Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes

Thomas W. Higginson

The eyes, and the area around them are the first areas of the face to show ageing changes. Initially the outer eyebrow area droops and then the skin on the upper lids becomes looser and starts to sag. Alongside this, the skin and fat pockets of the lower lids become thinner and puffier. Overall these changes contribute to a more aged and tired appearance.

It is no surprise then that a great proportion of anti-ageing strategies concentrate on this area. Treatments can be non-surgical or procedures that involve surgery. Each has its pros and cons, and most importantly, whichever treatment is considered should be tailored for you as an individual – one size doesn’t fit all.

The non-surgical approaches include muscle relaxants (such as Botox™) which act by weakening the muscles around the eyes. This stops them contracting, which stops them producing the wrinkles. For deeper set lines, hyaluronic acid fillers are an excellent treatment. They are ideal for a non-surgical approach to lower lid eyebags too if there is not much excess skin.

Whilst these non-surgical approaches have revolutionized early treatment of the ageing eye, with time, gravity and further sagging of the skin, surgery is required.

Nowadays eyelid surgery is safer than ever. With our better understanding of how the eyes age we can better tailor the procedure to suit people’s specific needs. Much eyelid surgery can be performed in the clinic under local anaesthetic, which means there is often no need to come to hospital for surgery.

Upper eyelid surgery leaves an imperceptible scar in the upper eyelid crease. It opens up and brightens the eyes in a natural and subtle way – the most common comments from friends of those who have had an upper eyelid lift are along the lines of: “you look well, have you been away?”

Sometimes, surgery to the eyebrow is also required to produce a balanced and harmonious rejuvenation. This can sometimes also be performed under local anaesthetic although some more involved techniques are still carried out in the hospital under a general anaesthetic.

Surgery to the lower eyelid bags is more variable – some people can have excellent results with small local anaesthetic procedures (that can be combined with filler to produce the best results) but others will require complex procedures that are more comfortably performed under a general anaesthetic.

At the end of the day, the best way to brighten up your eyes needs to be determined after a consultation with a Consultant Plastic Surgeon, and our Purity Bridge Consultants have a wealth of experience in this field.

For more information on eyelid surgery, please contact info@puritybridge.co.uk or phone 01892 536 960.