Actual patient of mine, before and just 2 weeks after upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty. Close-up view
Tired-looking eyes are one of the most common complaints in my New York City plastic surgery practice.
AGING AROUND THE EYES
The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body, and it is the first place where you show your age. As early as the late 20s, crows feet or smile lines begin to etch themselves into the thin skin on the sides of the eyes. Dark circles and puffy bags under the eyes often come next, usually in the 30s. They are brought on not just by sleepless nights, professional stress, and the responsibility of childrearing, but also by the loss of elasticity in the skin. In the 30s and 40s, many people notice a hooding of the upper eyelids. In the 40s and beyond, extra skin folds accumulate on your eyelids and also underneath your eyes, making you appear more tired. A heavy groove begins to form between the bottom of your eye and your cheek (the "tear trough"). Makeup application becomes difficult. You look worn out and sad eyed, even when you feel energetic and happy.
SURGERY: EYELID LIFT (BLEPHAROPLASTY)
The most definitive and satisfying way to make your eyes more youthful, beautiful, and energetic is eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty. I consider blepharoplasty to be the gold standard for rejuvenating the eyes.
TEAR TROUGH FILLERS
In people with hollows underneath their eyes that make them look tired, I perform correction of deep tear troughs with fillers or fat transposition. My most popular procedure for this area is injection of Juvederm or Restylane in the tear troughs. This procedure takes minutes, has no downtime, and results can last for months to years. Tear trough fillers are best in patients who are younger with relatively good skin quality and minimal excess skin and fat.
CHEMICAL PEELS, LASER, BOTOX
In patients with younger tissue who require less, another great option is a chemical peel treatment to the skin around the eyes, as well as Botox to smooth out crows feet and smile lines. Both of these treatments also take just minutes. Downtime for Botox is minutes to hours, while chemical peels typically cause peeling of the skin 4-5 days after treatment.
