We’ve all heard that “The eyes are the Gateway to the soul”, but many of my patients complain that they look tired, even though they don’t feel that way!
Why is this? In this blog I am going to discuss eyelid procedures, and how a well-done procedure can make you look natural and refreshed.
A nice way to think about this is to consider, what are the major complaints we have about the appearance of our eyelids, in the upper and lower eyes?
Upper Eyelids:
“My upper eyes appear tired”
There are several causes for this. Firstly, excess skin and fat in the upper eyelid can weigh down the upper lid and appear heavy. In many patients this can even impair vision and overlap the eyelashes.
Male patient with severe upper eyelid skin excess
For these patients the only effective treatment is SURGERY. This involves an incision in the crease of the upper lid and the removal of fat and skin to alleviate the heaviness and contour the eyelids. This procedure has excellent results and can be done in the office if a stand-alone procedure. See the steps below.
Upper Eyelid Surgery Steps
Before and After of an Eyelid Surgery Patient
In the before and after above you can see the improvement in the shape and opening of the eyelid. Also, we injected BOTOX Cosmetic to the forehead and eyelid crows feet for marked improvement.
Heaviness of the upper eyelids can also be caused by a phenomenon called ptosis–where the muscles that elevate the eyelid are weak. This is a more complex issue but can be corrected by tightening the muscle complex.
Patient underwent ptosis repair and can elevate eyelids much better now
All things considered, we highly recommend upper eyelid surgery because it has one of the highest satisfaction rates in the properly selected candidate.
Lower Eyelids
Lower eyelids are by far a more complex issue than upper eyelids but can be addressed either together with the upper lids or separately.
“I have dark circles under my eyes” or “My lower eyes look puffy, like I haven’t slept in days!”
The causes here are multifactorial. Dark circles and puffy eyes can be caused by:
- Shadow from facial structure
- Fat content in the eyelids
- Inflammed or allergic changes from the muscle. The eyelid muscles are more visible as eyelid skin is the thinnest in our body.
- A deep tear trough–this is the junction between the lower eyelid and cheek area, and can create a deep valley which patients complain about
How do we correct dark circles and tear trough deformity?
Patient with deep tear trough and puffy eyes from fat content
Filler treatment
A treatment of filler (Many options including Juvederm Volbella) can be used to soften the tear trough and reduce dark circles. These products have been effective in patients who want subtle improvement and an office based procedure. Most products contain lidocaine and can be done in a comfortable setting. Patient may have swelling and mild bruising which requires icing and head elevation post-treatment. The patient below now has smooth lower eyelids and looks less tired.
Tear Trough Filler Treatment for lower eyelids done in office
A more comprehensive treatment for lower eyelids would be a lower lid blepharoplasty, which is best in patients who want a longer lasting solution for puffy eyelids , and have more severe issues with lower eyelid tear trough. The patient below had her procedure done through a small incision just below the lower lashes…
Lower Lid Blepharoplasty Before and After showing smooth and refreshed lower lid
Dr. Narasimhan is double board certified in plastic surgery and head/neck surgery (ENT) and has training in the cutting edge techniques. Whether filler, surgery or a combination of both, we will present all the options based on your surgical goals.
Learn more below…
Our Eyelid Before and After Gallery
Our Eyelid procedures link description
Call us today for a consultation on your options!
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