How Can I Get Rid of Baggy-Looking Eyes?

If you are tired of looking into the mirror and seeing someone wholooks...well...tired, blepharoplastymay be a great option for you.

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) can work wonders for rejuvenating andrestoring a youthful, alert appearance. The adage, “Your eyes are the windowsto your soul” is correct. All day long, we look at people and they look back atus. For those of us who are getting a bit older, the thin skin of our eyelidsresponds to gravity by bagging, sagging, and making us look older than we feel.

In some cases, eyelid skin loses so much elasticity that the uppereyelids hang over the eyes and interfere with vision. This condition is knownas ptosis. In other cases, the eyelids not only hang down, but fatty deposits makethem look puffy and unhealthy. Blepharoplasty is most often performed as acosmetic procedure to make the eyes appear more alert and refreshed. However,when the upper eyelid droops so severely that vision is blocked, the procedurebecomes a medical one to remove the interfering tissue.

The lower eyelids can also contribute to baggy-looking eyes withpuffiness, extra skin and tiny fat deposits.

The Blepharoplasty Procedure

Blepharoplasty is performed on an outpatient basis underlocal anesthesia. Tiny incisions in the eyelid’s natural crease are createdduring upper eyelid surgery to remove excess skin and to grade and sculpt thefat that causes lid puffiness.

For the lower lids, a procedure known as transconjunctivalblepharoplasty is used to make a small incision inside the lower eyelid so thatthe surgeon can sculpt and remove excess orbital fat without removing any skin.Dissolvable sutures are used to close the incisions.

The American Society for Aesthetic PlasticSurgery (ASAPS) reports that blepharoplasty was the third mostpopular cosmetic surgery in 2007, after liposuction and breast augmentation.

Treating Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Some individuals choosing eyelid surgery, also wanttreatment for fine lines around the eyes. Blepharoplasty does not treat finelines, but additional treatments, such as Botox®, can. Botox is an excellent choice for treatingcrow’s feet, frown lines and horizontal forehead lines.

Individuals who are best suited to eyelid surgery do notsmoke, have no chronic illness such as diabetes or HIV, and have no serious eyeconditions such as Dry Eye Syndrome.If you are in good health and have realistic expectations for the outcome, youmay be an excellent candidate for eyelid surgery.

When blepharoplasty is performed by a highly qualified and experienced eye surgeon, it is verysafe. Be completely honest with your eye doctor about your health history andlifestyle prior to your procedure. Also follow your doctor’s orders to theletter during recovery and you will already be on your way to a superioroutcome.