My bags are puffy and dark - but the puffiness is what bothers me most. I look tired when I'm not tired. What type of blepharoplasty is recommended at my age? I doubt fat transfer is the answer for me.
November 20, 2014
Answer: Treatment of hereditary under eye bags In general, there are two methods to help with hereditary under eye bags. The non-surgical option would be using a filler, like Restylane, to inject under the bags to camouflage them. This is a fairly simple procedure but it would be temporary. The other option would be to address the excess fat surgically. This would give a much longer lasting result and deal with the issue directly.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
November 20, 2014
Answer: Treatment of hereditary under eye bags In general, there are two methods to help with hereditary under eye bags. The non-surgical option would be using a filler, like Restylane, to inject under the bags to camouflage them. This is a fairly simple procedure but it would be temporary. The other option would be to address the excess fat surgically. This would give a much longer lasting result and deal with the issue directly.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
Answer: Your eye bags can be removed with a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, and your under eye skin improved non-surgically Genetics is a very big factor in the presence of eye bags. It is related to the anatomic structure of the septum or the sheet that separates the front of the eye to the back of the eye. In under eye bags, there is fat behind the septum. When fat pushes forward, it’s called herniated fat. A lot of patients come to us after trying creams, teabags and all kinds of different things and find out that none of them work because what you are dealing with is an anatomic issue. There are two ways to address the fat pockets: one is from the outside called the transcutaneous blepharoplasty, and from the inside called the transconjunctival blepharoplasty. For someone like you, we would typically do a combination of things to address the different aspects of lower eyelid rejuvenation. We address the fat pockets and also address the skin quality and the volume issues that also coincide with this puffiness. We commonly do a transconjunctival blepharoplasty which means addressing the fat from the inside of the eyelids. We would combine that with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) which is derived from your own blood. It’s a concentration of the growth factors that are used for healing. By placing these growth factors under the skin, it generates collagen and improves the blood supply to the skin. It adds a nice quality to the under eye area which often has a lot of shadowing and wrinkling. Last but not least, we often use a fractional CO2 laser. There is certainly a role for a limited amount of thermal energy to tighten and stimulate collagen from the external approach. It also refreshes the top layer of the skin. I agree with you that fat transfer is not the solution for you. I have many colleagues who have tried in vain to use fat to augment and restore volume. Part of the basis of this is the fact that we lose fat and volume in the cheek and in the facial structure as we get older. Unfortunately, the skin doesn’t tolerate that much volume and between 30-70% of the fat can be absorbed by the body. Inflammation and scarring of the fat can create irregularities and lumps. I have patients who come to me from all over the world who have had fat transfers done elsewhere and requested that I try to remove this fat. It is technically very challenging and it is always a more complex operation than doing a lower eyelid blepharoplasty. In addition, be mindful of your anesthesia options. We perform these procedures under local anesthesia with LITE™ IV sedation, meaning we don’t use general anesthesia. We perform these procedures in our own Joint Commission-certified facilities. Therefore, we basically have the benefits of a hospital structure, equipment, process and personnel, but in a more relaxed and familiar setting. Addressing under eye bags really makes a remarkable difference in a person’s appearance. They look less tired and more energetic. It’s almost like doing a facelift without doing a facelift. I recommend that you meet with some qualified experienced cosmetic surgeons and find someone who resonates with you. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your question. This personalized video answer to your question is posted on RealSelf and on YouTube. To provide you with a personal and expert response, we use the image(s) you submitted on RealSelf in the video, but with respect to your privacy, we only show the body feature in question so you are not personally identifiable. If you prefer not to have your video question visible on YouTube, please contact us.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
Answer: Your eye bags can be removed with a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, and your under eye skin improved non-surgically Genetics is a very big factor in the presence of eye bags. It is related to the anatomic structure of the septum or the sheet that separates the front of the eye to the back of the eye. In under eye bags, there is fat behind the septum. When fat pushes forward, it’s called herniated fat. A lot of patients come to us after trying creams, teabags and all kinds of different things and find out that none of them work because what you are dealing with is an anatomic issue. There are two ways to address the fat pockets: one is from the outside called the transcutaneous blepharoplasty, and from the inside called the transconjunctival blepharoplasty. For someone like you, we would typically do a combination of things to address the different aspects of lower eyelid rejuvenation. We address the fat pockets and also address the skin quality and the volume issues that also coincide with this puffiness. We commonly do a transconjunctival blepharoplasty which means addressing the fat from the inside of the eyelids. We would combine that with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) which is derived from your own blood. It’s a concentration of the growth factors that are used for healing. By placing these growth factors under the skin, it generates collagen and improves the blood supply to the skin. It adds a nice quality to the under eye area which often has a lot of shadowing and wrinkling. Last but not least, we often use a fractional CO2 laser. There is certainly a role for a limited amount of thermal energy to tighten and stimulate collagen from the external approach. It also refreshes the top layer of the skin. I agree with you that fat transfer is not the solution for you. I have many colleagues who have tried in vain to use fat to augment and restore volume. Part of the basis of this is the fact that we lose fat and volume in the cheek and in the facial structure as we get older. Unfortunately, the skin doesn’t tolerate that much volume and between 30-70% of the fat can be absorbed by the body. Inflammation and scarring of the fat can create irregularities and lumps. I have patients who come to me from all over the world who have had fat transfers done elsewhere and requested that I try to remove this fat. It is technically very challenging and it is always a more complex operation than doing a lower eyelid blepharoplasty. In addition, be mindful of your anesthesia options. We perform these procedures under local anesthesia with LITE™ IV sedation, meaning we don’t use general anesthesia. We perform these procedures in our own Joint Commission-certified facilities. Therefore, we basically have the benefits of a hospital structure, equipment, process and personnel, but in a more relaxed and familiar setting. Addressing under eye bags really makes a remarkable difference in a person’s appearance. They look less tired and more energetic. It’s almost like doing a facelift without doing a facelift. I recommend that you meet with some qualified experienced cosmetic surgeons and find someone who resonates with you. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your question. This personalized video answer to your question is posted on RealSelf and on YouTube. To provide you with a personal and expert response, we use the image(s) you submitted on RealSelf in the video, but with respect to your privacy, we only show the body feature in question so you are not personally identifiable. If you prefer not to have your video question visible on YouTube, please contact us.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful