Ask anyone the first thing they notice on another person’s face and they will probably say the eyes. Whether light or dark, big or small, rounder or more almond-shaped, the eyes are far more than just a pair of utilitarian organs; they are also integral components of an inviting appearance. Younger eyes tend to appear smoother, wider, and more refreshed thanks to the tautness of youthful eyelid skin, whereas older eyes, whose lids are less elastic and thus more prone to the pull of gravity, tend to look hooded, wrinkled, and sleepy, if not puffy and foul-tempered. While aging obviously changes the entire landscape of the face, one of the most telling hallmarks of a revitalized countenance is supple eyelids, which is why a surgical procedure called a blepharoplasty—colloquially known as an eyelid lift—is an incredibly popular choice among men and women alike.
There are two types of blepharoplasty: upper and lower. During the former, the surgeon makes a hidden incision within the natural creases of the upper eyelid—called the supramental crease—and removes excess skin, muscle, and fat deposits that naturally develop with age. Similarly, during a lower blepharoplasty, the surgeon makes a small incision just a few millimeters below the lash line and along the smile creases of the lower eyelid before excising a surfeit of skin, muscle, and fat. The result of either procedure is a pair of eyes that do not appear wrinkled, hooded, or unduly puffy, an improvement that can last anywhere between 5 and 7 years for an upper eyelid lift and a lifetime for a lower.
“The blepharoplasty is one of my favorite procedures to perform,” says Dr. Andrew Jacono. Located on Manhattan’s Park Avenue, Dr. Andrew Jacono is a dual board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and considered by many to be one of the best eyelid surgeons in America. “In just under an hour, it can completely overhaul the natural beauty of the eyes and the aesthetic balance of the face more generally. I’m routinely surprised and thrilled by how much younger and more alert my patients look post-recovery.”
There are also a number of non-surgical eyelift options that potential patients can choose from. For upper eyelid correction, doctors generally inject Botox into the muscles that pull down the eyebrows, allowing the eyelids to lift by a margin of about 2 to 3 millimeters and the skin to appear less droopy and wrinkled. For lower eyelid rejuvenation, on the other hand, doctors recommend hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane, Juvéderm, and Belotero, all of which shorten the lower eyelids, reduce the distance from the lower eyelashes to the cheek, and fill in dark circles and hollow tear troughs that develop with age.
Some might wonder, considering the lower cost and relative ease of non-surgical treatments, why anyone would opt for a more invasive cosmetic procedure. The truth, unfortunately, is that while protein injections and fillers have the potential to provide good results, they are short-term solutions. Upper eyelid Botox, for example, only lasts for about four to six months and therefore requires repeat injections two to three times a year, which, over a long period of time, can become quite costly. Lower eyelid fillers last longer—typically around one to one and a half years—but target people with smaller under-eye bags; patients with more profound tear troughs will find that the results are not dramatic enough. Moreover, many of those who at first opt for non-surgical treatment usually end up undergoing surgery at a later point.
“Normally, patients begin with nonsurgical treatments in their thirties, when they first begin to notice changes,” says Dr. Jacono. “But by the time they reach their fifties, and their eye tissue becomes loose enough that injections lose their effectiveness, they usually opt for eyelid or brow lifts.”
But no matter what treatment a potential patient may choose, they can rest assured that there are a multitude of ways to combat the very kind of aging that impacts the face they present to the world. Gone are the days of settling for a weary appearance because there are no readily available ways to fix it.
