Karen Soika MD

08/23/2026

Blepharoplasty Recovery Timeline
Every patient heals differently. The following timeline describes what patients commonly experience, but it is not a rigid schedule.
Days 1 to 3: The Most Visible Swelling
The first several days are generally the most noticeable part of blepharoplasty recovery.
Patients may experience:
* Swelling around the upper and lower eyelids
* Purple, red or blue bruising
* Tightness or pressure
* Mild irritation or sensitivity
* Watery or dry eyes
* Blurry vision from ointment or swelling
* Temporary difficulty closing the eyelids completely
* More swelling on one side than the other Days 4 to 7: The Eyes Begin Settling
During the second half of the first week, swelling usually begins softening and bruising starts changing color.
Dark bruising may become green or yellow before fading. The eyelids generally feel less tight, and reading or moderate screen use may become more comfortable.
Upper-eyelid sutures and any external sutures from a skin pinch are commonly removed during the first week, depending on how the incisions are healing.
The eyes will still look recently operated. Incisions can remain pink, the eyelids may look puffy and swelling is often more noticeable in the morning.
What Will I Look Like One Week After Blepharoplasty?
One week after eyelid surgery, most patients look noticeably better than they did during the first three days, but they should not expect to look completely healed.
At approximately one week, it is common to see:
* Mild to moderate residual swelling
* Yellow or light purple bruising
* Pink upper-eyelid incision lines
* Puffiness that is more noticeable in the morning
* Temporary differences between the two eyes
* Mild tightness, dryness or sensitivity.
* Swelling beneath the eyes after lower blepharoplasty

08/22/2026

Many are asking me this. This is BS. Yes the techniques that he is discussing here are evolving to be added to what is addressed during a facelift. But the deep plane facelift is NOT obsolete. He may need to stop being dramatic 🎭and using scare Instagram tactics for attention while creating apt of confusion to all that see this let alone the 1000’s of patients he already performed a deep plane facelift on and would be very upset to see this and that they over paid for a surgery he deems Obsolete. It evolved. It’s advancing. His issue is he teaches what he knows vs attending as a student other lectures to learn what others like Dr.Dominic Bray have been doing for over a year or longer. I was at a facelift conference in Turkey in June and over 35 leaders presented all of this data. The key is this. The right technique for the right patient’s needs. They all have a place this dr Instagram I used to regard highly. Now he is lowering his standards to be dramatic to stay relevant. Unacceptable and creating concern and confusion for patients unnecessarily. Poll here if you were concerned after his drama post. Here is the definition of obsolete since he doesn’t know it:
Obsolete means no longer in use, out of date, or replaced by something newer and better.Key Definition or primary Meaning:
An adjective describing something that has fallen out of general practice or usefulness. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it applies to items no longer acceptable or useful even if they still exist.Verb Form: To “obsolete” something means to intentionally cause it to become outdated by replacing it with a superior alternative.

08/21/2026

Sculptra for 50lb weightloss and now loose buttocks skin and pronounced hip dip. Sculptra continues to improve so this is only the beginning after four vials on each side. We added two more to buttocks and buttocks crease yesterday. The sculptra timeline is this for results:
1 month and after 1 treatment subtle changes like slight lift session → subtle improvement
After the first session, most people notice gentle changes such as a slight lift or smoother contours. This stage acts as the foundation, giving your skin the initial collagen boost it needs. sessions → moderate, noticeable results
With two sessions, the results become clearer. You’ll typically see more definition, better structure, and a firmer look as the collagen network continues to strengthen beneath the skin.

3 sessions → fuller and longer-lasting results
Three sessions usually deliver the most pronounced and durable transformation. This is ideal if you want stronger volume restoration, better support for ageing skin, or long-term improvement that continues to evolve over several months.

If you’re treating larger areas, such as the buttocks, the number of vials used per session also plays a key role. Bigger treatment zones naturally require more product to stimulate enough collagen, which can influence both how many sessions you’ll need and how quickly you notice results.

08/20/2026

Poorly placed under eye filler looks worse than dark circles. See the top picture of a patient who was injected by someone other than me creating mounds that look grey and elevated to the medial and lateral aspect of the under eye and along the nasal bridge on both sides. I injected 1cc hyaluronidase to completely dissolve that to start her off from scratch. This is NOT a filler issue It is a Bad Injector! I do under eyes all the time and this NEVER happens because less is more and techniques matter!

08/18/2026

Understanding the Aging Face: From the Triangle of Youth to the Pyramid of Aging

The aging process is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that affects us all. While many aspects of aging are beyond our control, advancements in aesthetic medicine allow us to manage some of its visible effects. One of the most notable places where aging becomes apparent is the face. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the concept of the ‘Triangle of Youth’ and the ‘Pyramid of Aging,’ explore the various layers of facial aging, and discuss how injectables can help maintain a youthful appearance.

08/14/2026

https://patch.com/connecticut/greenwich/greenwich-doctor-finds-community-set-hit-cbs-show?utm_source=share-link&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=share It’s been a blast to be part of season 1 and now season 2 which will air on CBS week of Oct 4!! Marshals!!

08/14/2026

https://patch.com/connecticut/greenwich/greenwich-doctor-finds-community-set-hit-cbs-show

After being involved in the making of season 1 of the hit CBS show, a Greenwich doctor was brought back for season 2 as an extra.

08/09/2026

Have you ever wanted to get your eyelids done? You can just do the eyelids without doing a facelift. This is a beautiful patient that I have known for 14 years. She has been very proactive in maintaining her skin, and offsetting the need for a facelift in her late 50’s. She has great skin texture. But her eyelids have bothered her and lower lid has hallowed as she is very lean naturally. I always say doing your eyes can really turn back time so if you do not want a facelift yet, the eyes can really take 10 years off .. just as much as a facelift. My issue is most drs doing facelifts do not objectively show a patient that a facelift won’t alone fix the eyes. And the eyes are a center of female beauty!! And after a facelift I see so many patients that now the eyes stand out because they should have. Even done too. Vote here

08/07/2026

Which outcome to you looks best. Too right or bottom right. And why one demonstrates restraint and the other demonstrates lack of especially in an older patient with loss of upper eyelid fat for softening the appearance