Despite having no impact to vision or health, there is a huge number of people who wants to get rid of the bags under their eyes. This is because eye bags affect the appearance of a person, making them look older and tired. Thanks to lower eyelid surgery, it is now possible to remove excess fatty tissues and skin from beneath the eye. Also known as lower lid blepharoplasty, this procedure is recommended for those who want to get rid of the loose skin and wrinkles of the undereye area. In Singapore, eye bag removal (https://1aesthetics.com/eye-bag-removal/) is very popular and currently, there are a lot clinics that offer different methods ranging from invasive to non-invasive types. If you are planning to avail the procedure, this article will provide everything you need to know about eye bag removal.
An ideal candidate for eye bag removal is someone who is 18 years old and above and is both physically and psychologically healthy. He or she would have excess fat and skin beneath the eyes, looks weary even with enough hours of sleep, and has no existing health conditions such as high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, or glaucoma. On the other hand, individuals that are less than 18 years old, allergic to anesthesia, scar easily, has tight facial skin or is a chronic drinker and/or smoker should avoid undergoing lower eyelid surgery. If you fit the description of the ideal candidate, then the next thing you can do is to find a surgeon that you are comfortable with so you can freely discuss your expectations and preferences.
There are five techniques that are used in eye bag removal:
- Traditional blepharoplasty – This involves creating an incision beneath the eyelashes and extracting fat from the lower lid to make the area look less sunken.
- Pinch Blepharoplasty – Fat is extracted from inside the eyelid and a “pinch” of skin is removed from the area. This procedure does not involve manipulating deeper tissues or extracting muscles.
- Laser Blepharoplasty – Lasers such as Erbium Yag or CO2 are sometimes used to tighten the skin beneath the eye. However, this is not recommended to everyone, especially for those with darker skin tones as laser can cause discoloration issues in highly pigmented skin. It also involved a longer recovery time compared to other techniques.
- Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty – This utilizes an electrically-heated device that can burn tissues (electrocautery). Instead of making regular incisions outside, the surgeon creates a cut inside the lower eyelid to remove excess fat. No visible scars are left with this technique.
- Canthopexy – Being the simplest eye bag removal technique, this involves making an incision to tighten the lower lid and subsequently elevate its position.
It is a common belief that eye bag removal is only possible through surgery, but the truth is, there are plenty of other options that you can choose from, including less invasive ones:
- Microneedling – This uses collagen induction therapy (CIT) to reduce the puffiness of eye bags. CIT works by inhibiting the production of elastin and collagen, which are proteins that are responsible for keeping the skin tight, smooth, and youthful-looking.
- Chemical peels – Botanical or natural acids are used to rejuvenate the skin, resulting in smoother appearance and less wrinkles. Chemical peels work by targeting the damaged outer layers to reveal tighter and firmer skin.
- Injectable fillers – Considered as a short-term solution to eye bags, fillers are injected around and under the eye bags to hide them and create a smoother transition from the lower lid to the cheek. No anesthetics are required for this procedure and it causes less pain compared to other methods.
Or, If you have no time to schedule a visit to the nearest aesthetics clinic, you can use cold teabag compress to reduce swelling in the eye area. This home remedy has no scientific basis but a lot of people swear by it. In any case, the results are temporary.
Lower eyelid surgery is an outpatient procedure. Following surgery, your doctor will provide post-surgical care instructions, which usually include using cold compresses for 48 hours post-surgery to manage swelling. Eye drops and ointments will be prescribed to avoid possible infections. There will be some discomfort, swelling, and bruising in the days following the surgery and it tales about six weeks to recover completely. Following the doctor’s instructions during the recovery period is crucial in achieving and maintaining successful results.
One important thing to note is that lower eyelid surgery will not stop the natural course of aging. This means that at a later time, your skin will sag and wrinkles may form again. The results of the surgery highly depend on your age and the quality of your skin. The removal of eye bags can help restore the youthfulness of a face and makes it look radiant, and more importantly, it can do wonders to a person’s self-confidence.