Refreshing Tired Eyes
By Steven S Orten, MD
The eyes are a focal point of the face and have a tremendous impact on our appearance. Although, a person may not feel tired, the eyes may appear sad, tired, or older than the rest of the face. The eyes may develop wrinkled and redundant skin, dark circles, puffy eyelids, and droopy brows due to aging, sun-exposure and gravity.
Aging changes around the eyes can create functional problems as well. When the skin on the upper eyelid and brow looses tone, the eyebrows drop and an extra fold of skin can hang over the eyelid margin and interfere with vision. Vision is obstructed when looking upward because the excess skin hangs like a visor over the eyes.
If the natural sparkle of youth has faded from your eyes, take heart. A number of facial plastic surgery procedures are available to revitalize your eyes and restore a more youthful appearance and a full field of vision. Droopy eyebrows, forehead wrinkles, sagging upper eyelid skin, or a perpetual worried look can be rejuvenated with a browlift (also known as a forehead lift). Browlift procedures can raise and reshape the eyebrows, lift and tighten the forehead skin, and soften creases on the forehead and between the eyebrows. More people are opting to have this procedure performed endoscopically because small incisions are hidden in the hairline and there is no permanent numbness to the forehead.
Redundant upper and lower eyelid skin may be removed by performing a blepharoplasty procedure. This involves hiding tiny incisions in natural creases of the eyelid or behind the eyelid. Excess skin folds and fat are removed and the incisions are closed with fine sutures, which heal quickly and are usually imperceptible.
For unwanted crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead creases Botox injections may be used to temporarily efface these wrinkle lines, and provide a softer, smoother look around the eyes. Fine wrinkle lines and crepe-like skin may also be tightened by laser surgery or chemical peels.
Who knows, correcting that tired eye appearance may give you a fresher outlook on life.
