Eye Bags

Millions of people suffer from eye bags, which can be caused by various factors, including aging, heredity, and the environment. While you can’t change your age or genetics, surgical treatments are available that can effectively diminish the appearance of lower eyelid bags.

At Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, our team of experienced plastic surgeons offer eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, to produce dramatic, long-lasting improvements to eyelid aesthetics. This recovery from this procedure is often quicker than patients expect. Our surgeons will evaluate your concerns and discuss your goals to determine whether blepharoplasty is the right choice for you.

For other concerns regarding the skin around the eyes, our expert, board-certified dermatologists will customize a treatment plan to give you the best possible results. With more than 100 laser and light devices and state-of-the-art techniques available to us, we can help refresh your appearance, as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with surgical procedures.

Eye bags form directly under the eye and are usually caused by a combination of skin laxity and small fat pockets. Symptoms may include:

• Mild swelling or puffiness
• Discoloration (dark circles)
• Loose, sagging skin

Common causes of eye bags include genetics, allergies, sleep deprivation, aging, and fluid retention. Sun exposure can accelerate the development of eye bags.

Other causes and contributors include liver disease, anemia, alcohol consumption, and smoking.

Lower blepharoplasty is the best option for reducing eye bags when patients are good candidates for a surgical procedure. This surgery removes excess pockets of fat and sagging skin to create a smoother, refreshed contour under the eye. In addition to reducing eye bags, this procedure smooths away fine lines to make the skin around the eye look more youthful.

Your surgeon can combine this procedure with upper blepharoplasty to produce more comprehensive improvement to the entire eye. Upper blepharoplasty focuses on the upper lid, removing excess skin that might be sagging over the eye to create a weary, aged look. In some cases, patients can experience severe drooping that actually impairs their line of vision as well.

What to Expect from Your Blepharoplasty Treatment

Our plastic surgeons typically perform upper and lower blepharoplasty under IV sedation in the office or a surgery center. Upper eyelids alone can often be done using local anesthesia in the office. We now combine facial fat grafting with blepharoplasty to augment the cheeks and fill in the tear troughs for the best possible results.

Incisions are placed within the natural creases of the eye or inside the lid, to minimize visible scarring afterward. Through the incisions, your surgeon will remove the small pockets of fat and excess skin, to create a smoother, more contoured lower lid.