Many people have asked if anything can be done for the unsightly bags under their eyes. These usually come on with age, and become more prominent as time passes. They are puffy especially in the morning, and appear dark gray in color due to the extra fluid they suck up overnight. Walking around with them in the morning enough times and you are sure to pick up a few unsolicited, albeit earnest, inquiry about your health or general well being. “Did you sleep well last night?”, “Are you feeling tired?”, or “How late did you you stay out last night?” are some of the common remarks you might get peppered with by friends and family. By the end of the day, you couldn’t help but feel tired, just from the comments alone.
These bags may seem to have “appeared” out of thin air. In fact, they are your normal fat pads that have herniated. We have several fat pads in the lower lid region that help cushion the eye. These are normally held back by a retention sheet of tissue called the orbital septum. As we age, weakness develops within the septum, and the fat pads find their ways to sneak forward. One peculiar property about these pads is that they do not expand or shrink with your diet as fat elsewhere in your body. Many people that have lost weight often find these pads becoming even more obvious as they lose weight. The best alternative is to remove them surgically, through a surgery called transconjunctival blepharoplasty.
Dr. Yu at the Black Hills Regional Eye Institute is a fellowship-trained oculoplastics surgeon specialized in cosmetic procedures around the eyes, the ideal doctor for this condition. Dr. Yu would make an incision along the inside of the eyelid, isolate each fat pad, then remove them in a balanced, smooth fashion, leaving no external incisions. There are a few muscles in the area to look out for, but otherwise it is a straightforward procedure with a high success rate. These pads usually push and stretch out the overlaying skin, so Dr. Yu might recommend some reshaping of the skin at the same time. There is some swelling after surgery, which goes away nicely after a few weeks. The result is a rejuvenated lower lid and a much happier patient.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Yu to see if you would be a good candidate for this procedure, and get started a fresher, rejuvenated new you!
