Here’s looking at a more beautiful you
Nearly every woman over thirty-five has had that day of reckoning when she looks in the mirror, and barely recognizes the face staring back at her. Just who is this person with these weird, little puffy things under the eyes? And what’s with the skin hanging over the eyelids? Who signed up for this aging thing anyway?
Some options
No cookie cutter answers
Innovative techniques
Check out your doctor's credentials
Some options
Gary M. Brownstein, MD, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Virtua West Jersey Hospitals explains: “The puffs that often appear underneath our eyes occur because, in my opinion, as we age, we lose fat, and the structure underneath the eyes starts to protrude. With aging also comes a loss of muscle tone and skin elasticity, so skin starts to droop. There are however, reasonable and successful ways to correct these problems.”
Dr. Brownstein says: “Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery – what many people call having their ‘eyes done’ – is a surgical procedure that refers to both the upper and lower eyelids. When a surgeon performs a blepharoplasty, the excess skin, muscle and sometimes, underlying fatty tissue are removed from the eyelids to give a patient a fresher, more youthful appearance.”
No cookie cutter answers
For some patients, getting rid of that tired or haggard look may require more than just a blepharoplasty. The patient may also opt to have a brow lift or forehead lift in conjunction with the blepharoplasty. In the endoscopic version of a brow lift, the surgeon makes a series of small incisions around the person’s hairline, through which excess skin is removed. This helps to lift the eyebrow and the tissue directly beneath it for a more open-eyed, rested look.
Innovative techniques
Fat grafting is another surgical technique to restore the roundness and smoothness found in a more youthful face. Here, the surgeon removes fat from one part of the patient’s body, and injects tiny amounts of it into other part of the body – in this case, around the eyes. This fills in some of hollowed out areas where fat has been lost due to normal aging. It’s important to remember that each patient has unique issues which require the surgeon and patient to arrive at a unique solution.
Dr. Brownstein says: “After any well-done cosmetic surgery, you ought to look rejuvenated and refreshed, as though you’ve been to a spa for a month.”
Take the time to check out your doctor's credentials
You’ll be looking at his work for rest of your life. It’s an excellent idea to make sure the physician is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. To obtain this certification, the doctor must have:
- Graduated from an accredited medical school.
- Completed a minimum of three years of clinical training in general surgery or be board certified in certain specified programs.
- Completed at least two years of plastic surgery training.
- Passed a comprehensive series of tests.