Drooping eyelids are among the most noticeable signs of aging. In fact, when you are making eye contact with someone during a conversation, they may be noticed sooner than some of the other signs of aging like sagging of the jowls or wrinkles in other parts of the face. Because of this, you might want to look into eyelid surgery to help you look and feel younger.
There are many factors that can contribute to drooping eyelids. Loose skin is one of them. As you age, your skin will naturally lose some of its tightness as your body produces less collagen. Collagen is found in the lower skin layers and serves the purpose of providing tightness and fullness. It also helps tissue to stick together. While it is naturally produced by the skin, the rate at which it grows will start to decline with age. This is why loose skin is associated with the aging process. Loose skin can cause the skin to sag and wrinkles to form. Loosening of the skin around the eyelids can cause them to sag as well.
Another thing that leads to drooping eyelids is the movement of fat into them. There is a fatty layer between the eyes and the skull to provide padding between the two. It is held in place by a membrane that can weaken with time. When it does, it is no longer able to hold the fatty tissue in its proper place, and it can move forward and end up in the eyelids. This will cause them to droop and appear puffy.
Muscles that weaken with time also can impact the function of the eyelids. It can be more difficult for the eyelids to be held up because the muscles have a more difficult time overcoming the gravitational pull that is at work.
When the upper eyelids start to droop, they can fall down over the upper part of the eye. The lower ones will pull away from the eye and expose more of the white part in the lower half of the eyeball. If the upper eyelids droop far enough, they can reduce the affected person’s field of vision. This can lead to dangerous situations during activities that require good eyesight such as driving. In these cases, eyelid surgery can have both cosmetic and functional benefits.
Eyelid surgery can be performed on the upper eyelid, lower eyelid or both. The procedure will be customized for you, but the process generally consists of removing excess skin from the area. Depending on your needs, our surgeon can remove excess fat as well.
If you are in the Santa Rosa or Indianapolis areas and want to look and feel younger, you may benefit from eyelid surgery with our talented plastic surgeon at Chernoff Cosmetic Surgery. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and find out if this procedure is right for you.