Can lower eyelids surgery help to lift sagging jowls and minimise scarring?

Question

I am 42 and had minifacelift and lower eyelids surgery about 5 years ago. My face is still good and quite young, but the skin under my eyes is wrinkled and flabby again, and my jowls are sagging. I do not have excess skin anywhere on my face, but under my eyes; May I suppose another under eye surgery and can I benefit from incisions made under my eyes for liftng and fixing jowls without making too many incisions??

Houtan Chaboki, MD · Answer

Lower eyelid surgery does not improve the jowls. A mini lift, lower facelift, neck lift or similar procedure on the chin and jawline would be better option to treat jowls. For patients who have had lower eyelid surgery, another surgical procedure might be appropriate after several years. A nonsurgical option with fillers may be an option too. If you haven't already, then speak with a plastic surgeon to review potential options with you.Best,Dr. Chaboki

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

If you have wrinkled skin in the lower lids, you may need to have some volume added - such as fat or filler.  Also may benefit more from laser resurfacing to improve the skin texture as opposed to just cutting more skin out.  Lower eyelid surgery is not going to elevate the jowls.   For that you would need a lower facelift, or may want to consider Ulthera.

Jessica Lattman, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Surgery on the lower eyelids does not improve jowels. But, if you have excess lower eyelid skin, it is reasonable to have that removed. In my experience patients can achieve excellent and natural results when addressing just the lower eyelid skin.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can help with lower eyelid skin laxity.  A facelift is needed if you wish to improve jowling in the lower face.  Both procedures can be performed with minimal scarring.   Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Keshav Magge, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. It is hard to tell without an in person consult but you may benefit from a pinch blepharoplasty to treat the excess skin on your lower eyelids.  However, another lower eyelid surgery would not address your jowls. That may require another mini facelift.  Best to speak to a board certified plastic surgeon for an in person consultation.

Alyson Wells, MD, FACS · Answer

Without photographs, it is difficult to give precise recommendations.  However, lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) will not improve jowling, which is sagging in the lower face.  At your young age, I would be cautious about further lower eyelid surgery that removes skin.  An in-person consultation with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon who performs facial aesthetic surgery on a regular basis would be beneficial so they could explain all of your options.  Best wishes!

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Further eye surgery will not improve your jowls. Perhaps the mini-lift did not do enough for you and you need a more formal facelift?  You would have to be seen in person. Best of luck.

Robert S. Schmidt, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. More surgery on your lower eyelids may address laxity there, but it won't be able to do anything for your lower face. In fact, revision lower eyelid surgery can be pretty tricky and predispose you to future problems, so I'd try to talk you out of it if you were my patient.Instead, I would suggest a non-invasive therapy called Pelleve which uses radiofrequency to stimulate collagen formation and tighten the skin. It works very well around the eyes, particularly for someone as young as you. For the lower face, Pelleve would also be an option, but you might consider a minimally invasive treatment called PrecisionTx which also stimulates collagen formation and allows removal of some fat. The results are close to those we can get with a true facelift, for a fraction of the downtime and cost.

Robert Graper, MD · Answer

We need a picture to help answer this question. Once we make a diagnosis about what aging you have and the significance of the aging then we can recommend procedures to address those issues. See a board certified plastic surgeon for advice. Good luck.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

No,  the primary goal for lower eyelid surgery is to remove the fatty deposits creating the puffiness look in the lower lids. The minor or secondary goal is to tighten up any loose skin in the lower lids. If there is jowls present, a facelift is required  to improve and tighten them. For many examples of both procedures, please see the link and the video below

Can lower eyelids surgery help to lift sagging jowls and minimise scarring?

Answers (10)

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