signs of aging. It can tighten sagging facial muscles and loose neck skin, and remove excess fat that causes jowls to give you a more youthful appearance. Very often a facelift is done in conjunction with eyelid surgery or a forehead lift.

Your surgeon will make an incision in the hairline at the temples and continue along the natural creases in front of the ear, around the earlobe and along the lower scalp. Sometimes an incision is made just under the chin to remove excess neck fat and tighten the neck muscles. The skin is separated from the fat and muscles. The fat is removed from around the neck and chin to improve the contour, then the muscles are pulled back and tightened. Excess skin is removed and the incisions are closed. Scars are hidden in the hairline and in the natural creases of your skin. They will fade with time.

You will need to take it easy for about a week. Bruising and swelling should fade over the next two to three weeks. Any discomfort from the surgery can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. You may experience temporary numbness of the skin, but this usually resolves over time.

The final results of your facelift won't be apparent for several weeks. The puffiness you see in the mirror will gradually resolve as your new look emerges.