Eyes Wide Open – Say Adios to Hooded Eyes with Upper Eyelid Surgery

In our last blog we talked about lower eyelid blepharoplasty, or eye bag removal. This week we’ll take a closer look at the upper eyelids and what can be done about the hooded appearance eyes often acquire with age.

‘Droopy’ eyelids, known medically as ptosis, can be caused either by an excess of eyelid skin or by weakening of the levator muscles - the muscles that allow the eyelids to lift. This most commonly occurs with age, however, some people may be born with weaker-than-normal levator muscles, thereby developing ptosis at a young age.

Whichever type you have, upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) or levator surgery can correct the issue, making you look younger and fresher. Read on to find out more or call us for a consultation.

Why have I developed droopy eyelids?

Throughout one’s lifetime, the muscles responsible for eyelid closure tighten and relax millions of times – every time we blink.

Over the years, this use can stretch the delicate skin and result in an excess collecting on the upper eyelid. This skin laxity causes the eyelid to droop down and allows fat deposits to protrude forward, giving a pouchy appearance (sometimes called upper eye bags). 

However, it's not only older people who suffer from excess eyelid skin; unfortunately, some people are genetically predisposed to developing this condition earlier in life.

In some more rare cases the tendon-like tissue that helps the levator muscles to lift the eyelid can atrophy and lengthen leading to a true eyelid ptosis. Although both eyes are usually affected by ptosis, drooping may be worse in one eye. In severe cases, it can also interfere with vision.

It’s worth noting that sudden onset of ptosis, especially only on one side, can be a symptom of an underlying health condition, such as muscle disease or nerve damage caused by stroke, tumours or diabetes, so it’s advisable to see your GP in the first instance.

What can be done to correct upper eye bags?

Sadly, weakened levator muscles – even in the young - cannot be targeted through facial exercises or medications. The only effective treatment for ptosis is surgical levator muscle repair. Likewise, the appearance of sagging, crêpey excess skin on the upper eyelids will not be significantly improved with topical creams.

Fortunately, both issues can be corrected with an eyelift. An eyelift is a simple surgical procedure that involves the removal of excess fatty tissue and skin.

If the underlying cause of the droopiness is a weakness of the levator muscles, additionally a repair/shortening of the levator tendon maybe necessary.

If you are also suffering with a drooping and wrinkled brow, you may benefit from a brow lift. This will restore your eyebrows to their youthful position and can be performed in conjunction with eyelid surgery.

How is upper eyelid surgery performed?

Blepharoplasty is generally performed under local anaesthesia with sedation.  The eyelids and surrounding areas will be numb and you will be relaxed, but not asleep.

The surgeon first marks the individual lines and creases of the lids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible along these natural folds. An incision is made in the upper eyelid and a pre-determined amount of excess skin is carefully removed.

Next a small amount of orbicularis muscle is removed and an incision is made in the orbital septum. This allows the surgeon access to the orbital fat, which can be conservatively removed to reduce a puffy appearance.

In a case of levator muscle repair the surgeon will identify and prepare the even deeper lying levator muscle and its tendon and surgically shorten it.

Finally, fine sutures are used to close the incisions and small bandages are applied to protect the stitches.

The entire procedure takes no more than 2 hours and you will be able to go home afterwards, although you will need to arrange for another person to drive you. You should also have someone stay with you the night of the procedure.

How long is the recovery process?

After eyelid surgery, you will have stitches that will remain in for around 7 days. It is not an especially painful treatment and you can use pain medication to control any discomfort.

You may have trouble opening and closing your eye immediately after surgery, but as you recover, this function will return.

You will likely have some swelling and bruising, but you can speed up the recovery process by sleeping with your head elevated for the first few days after surgery and applying cold compresses.

If you go out, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the wind and to help you avoid squinting in the sunlight.

Your eyelids should look more or less normal within a week or two; however, you will not see the full results for 1-2 months.

It is advisable to book at least a week off work and avoid using a computer during this time, as it can dry the eyes. You should also avoid any activity that increases blood flow to the eyes (bending, lifting, crying and exercise).

After one week it is safe to wear makeup and contact lenses, while glasses can be worn immediately. That said, the skin is still very delicate, so one must be very gentle when applying or removing makeup, or touching the eye area.

Are there any possible side effects from upper eyelid surgery?

Complications and unwanted results from an eyelift are rare, but sometimes they do occur. These can include bleeding and infection, the inability to close the upper lid and dry eye syndrome. If patients currently have dry eyes, blepharoplasty surgery can make the eyes drier.

Will I be pleased with the results and how long will they last?

It is said that our eyes are the windows to our souls. They can say so much about our health, wellbeing and mood. Because they are such an important feature, a well-performed eyelift can produce a dramatic rejuvenating effect, literally taking years off of a person's appearance.

Even more importantly, in cases where ptosis is obstructing vision, an eyelid lift can usually restore normal sight.

The eyelids heal remarkably quickly and, because the incisions are made in the natural creases of the eye, scars are usually quite inconspicuous.

Upper eyelid surgery is generally long lasting – 7 to 10 years can be reasonably expected, although as many as 15 years is not uncommon. If it’s performed correctly, you are unlikely to require another upper eyelid blepharoplasty for many years. When your eyelids do start to sag again after that time the procedure can be easily repeated or maybe you will require a forehead lift/lateral brow lift.

Hate your heavy eyelids? Don’t let sagging lids prematurely age you. See how great you could look by checking out our before and after gallery of eyelid surgeries.

Banish Eye Bags For Good With Lower Blepharoplasty Surgery

Are you sick of people asking if you’re tired or unwell when you feel rested and healthy? Eye bags can be one of the most aging facial features and detract from an otherwise attractive appearance.

If you suffer from constant puffy eye bags you will no doubt have tried various lotions and potions, eye masks, teabags and cucumbers to try and eradicate them. The reality is that none of these will cure your problem. Read on to find out why and discover the only effective treatment…

What causes eye bags?

Eye bags can be caused by lack of sleep, water retention, allergies or bad health, but more often that not – if they are consistently present – they are caused by excess fat. The herniating orbital fat results in a pouch below the skin of the eyelid. 

Eye bags of this nature are usually hereditary, so if either of your parents suffers, you’ll know where they came from!

Unfortunately, eye bags only get worse as we age. This is because, as we age, we lose facial volume, further revealing the herniated fat.

Are there any effective non-surgical treatments?

The only way to really cure the problem is to reduce the excess fat, however you may be able to improve the appearance of eye bags by using facial fillers or injectable fat to disguise them. Non-surgical eye bags treatments work by adding volume to correct under eye uneveness or smooth the transition from under eye to upper cheek. 

How does eye bag surgery work?

Eye bag surgery – also called lower blepharoplasty or lower eyelid surgery – involves the conservative removal of orbital fat through an incision on the inside of the lower lid (transconjunctival approach). The incision is invisible and does not require any stitches.

In some case (particularly with older patients), the patient also requires removal of excess under eye skin and tightening of the muscle structure. In these cases, an incision is made just below the lower lash line (subciliary approach). Located in your natural skin crease, the incision is virtually invisible and is sealed either with very fine stitches or surgical glue.

Lower blepharoplasty surgery takes between 1.5 to 2 hours and is generally performed under local anesthesia.

To see Dr. Kaye, Head Surgeon at Ocean Clinic Marbella, perform a blepharoplasty, click here to watch a video.

Are there any possible side effects?

It is important that only the right amount of fat is removed during blepharoplasty to avoid leaving eyes with a hollowed out appearance. In some cases it may be necessary to employ the use of structural fat grafting or facial fillers to fill the tear trough and smooth the eye area out.

Likewise, if skin is being removed, it is vital not to remove too much so the shape of the eye is not changed. If the skin of the lower eyelid is excessively tight and pulled down it can cause both eye irritation and damage.

Fortunately if surgery is performed by an experienced surgeon the complication rate is very low. It is always advisable to choose a surgeon who can show you a number of before and after photographs from eye surgeries they have carried out. You can view ours here.

How long is the recovery?

Although everybody heals differently, bruising should subside within a week or two. If you have had stitches, these will be removed after 5 days.

Blepharoplasty is not a particularly painful procedure to undergo and you should not experience pain afterwards – although possibly a little discomfort. You are advised to sleep propped up and apply ice packs to reduce swelling.

How long will the results last?

How long the results of your surgery last depends on your age and genetics.   Remember; nothing stops the aging process, however a well-performed blepaharoplasty will usually last 10-15 years and most patients will usually only have one blepharoplasty per lifetime.

Will people notice the difference?

A well-performed blepaharoplasty is a very subtle treatment – it should not be obvious you’ve had surgery. However, people will notice that there’s ‘something different’ about you. They will probably tell you that you look “really well and rested”. Maybe they’ll think you’ve been on holiday!

Eye bag removal is one of the most rejuvenating facial procedures and will leave you looking and feeling great.

If you’re tired of wasting money on useless eye creams, book an appointment at Ocean Clinic Marbella today and look forward to a bag-free future.

Uncover Fresh, New, Baby Soft Skin with a Chemical Peel

A chemical skin treatment lets you peel back the years without the need for invasive surgery

If your skin is starting to show signs of age, you might think your only option is a facelift. However, it’s well worth considering a deep peel before signing up for surgery.

Developments in peeling treatments mean even deep lines and wrinkles can be effectively treated. In addition, the appearance of skin pigmentation, scars and blemishes can all be improved.

Not only is peeling less invasive than a facelift, it’s also significantly cheaper. Book a free consultation with Ocean Clinic Marbella to find out if a chemical peel could achieve the results you’re looking for.

What is a peel?

A chemical peel is a skin resurfacing technique, which involves stripping away layers of old skin to make way for new cells. The process is similar to a snake shedding its skin to reveal a bright, new appearance.

There are different types and strengths of peels, ranging “superficial peels”, which remove only the very top layers of skin, through to “deep peels”, which penetrate deep into the skin and work on deeper winkles.

How does it work?

A chemical solution, containing alpha hydroxy acids, tricholoracetic acid (TCA) or phenol, is applied to the skin and allowed to soak in. The solution reacts with the epidermis, breaking it down in a controlled way.

Peel "depth" or the number of skin layers removed, is determined by both solution ingredients and concentration.

Skin is prepared for treatment by the application of special cream for 4-6 weeks beforehand. This is done at home, by the patient.

What areas/problems can be treated?

Peeling can be applied to the whole face or concentrated on one area. Peeling can be used to treat:

·      Sun damage

·      Wrinkles around the mouth including “smokers lines” above the upper lip

·      “Crowsfeet” wrinkling around the eyes

·      Fine wrinkling of the upper eyelids

·      Keratosis pilaris “chicken skin”

·      Acne scars

·      Age spots

·      Discolouration

·      Some pre-cancerous skin growths

The characteristics of your skin, such as its colour, thickness and texture, may influence whether you are a good candidate for a chemical peel.

Does it hurt?

For a light or medium depth peel a numbing cream will be applied to the skin, but patients may experience a mild burning sensation while the treatment is being administered.

For a deep peel a short anaesthesia or deep sedation is necessary and the patient generally stays 24 hours in the clinic.

Some discomfort may be experienced afterwards but can be controlled with painkillers.

What is the recovery time?

Facial peeling is a non-surgical, minimal-invasive treatment and is performed mostly on an out patient basis, except for full face phenol peels (deep peels).

A full-face deep chemical peel takes 1 hour to perform. A more limited procedure (such as treatment of wrinkling above the lip) will generally take less than a half-hour.

After a deep peel a powder mask is applied to protect the skin while it regenerates. This is worn for 1 week, so patients normally take this period off work.

Superficial or medium depth peels only require a daily application of creams for the period of one month, and the skin normally peels after 6-8 days.

How soon will I see results?

Although skin will look very red, results are visible immediately after the peel; skin appears smoother and unlined.

As the redness subsides over the following 6-8 weeks, it will give way to soft, blemish-free skin and a radiant glow.

Make-up can be applied immediately after the powder mask has come off (1 week), and patients can expose their skin to the sun, providing they protect themselves with factor 50 SPF sun cream at all times.

Are there any side effects?

Skin resurfacing procedures are generally safe when performed by an experienced cosmetic surgeon, however certain skin types may present contraindications, so a thorough consultation is essential.

Potential risks include unanticipated skin colour changes or skin blotchiness, infection, allergic reaction and scarring. In addition, chemical peeling could trigger an eruption in patients prone to herpes.

How long will the results last?

Although chemical peeling can turn back the clock, it cannot stop time. Your new skin will continue to age, but results can be maintained as long as possible through avoiding sun exposure and other skin aging activities such as smoking and drinking.

Well cared for skin can enjoy an enhanced appearance for as long as 10 years post a deep peel. At this point, you may choose to undergo another facial peel. Lighter peels will lose their efficacy more quickly, but can be repeated more frequently.

Want to turn over a new leaf and reveal healthy, young-looking skin? Take a look at these before and after photographs to see what kind of results you can hope to achieve.