They say that “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” “what the eye does not admire, the heart does not desire,” and “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
What makes the eyes so special? Your parents probably taught you as a child to have a good handshake and to make eye contact while talking to someone. Eye contact is important, and wired in us from birth. When we talk to each other, our eyes tend to lick into the gaze of the other person. Therefore, when we address eye rejuvenation, anything we can do with the eyes normally pays one of the highest dividends. It is the first area I assess when a facial rejuvenation patient comes into the office.
Eye rejuvenation in this area can be broken down into three main parts:
- The brow complex
- The upper eyelid complex
- The lower eyelid complex
Upper Eyelid Complex
Drooping eyelids are prevalent in our society. The causes of this condition are somewhat mysterious. It can be attributed to genetic predisposition, allergies or the catchall condition of just getting older. A drooping eyelid can occur over just one eye, which creates an “off” appearance that can make people uncomfortable or it can occur in both eyelids.
As time passes, our body undeniably feels the effect. It is natural that our eyelids will lose some of their high and tight appearances. Generally, this is not a cause for concern. The upper eyelid complex is the easiest, and fastest to rejuvenate.
Almost always, upper eyelid rejuvenation requires a minor surgery called upper blepharoplasty. Depending upon your specific situation, the surgeon will look to remove excess fat or skin and modify the musculature. A simple upper blepharoplasty takes about 45 minutes, is done under local anesthesia, and you can actually drive yourself home afterward. The post-operative care is also simple: ice the area for one day, wash the incisions daily, and you can even start wearing eye makeup again within a week.
In my opinion, upper blepharoplasty is the quickest, easiest thing you can do to look younger. Patients usually say they can see more, their eyes are more open and brighter, and they look more awake than usual.
Lower Eyelid Complex
The lower eyelid complex is, in my opinion, one of the most complicated areas to rejuvenate. Patients frequently come in with a complaint of eye bags. In the past, the solution was always to remove fat from the under-eye region. The problem with this methodology is that it frequently leaves patients looking hollow, which ends up giving them more than rejuvenating them. The lower eyelid complex is not an area where there is one answer to all problems. Rejuvenation of this area usually involves a balance of fat resection, volume replenishment (filler or fat), and possible skin excision.
For a detailed eye rejuvenation consultation to find out what would work best for you, give us a call today at our Houston Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic!
