Your eyelids are prone to sagging and developing small pockets of fat. Over time, the upper eyelids will droop over the top of the eye, and the lower eyelids may sag down to expose the soft pink tissue. In addition to making you look older and tired, your vision may be affected, and you may have a hard time keeping your eyes open due to the extra weight of the upper eyelids.
The Effects of Aging on Your Eyelids
The skin around the eyes is normally the first place to show the effects of aging. When you are 30 to 40 years old, the skin loses elasticity and no longer contours to the eyeball and bone of the eye socket. At first, you may only notice slight creases, but over time, the area below your eyebrow starts to look puffy. You may notice that your eyelashes rub against the skin, and women find that makeup does not enhance their eyes the same way. The loose skin is coupled with fat protruding through lax, weak muscles that give your eyes a puffy appearance and bags under the lower eyelids. You also develop lines and wrinkles at the outer corners of the eyes.
The most significant factor that determines if you will develop problems with your eyelids is genetics. If one or both of your parents or grandparents had puffy upper eyelids or sagging lower eyelids, you will likely develop the problem as well.
Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is being performed more often at the Kole Plastic Surgery Center Center as more men and women learn about the benefits of the procedure. Eyelid surgery involves removing small amounts of excess skin and fat from the upper, lower or both eyelids. The Kole Plastic Surgery Center Center offers blepharoplasty to help with:
- Fine lines and excess skin on the lower eyelid area.
- Puffiness in the upper eyelid area.
- Sagging lower eyelids.
- Loose skin on the upper eyelid.
- Bags under the eyes.
In most cases, optimum results for Facial Surgery can be achieved without additional procedures, but you may also need a forehead lift to fully reduce the signs of aging.
The Procedure
Understanding why you have sagging eyelids is important for determining the best approach and treatment. You may actually have a medical condition known as “ptosis” that requires a reparative approach versus a cosmetic approach. Sagging upper eyelids may also be caused by the shape and position of the eyebrow.
If you are found to be a good candidate for eyelid surgery, the procedure is very straightforward. For upper eyelid surgery, the incision is made along the natural crease of the eye. The incision for lower eyelid surgery is placed along the lash line. These placements work well for hiding the scars from the surgery. Once the incisions are made, small amounts of skin and fat are removed, and the incisions are closed.
The Recovery
Your eyes will be bandaged after the surgery, so you should make arrangements for someone to take you home and tend to you for a few days. You will need to rest for seven to 10 days. Your eyes may feel irritated, and you will likely have bruising, swelling and tenderness.
