What Can Be Done for Saggy, Baggy Eyes?

What Can Be Done for Saggy, Baggy Eyes?

By Dr. Marc Taylor

Are you feeling energetic but your eyes say otherwise? Your eyes are one of the first features that people notice about your face. Your eyes say a lot about how energetic or tired you feel. Eyelid surgery helps improve the appearance of baggy and sagging eyes which is commonly caused by the aging process and sun damage. This surgery is termed “eye lift” or Blepharoplasty. At his office, Dr. Marc Taylor performs this surgery to remove excessive skin, eyelid wrinkles, and excessive fat from the upper and lower eyelids, using oral and local anesthesia, which numbs the area around your eyes. This avoids the problems associated with general anesthesia. An “eyelid lift” can result in a more youthful and rested look, improved peripheral vision, and it can lessen the feeling of eyestrain.

Most patients are 35 years or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids run in the family, you might decide to have eyelid surgery at a younger age. Eyelid surgery can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a face lift, laser treatments of the face, or volume replacement with natural fat or boxed fillers such as Juvederm.

Upper Eyelid Surgery

The upper eyelid surgery is done by means of an incision in the eyelid crease, allowing for removal of the excess skin and fat. The resulting scar is usually difficult to detect.

Brow Suspension

Many people do not realize that the “tired” appearance of their upper eyelids is frequently a result of both excessive upper eyelid skin and a significant drooping of the eyebrows. Sagging eyebrows play a major role in the way the eyes “look,” and lifting the eyebrows helps to improve eyelid surgery results. The eyebrows can be lifted with a simple “suspension” technique done at the same time as the upper eyelid surgery, using the same incision used to remove the excessive skin.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

Lower eyelid fullness, bagginess, and wrinkled skin are familiar characteristics that become more pronounced with age. The procedures to help correct these problems vary depending on their cause.

Skin Wrinkles of the Lower Eyes

Wrinkles of the lower eyes are typically not caused by excessive skin alone, but rather by sun damage, and thinning of the skin caused by aging. Removing a lot of the lower eyelid skin is generally not effective. Eyelid surgery and laser treatments of the skin help to smooth and remove lower eyelid wrinkles. Many individuals benefit greatly with a laser treatment of the wrinkles.

Skin Wrinkles with Fat Bags of the Lower Eyes

When there are both lower lid wrinkles and excessive “fat bags,” the surgery to remove the fat plus a laser treatment for wrinkles are recommended and can be done at the same time. The bulging orbital fat is either removed or repositioned. The surgery is done from inside of the lower lid, thus there is no skin incision or visible scar.

Thinning of the Skin and Facial Volume Loss

Aging and sun damage are two prime causes of the loss of fullness of the facial regions and thickness of the skin of the lower eyelids. The loss of subcutaneous fat creates creases and folds around the eye, nose, and mouth regions. A temporary treatment with “filler,” such as Juvederm, is an option. A more permanent and longer lasting option, offered by Dr. Taylor, is using one’s own natural fat to replace the volume loss. Your own fat, usually taken from the belly button area by mini liposuction, is concentrated, and the fat alone with stem cells is reinjected into the facial areas. Medical studies have shown that over time the fat injections can also provide a rejuvenated appearance to the facial skin.

What to expect

Normally, there is minimal pain with eyelid surgery, and the majority of the swelling is gone in a few days. Makeup can be worn to cover the discoloration within 5 to10 days. It is best to have limited activity for the first few days after surgery. Cool compresses and routine care of the suture lines are important. Most people can drive within 2 to 5 days after surgery, and most can return to work in 3 to 10 days, depending on their healing and type of work. Normal exercise can be resumed in about two weeks.

Give us a call at 210-305-5797 or visit www.marctaylormd.com to learn more or to make an appointment to see Dr. Taylor.

Facebook: Marc Taylor MD