As you age, structural changes in facial skin may cause sagging, thinning and discoloration under the eyes. The result is a weary look that can make you appear old beyond your years. Below, the experienced Cleveland-area plastic surgeons of Foglietti Fostyk Plastic Surgery discuss causes and solutions.
Habits and Inheritance
Sometimes bags under the eyes indicate a lack of sleep or a stressful lifestyle. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sudden weight loss and even allergies can also trigger the emergence of this unattractive facial feature. Sometimes the fault lies with your genetic inheritance, however: Your genes control how much fat will accumulate under the eyes, how elastic your skin will be as you age, and how much volume you will lose in your cheeks.
Dermal Fillers
As under-eye bags deepen, they often take on a darker appearance. Loss of volume and thinning skin expose blood vessels under the skin. One way to treat this loss of integrity in your under-eye skin is to use a dermal filler. Injectables rejuvenate the face by building volume to fill lines and hollows, while stimulating the production of the revitalizing natural proteins collagen and elastin.
Using dermal fillers to provide a cushion that compensates for thinner skin and loss of fat is sometimes referred to as “tear trough treatment.” This area, between the lower eye and the cheek, often begins to darken and lose volume sometime in our mid- to late 30s.
Although temporary solutions, dermal fillers are fast and convenient, requiring just a few office visits, or sometimes a single injection session. Juvéderm Volbella and Juvéderm Vollure are among the most effective ways to improve skin around the eyes.
Other Options
In the case of more noticeable dark circles, blood vessels and pigment can be directly targeted with laser treatment. Laser is also very effective in treating so-called “crepey” skin under the eyes. In some cases, patients may prefer Botox to relax muscles that are causing wrinkles and volume displacement near the eyes.
More invasive procedures include eye lift and fat transfer. Eye lift, or blepharoplasty, reduces bagginess from lower eyelids, as well as removing excess skin from upper eyelids. It improves sagging, thinning and discolored skin under the eyes with a permanent, surgical solution that tightens the skin surrounding the eyes and raises drooping eyelids. Weary expressions are brightened into a fresh, optimistic look. Unlike dermal fillers, the results of blepharoplasty are permanent.
For more information on treating dark circles and under-eye bags, schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Foglietti or Dr. Fostyk by contacting Foglietti Fostyk Plastic Surgery today.
