How Do I Get Rid of Eye Bags?

Eye bags are the appearance of the lower eyelid fat pads. As we age and lose facial volume, the bags are revealed. In the past, the only way to get rid of the eyebags was by blepharoplasty, lower eyelid surgery. The surgery was performed usually from inside the eyelid (transconjunctival blepharoplasty) or through an incision in the skin just below the lash line. The excess fat was removed.

In the past 6-7 years, our philosophy about the lower eyelids has evolved. We now preserve the volume (fat) of the lower lid, and in the majority of patients are able to get rid of the bags by replacing the lost volume in the lower eyelid tear trough.

A small amount of Restylane injected in the proper manner blends the "eye bag" with the upper cheek, restoring a youthful, rested appearance to the eyes. The treatment takes about 15 minutes, is relatively painless, and the results are immediately evident. The treatment is very delicate and advanced training and ability are required. In the proper hands, the treatment is very safe and effective.

If you decide on fat transfer, your own fat can be similiarly placed. Once again, it is imperative that you seek an experienced practioner, as fat is a permanent filler. For patients with very large bags, surgery is sometimes still necessary. Once treated, instead of looking tired after a full night's sleep, you can look most rested after staying up all night.

A combination approach will give the most improvement with eye bags. For my patients who wish to avoid surgery, we use fillers, lasers, microneedling/PRP and stem cells to improve under the eyes. I suggest consulting with an expert to develop a treatment plan best suited for your short and long term goals. Best, Dr. Emer

A lower eyelid tuck also known as a lower blepharoplasty is the surgical procedure that can remove bags under the eyelids and tighten the skin. There is no other good procedure to remove bags under the eyelid, in other words there are no lasers or creams that can do this. Everybody is somewhat different and a good consultation is needed. If the changes are minimal, often one can do small camouflage type techniques including filler injections. There are some powerful laser treatments that can help with fine wrinkles but they do not treat bags under the eyes. Most plastic surgeons prefer a blepharoplasty as laser treatments that are powerful enough to remove wrinkles often leave blotchy redness which can persist for quite a bit of time.