Would a skin pinch help with excess skin? (Photos)

Question

I have bags under the eye and hollowing and when I smile I have developed excessive skin that wrinkles a great deal. I would like to know if a transconjunctival blepharoplasty and reposition the fat would help. I then wonder if a skin pinch would help the extra skin. Would it help the wrinkles? Could the insision scar or darken ( I have melasma?) what are the overall risks?

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

You have some mild fat prolapse in the lower lids.  You do have some fine wrinkling of the lower lids.  A good option would be some filler to the lower lids and some laser resurfacing to help improve the skin texture.If you do a blepharoplasty you will see some improvement.  You don't seem to have a lot of fat, so may not get much filling of the tear trough by moving that fat.  Taking some skin will help, but you still want to improve the texture with some laser.  Melasma would not affect the scar.

Reza Momeni, MD, FACS · Answer

Skin pinch does help with excess skin but it's almost never enough in my experience to address the lower eyelid aging on its own.  Be sure to discuss your goals and concerns with your board certified plastic surgeon and consider the pros and the cons. Be certain your surgeon is properly certified.  I've attached a link where you can start your search. Without an exam, it will not be possible to fully evaluate you and give you recommendations.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

From the photos, it appears that there are infraorbital sacs and tear trough formation. There also appears to be some volume loss in the upper cheek regions.  Often, as was the case with a patient I had earlier today, the volume deficit in the cheeks is responsible for the development or aggravation of the tear troughs and for the sac formation. Simply treating the cheeks with a volumizing filler in my patient was enough to significantly ameliorate the volume problem, but very importantly significantly improvedthe tear troughs and softened the sacs. If still deemed necessary, filler may also be directly applied directly to the infraorbital region for further improvement, atthough this was unnecessary in my patient. Further improvement can be achieved via the use of a mild TCA peel directly under the eyes, and finally, a microdroplet or two of Botox may sotten the excessive crinkling with motion (smiling) seen in the photo. You would be wise to consult with a board certified aesthetic physician and make certain to ask to see his/her before and after photos before agreeing to proceed. Best of luck.

Michael Kreidstein, MD, FRCS(C) · Answer

You mention two very effective tools in lower lid improvement, but be sure to see a surgeon who also has expertise in chemical peel of lower eyelid skin.  A peel can tighten skin without a scar, and correct melasma (will need to follow pre/post peel skin protocol for best results).

Mehdi Sina, MD · Answer

Hi,It is difficult to answer your questions without medical quality photographs. If you only concerned with excess loose skin around the eyes and fine lines, then laser resurfacing is a great option. The laser requires a series of 3 treatments with minimal downtime, there is mild redness that resolves in about 72 hours. If have big eye bags, then a blepharoplasty with laser is a great option. A skin pinch has some risks associated with it and I prefer resurfacing (for moderate skin laxity) over excision. Best,Mehdi Sina, MD

Would a skin pinch help with excess skin? (Photos)

Answers (8)

Answer: Lower Lid Options

Answer: Lower Lid Options

Answer: Blepharoplasty vs laser resurfacing

Answer: Blepharoplasty vs laser resurfacing

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Everything you need to know about Eyelid Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Would a skin pinch help with excess skin? (Photos)

Answers (8)

Answer: Lower Lid Options

Answer: Lower Lid Options

Answer: Blepharoplasty vs laser resurfacing

Answer: Blepharoplasty vs laser resurfacing

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Eyelid Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.