Eye lift surgery is one of the most simple cosmetic surgeries. It’s often an outpatient surgery using a local anesthetic (though not always), and most patients recover within a week. What are the signs that it may be time to consider an eye lift? Is this procedure right for you? Read on to find out.
What is an eye lift surgery?
An eye lift is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin in the eyelids or under the eyes. It’s most commonly done to the upper eyelid to avoid a tired, droopy-eyed look that can come with age. This happens due to sun and age-related damage that reduces the skin’s elasticity. Under-eye procedures are performed to remove excess baggy skin under the eyes. Surgery to the lower eyelid is sometimes done, but this is a more complicated procedure and requires general anesthesia.
Most people look at your eyes when speaking to you, so correcting imperfections around the eyes can make people think you’ve gained years of youth back without the need for a full facelift. People with the following conditions around their eyes are prime candidates for eye lifts.
Excess skin
Some people are born with extra skin on their upper eyelids. This can make it very difficult to apply makeup to these areas. Younger patients who want to use mascara or eye shadow—without their skin folding, and, ultimately, ruining the effect the skin could project—might consider an eye lift to eliminate it early.
Droopy lids
It’s possible for both the upper and lower eyelids to become droopy with age. This effect can become so pronounced that it can affect your vision. By removing excess skin and/or fat from the lids, this drooping can be corrected. If your eyelids are drooping to a point where they are causing vision problems, this surgery may be covered by your medical insurance.
Under-eye bags
Baggy eyes are caused by an excess of fat under the eye combined with loose facial skin. When the skin weakens, the fat isn’t held back as firmly, and it causes bags to appear. In some women, genetics can explain why there’s more fat than usual that gets deposited in this area and causes bags to appear at an early age. Lower eyelid surgery can correct these bags. In some cases, a full facelift may be needed.
Under-eye hollows
This is the opposite problem to under-eye bags. Too much lost facial fat can cause the skin under the eyes to sink and make your eyes look hollow. This can also happen because the fat around the eye moves above the eye socket. Either way, it can make your face look tired and sunken. A plastic surgeon can tell you whether or not an eye lift is the best procedure for this problem, as there are non-surgical methods that may be better.
Sleepy eyes
Some people get what’s called sleepy eyes or sad eyes. This happens when the outer corner of the eye starts to droop or is naturally turned down due to genetics. A subtle repositioning of the tendons of the eyelid is necessary to fix this problem so that your eyes can look happier and more alert.
Age-related eye skin trouble can happen as early as your 30s, but an eye lift surgery isn’t used for things like fine lines or a normal eyelid that’s just starting to become loose. Most of these symptoms don’t start strongly appearing strongly until your 60s.
For more information about whether or not an eye lift is what you need to look and feel younger, schedule a consultation with our experts today at The Lett Center. We’ll be glad to assist you.