How do eyelids age?

As we age, so do our eyelids. The natural tendency of the upper eyelids is to descend vertically downwards while the lower eyelids tend to have a “bulging” of the fat surrounding the eye itself (leading to “bags under the eyes” appearance). The lower eyelid skin also becomes stretched out because of the fat protruding thus thinning out the skin even further (leading to the crepe-like appearance of the lower eyelids).

What can be achieved with a Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty and who is a good candidate?

Another one of the most commonly performed procedures in plastic surgery is lower eyelid blepharoplasty. This surgery can be fraught with complications unless performed by someone who is an expert in the area as Drs. Liu & Ahn. It is not as simple as removing “bags” or the excessively wrinkled skin on the lower eyelids. Too much or too little surgery can lead to devastating results, even blindness. It is traditionally known as an area with very little forgiveness in terms of uneven surgery.

People who complain of unwanted bags or puffiness along the lower eyelid or excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower lids may seek to have a lower blepharoplasty. Many reasons contribute to these problems including normal aging of the skin to hereditary factors and also sun damage.

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can make a significant change in the appearance of the face, improving the appearance of tiredness and old age by eliminating the excess, wrinkly skin or puffiness under the eyes. The eyes appear fresher and more youthful, and the results may last for many years.

This procedure involves not only removing the excess skin, fat, and underlying tissue but also reshaping and returning the lower eyelid to the proper contour to function properly in protecting and lubricating the eye itself.

There are many different approaches to lower eyelid surgery. We prefer the “scarless”, sutureless method of rejuvenating the lower eyelids from inside the eyelid. As opposed to making an incision on the outside part of the eyelid skin (where it will leave a lifelong scar), we make tiny incisions inside your lower eyelid that will heal very rapidly (within 2-4 days) and leave absolutely no visible scars. Additionally, there are no stitches used at all. The lower eye “bags” can be taken away or repositioned via this transconjunctival (inside lower eyelid) incision. Excessive skin can be addressed with a laser, chemical peel, or direct excision (rarely needed) although more often than not, the lower eyelid skin will retract quite well after the fat is taken away/repositioned.

This advanced technique to lower eyelids leads to much faster recovery time and reduces potential complications dramatically (such as ectropion) as there are no incisional manipulations of the eyelid skin.