Eye-bag
‍removal surgery

Why Do You Have Eye Bags?

To understand how eye bag removal works, it’s helpful to know why eye bags begin appearing in the first place. There are a few different factors that cause you to have bags under your eyes. Often, more than one of those factors will contribute to these eye bags at the same time.

One of the most common causes of sagging skin or under eye bags is when you begin losing fatty tissue in your upper checks- right underneath your eye bags. This fat is present throughout your face and resides just underneath your skin. As you age, this tissue deflates and breaks down in your cheeks much faster than under your eyes.

Because this deflation is uneven, you’re left with protruding or elevated fat bulges underneath your eyes. Another common cause is when your orbital septum begins to weaken. This membrane is what holds your fat underneath your eye. As you begin to age, your orbital septum begins to weaken. This causes the fat behind the orbital septum to press on the skin and bulge outward. This adds to or causes eye bags.  While some people assume that puffy eyes and under eye bags are due to allergies and fatigue, these are actually often due to lower eyelid fat prolapse. When the fat is removed, sculpted, and/or repositioned, the appearance of bags is greatly improved.

For some people, they’re simply genetically predisposed to a little extra fat under their eyes, which can contribute to eye bags as they age.

Is Eye Bag Removal Right For You?

Before surgery, you’ll need to have a detailed discussion and examination with an experienced surgeon. They’ll let you know all about the benefits and potential risks associated with blepharoplasty and will determine whether you need surgery for eye bag removal or whether the first step could be dermal fillers.

During the consultation, your surgeon should listen to any concerns you have, determine what’s causing your bags, and work out a treatment plan based on your facial anatomy and unique needs.  One way to determine whether you’re a candidate for eye bag removal is to look straight ahead into a mirror. As you look at your eyes, the majority of your iris (the colored part of your eye) should be visible. Your pupil should never be covered by your eyelid.

Ptosis often makes your drooping eyelids narrow the opening of your eye. That can make your eyes appear smaller than they should. It’s not uncommon to lose the crease that usually lies between your eyebrow and upper eyelid.

If you find that your eyelids are constantly limiting your vision, you may be compensating by raising your eyebrows. This can make you look constantly surprised, cause tension headaches, and lead to increased wrinkling along your forehead. You may also notice that you’re tilting your chin up when talking to people and looking down your nose so you can see better out of your eyes.  It’s a good idea to look at some older photographs so you can see if your drooping eyelids have been gradually worsening over the years.

Here are some signs that blepharoplasty could be right for you:

• You have puffy upper eyelids
• Your eyelids are interfering with your vision
• You feel like you look older than you’d like to
• You continually look tired
• You have excess upper eyelid skin
• You tend to avoid eye makeup or your eye makeup disappears when you apply it
• Your confidence or self-esteem is affected by your under eye bags or drooping eyelids
• You have realistic expectations about the outcome of your blepharoplasty procedure
• You’re in good mental and physical health

Wrapping up

If you’re tired of looking tired, blepharoplasty may be the answer you’re looking for. The best part? With a skilled surgeon, you’ll simply look like you’re getting much more sleep.  The trick is to choose an experienced surgeon who can guide you through the decision-making process. They’ll answer all your questions so you can know what to expect and decide whether eye bag removal is right for you.