Your eyes might be the proverbial window to your soul. But they can also be the victim of your many not-so-great decisions. When you decide to stay up late, eat salty snacks or go to sleep with your makeup on, your eyes pay the price. While some eye dilemmas occur due to lifestyle choices, other problems develop thanks to aging. Whatever eye issues you might be facing, though, there are ways to treat to them.
Puffiness
A few things can make your eyes puffy or make it look as though you’ve been crying non-stop. While a pair of puffy eyes won’t necessarily make you look older, they can make you look tired or unhappy. Puffiness can be related to an allergy attack, lack of sleep or not getting enough water. Figuring out the cause of the swelling will help you figure out how to deal with it.
For example, if your puffy eyes are related to allergies, taking allergy medication to block histamines can often help. If the puffiness has anything to do with your diet, cutting back on salt or drinking less alcohol can help bring it down. A quick fix for your puffiness might be to place something cold on the eye area, such as chilled spoons, cooled tea bags or even cucumbers.
Under Eye Bags
Puffiness can affect the entire eye area or it can concentrate in the area under the eyes, leading to the development of under eye bags. Under eye bags are usually caused by fat deposits in the area. As you get older, the fat in the area under your eyes can move downwards, creating a small, bulging area beneath the eyes. One way to treat under eye bags is with blepharoplasty, or surgery on the lower eyelids. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision near the lower lids. He’ll then remove the excess fat or position it, to reduce the size of the bag. The surgery can also involve removing excess skin or muscle from the lower eyelids.
Dark Circles
If you have dark circles under your eyes and are tired of using concealer on a regular basis, you have a few options when it comes to a more long lasting solution. The key to figuring out the right way to treat your dark circles is figuring out what is causing them. Aging is just one cause. Dark circles can also form because of pigmentation under the eyes, allergies, and your genes.
Dark circles caused by signs of aging, such as thinning skin or a loss of volume in the under eye area, can often be temporarily corrected using a hyaluronic acid filler, such as PRP (platelet rich plasma). The results usually last for several months, after which your body absorbs the filler. Eyelid surgery offers a more permanent fix for your dark circles, too.
Heavy Lids
Eyelid surgery can either focus on the upper or lower lids. While surgery on the lower lids is usually performed to reduce bags or dark circles, surgery on the upper lids is often performed to correct hooding or heavy lids. If your eyelids are heavy enough that you constantly look sleepy or if they hang down so much that you have trouble seeing, blepharoplasty on the upper lids can help.
At the start of the procedure, the surgeon usually makes a small incision in the crease of the upper lid. The location of the incision means that any scars will be barely visible. During the surgery, he or she removes extra skin, fat or muscle, to reduce the size of the lid or to elevate the lid.
Wrinkles
Wrinkles form all around the eyes as you get older. Crow’s feet, the lines that form in the corners of your eyes from years of laughing and squinting, are just an example of the lines that can develop in the area. If crow’s feet are your main concern, you can treat them with Botox injections. When injected by an experienced surgeon, the main ingredient in Botox keeps nerves from sending a signal to particular facial muscles. For about three months, you’re unable to make the movement that leads to crow’s feet (but can still move your face freely), and the lines fade. Although the results from Botox are temporary, you can have the injections repeated as needed to keep wrinkles from reappearing.
The eyes can speak volumes about you, without saying a word. If you don’t like what your eyes are revealing, Dr. Michael Schwartz, a facial plastic surgeon in West Palm Beach, Florida, can help. Dr. Schwartz can help you decide if surgery or a less invasive procedure is right for you. To learn more about your options when it comes to fighting the signs of aging around the eye area, call his practice at 561-228-5888 for a consultation today.