The natural aging process brings a lot of changes in our body, and some of them become evident on our face. A common concern besides the wrinkles and fine lines that appear on the face is the formation of under-eye bags. In fact, the skin around the eyes is very delicate and it is the first place where the aging signs start showing up. Facial injections, such as dermal fillers or BOTOX, may address the issues like Crow’s feet efficiently, but when it comes to eye bag condition, it still requires eye bag surgery to get rid of the puffy or sagging skin on the lower eyelids.
What Are Eye Bags?
Eye bags refer to the puffiness or swelling that appears below the eyes and it usually becomes more apparent with age. As a result of the natural aging process, the muscles that support the eyelids and keep the area taut tend to relax, causing a bulge below the eyes. Natural aging also causes the fat cells to sag and accumulate in the lower eyelids and, hence, eye bags are formed. Even though eye bags are not harmful, for some, they are an aesthetic concern.
What Causes Eye Bags?
As we age, the muscles and the tissue structures that support our eyelids tend to weaken and the skin may start sagging as a result. When this happens, the fat confined in the eye orbit (the area around the eyes) starts moving into the sagging skin under the eyes. Furthermore, the space under the eyes also tends to accumulate fluid, making it look swollen or puffy. There are multiple factors that cause or even worsen this effect. These include:
- The natural aging process due to which the skin around the eyes loses elasticity
- Fluid retention, particularly after having salty meals or upon waking
- Allergies
- Lack of sleep
- Smoking
- Genetics
- Excess exposure to the sun
- Use of inappropriate skin care products
- Excess squinting
- Removing eye makeup too aggressively
- Regularly pulling or rubbing the delicate skin of the eyelids
Signs That You Need Eye Bag Surgery
Eye bag surgery is commonly done for tightening and lifting the skin in the areas surrounding the eyes. Loose, puffy, or sagging skin around the eyes affects the looks of the upper and lower eyelids. Here are some common signs that suggest one might need to visit a plastic surgeon and undergo eye bag plastic surgery:
- Eyes that look puffy or tired, even after having enough sleep
- Eye bags forming under the eyes
- Sagging skin on the lower eyelids that are not possible to fix with botox injections
- Fine wrinkles or excess skin on the lower eyelids
- Excessive hollowness and deep tear troughs
- Unsatisfied with results from non-surgical eye bag treatment options
What Is Addressed In An Eye Bag Surgery?
Eye bag surgery addresses several common concerns related to eye bags formation by:
- Removing excess skin from around the eyes
- Removing excess fat that slides into the bags under the eyes
- Repositioning fat tissues to fill in any hollowness or place them in their natural place before sagging
- Tightening muscles that tend to weaken with age
Are You A Candidate For Eye Bag Surgery?
One may be a good candidate to undergo eye bag surgery if:
- There are excess fat deposits causing puffiness in one’s lower eyelids
- There is sagging or loose skin causing folds or affecting the eyelid’s natural contour leading to an entropion lid or eye irritation
- Fine wrinkles and excess skin has developed in the lower eyelids or if the lower eyelids are drooping and bags are forming under the eye
- General health condition is good enough to undergo the surgery
- They don’t smoke
- They have set realistic expectations and want to see improvement in the condition rather than perfection
How Does Eye Bag Surgery Procedure Work?
There are several stages in which an eye bag plastic surgery procedure is performed. These are as follows:
- Anesthesia: Before undergoing the procedure, the patient is administered general, sedation or local anesthesia.
- Incision: Generally, the surgeon makes an incision right under the patient’s lower eyelashes. They may also make an incision inside their lower eyelid depending on the approach used and the end results desired. Any excess skin and fat tissue are removed through the incision. Fat tissues may be redistributed to fill in hollow areas if necessary.
- Closing: After removing the fat tissue and excess skin, the surgeon stitches up the incision or glues it to close. If stitches are used, the patient will have to get them removed within a week of the surgery.
The results of an eye bag plastic surgery become evident gradually as the bruising and swelling subside in the days and weeks to come. The patients are generally discharged on the same day after the surgery and are given complete instructions on how they should look after themselves post-op.
Side Effects Of Eye Bag Plastic Surgery
Like any other surgical procedure, eye bag surgery also has some associated risks. The common risks of eye bag surgery include:
- Sensitivity to sun or light
- Eye dryness
- Bruising and swelling
- Problem in closing the eyes
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Ectropion, or the lower eyelid rolling outward
- Anesthetic-related risks
- Temporary pulling down of the lower eyelid
- Scarring
- Temporary pain (permanent in rare cases)
In cases where the surgeon removes uneven fat amounts or too much of the loose skin, the patient might experience a tight or uneven appearance in the under-eye area. When this happens, the patient may have to undergo corrective surgery for achieving more natural-looking results.
Looking for an experienced plastic surgeon who is well versed in eye bag surgery decreases the risk associated with the procedure. Hence, it is important to do proper research before committing to the procedure.
How Is The Recovery Like?
As mentioned earlier, the patients may experience some bruising, swelling, and irritation right after the eye bag surgery. Eye dryness and discomfort are also common after the surgery and it normally subsides after a week or two.
Usually, the patients are prescribed medication, lotions, and cold compresses for easing out any such side effects. Before full recovery, if patients wish to head outdoors, they are recommended to put on dark-tinted sunglasses to protect the eye as well as to prevent risk from skin inflammation or discoloration aggravated by UV rays. It normally takes a few months for a complete recovery.
In cases where stitches are used for closing the incision, the stitches have to be removed 7 days after the procedure at the doctor’s office.
Eye Bag Surgery Cost
The exact cost of the eye bag surgery can vary depending on the experience of the surgeon, where they are located, and some other contributing factors. The average cost of eye bag removal in Singapore can range from $3500 to $7000. One must also keep in mind that this procedure is not covered under medical insurance.
Generally, the costs of eye bag surgery is made up of a few components:
- The fees of the surgeon
- Anesthetic fees
- Costs of the surgical facility or hospital
- Costs of medication
- Costs of medical tests
- Follow-up reviews after surgery
Summary
The formation of eye bags under the eye is not welcoming for one’s overall appearance and people often want to reduce these eye bags with eye bag surgery. Also known as lower blepharoplasty, eye bag surgery is aimed at reducing the appearance of fat or excess skin from under the eyes.
It takes a few weeks for a complete recovery after the procedure. Even though the procedure is effective to achieve the desired aesthetic outcomes, it does come with some risks such as swelling, bruising, and blindness (rare cases).
However, it is generally considered as a safe procedure and chances of good surgical outcomes can be achieved under the hands of an experienced plastic surgeon. While cost of treatment is often an important factor for decision making, it should not be the key factor and one should be wise to assess other factors before proceeding with the surgery.
About Dream Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery
Bespoke surgical for cosmetic or medical reasons is what Dream covers to bring out the beauty in every individual. Going beyond the aesthetics and working on physical anomalies are what we value the most in leading our patients to cherish self-improvement and confident lifestyles.
Derived from Associate Professor Vincent Yeow’s long-standing experience performing plastic surgery in Singapore, our treatment plans deliver physical remodelling in our patients’ favour. One of the notable remodellings is droopy eyelid correction. The ptosis surgery used for treatment eventually fixes drooping eyelids, improves vision and enhances appearance.
Most importantly, as a trustworthy plastic surgery and aesthetic clinic, we treasure positive and natural outcomes for each individual. We will ensure to deliver the beauty refinement of your dream without compromising your safety and privacy.
