Bags under the eyes can make someone look tired no matter how much sleep they get. These bags consist of normal fat pads that are no longer held in place by a band of tissue called the orbital septum. As the septum weakens with age, puffiness under the eyes becomes more severe. The skin under the eyes often becomes wrinkled with age, and this is also usually addressed with a lower lid blepharoplasty.
Dr Hellman prefers a transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty, which means that the incision is on the backside of the eyelid. The fat pads are carefully dissected from the surrounding tissue and then either removed or transposed to fill in a hollow area below the bags known as the tear trough. If there are wrinkles of the lower eyelid, Dr Hellman will recommend either a CO2 laser skin resurfacing or a small skin excision of the lower lids. He may also recommend a canthopexy to tighten the lower lids and reduce the risk of lower eyelid retraction. Lower lid blepharoplasty leads to a more youthful, rested appearance. Unlike upper lid blepharoplasty, lower lid blepharoplasty is always a cosmetic procedure and is never covered by insurance.
Before (Top) & After (Bottom)
