The periocular area (or the area around our eyes) is one of the most delicate areas and one that significantly impacts our emotional quotient. And the first signs of ageing usually appear in and around our eyes. So how do we rejuvenate this area to enable more graceful ageing? Luckily there are many surgical and non-surgical ways to achieve this refresh. In this article, I want to share the main surgical options for eyelid rejuvenation.
Most surgical procedures last between 3-5 years but may last longer depending on various factors, including the patient's genetic makeup and lifestyle. The most common types of surgical procedures include:
Blepharoplasty eliminates baggy regions under the lower eyelids and excess skin from the upper eyelids. The thin skin of the upper eyelids stretches, causing this area to look wrinkled. An upper blepharoplasty or 'eyelid lift' is required to improve the appearance of the loose upper eyelid reshape skin, muscle and supporting tissues or fat. Lower eyelids may acquire dark circles, loose skin and bulging fat. The excess skin and fat are not only cosmetically unappealing but can also lead to limited peripheral vision, sweat collection, and difficulty wearing glasses. Treatments include lower blepharoplasty to smoothen the lids and reduce puffy fat around the eyes.
Eye-bags
An eyelid lift or ptosis repair is used to lift and re-contour droopy lids. The lids can be droopy due to age, trauma, congenital disabilities, eye allergies, and contact lens usage. This condition is characterised by an upper eyelid resting in a low position, often interfering with vision. This is corrected with a blepharoptosis or 'ptosis' repair, which usually involves lifting or repairing the eyelid.
Forehead and brow lift - This procedure is performed to lift the droopy or saggy brows. Droopy brows not only give a tired look to the face and eyes but can also be functionally debilitating due to excess peripheral skin over the lids. Forehead and brow lifting are procedures to lift and re-inflate these structures to bring back youthfulness.
Brow-lift
Scar removal - Bad or unwanted scars following surgery, injury, acid burns or trauma can be treated surgically. Scars are not only cosmetically painful but can also lead to changes in the position of the eyelids and brows - pulling in out of lids, non-closure of lids, tearing and so on. Scars can be managed by topical treatments like gels, compressions, injectables like dermal fillers, surface resurfacing with dermabrasions, lasers, and surgical excision and smoothening.
Eyelid contouring can reshape and realign deformed, abnormal eyelids like widely spaced eyelids, small eyelids and wide eyelids or even absent eyelids.
Correction of sunken eyes - Sunken eyes are nothing but deep-set eyes, with prominent cheekbones and hollowness along the lower lid, giving a dull, tired look with dark circles. Sunken eyes can be congenital due to diseases, surgery and injury to the eye and its surrounding structures.
Correction of prominent eyes - Prominent eyes are most commonly seen in thyroid patients. Other causes are tumours, inflammation of the soft tissue around the eyes, or even hereditary. The standard procedure to correct prominent eyes is bone decompressions.
Correction of absent eyes - Unfortunately, some children are born with absent eyes. This is a complex condition where they lose their eyes due to fulminant infections, injury, or tumours. The cosmetic rehabilitation of these cases is done with advanced surgeries to reline the surface, augment the lost volume with artificial implants and render prosthetic eyes.
Eye surgery
Stem cell therapy is one of the most advanced treatments available today. Stem cells are present in our body fat. These cells help in natural skin rejuvenation and change its texture and colour. Simple liposuction of fat and a scientific method of harvesting and implantation is the cheapest and the most readily available source of stem cells.
Eyelid paralysis - Like any other body part, even the eyelids can get paralysed. Paralysis is part of facial paralysis and is a pervasive entity. The patients have reduced blink rate, teary eyes, inturned or out-turned eyelids and a distorted face. This is not only cosmetically unappealing but also not good for the general health of the eyes. The correction is done by an amalgam of reconstructive procedures around the eyelids, the use of gold weight implants, and injectables like Botox and fillers.
Co-founded by Dr Shubhra Goel, a prominent, multiple award-winning, dually certified oculoplastic surgeon with decades of experience worldwide, Clinica Fai (www.clinicafai.com) is a super-specialist medical clinic that provides eye and face corrective treatments with particular focus on correction of dark circles, baggy/puffy eyelids & previous treatments gone wrong. Dr Shubhra Goel has been trained under celebrity oculofacial plastic surgeon Dr Cynthia Boxrud from LA and superstar dermatologist Dr Zein Obagi from Beverly Hills.