Drooping eyelids: What causes them? And how can you get rid of them?
How to fix sagging hooded eyelids, West Malling, Kent
Do you often get told that you look tired? Or perhaps you often look in the mirror and feel that you look tired and aged, but don’t know why? It’s not uncommon for our patients to say this. As we age, changes occur around our eyes, which lead to issues such as eye bags and dark circles, sometimes known as tear trough deformities. But one of the biggest concerns that people have about their eyes is the way the lateral brow (or eyebrow tail) can become heavy, leading to hooded eyes and skin laxity under the brow.
What causes hooded eyes?
Hooded eyes or droopy eyelids happen when excess skin folds down from the brow bone to the lash line, which makes the eyes look smaller and gives you a tired or aged appearance. Hooded eyes can appear due to a genetic predisposition or due to natural ageing changing our face. Skin loses its elasticity and scaffolding, leading to a noticeable droop. The elevating muscles responsible for lifting the eyelid stretch as we age, resulting in the skin stretching and fat pockets becoming more prominent, causing drooping.
What are the most effective treatment options?
Previously, the only way to lift this area of the face was through surgically reducing the skin on the upper eyelid. But now, a combination of minimally invasive treatments can effectively lift this area with minimal pain and downtime.
Relax muscles
Botox has been offered for many years for the treatment of lines and wrinkles, but it can also give your eyes a big lift, in the right hands. When you inject Botox into the tail of the eyebrow as well as between the brows, it stops the muscles from pulling downward whilst also decreasing lines.
Restore lost volume
We can also combine Botox with facial fillers to help restore volume and fullness of the upper eyelid and correct brow asymmetry. Fillers are used to add volume, increase skin tension in the area above your eyes, and provide a mechanical lift to tissues that have become stretched and dropped with age.
Tighten the skin
Sofwave is a new ultrasound method of tightening skin around the eye, with Parallel Beam Technology that is FDA approved for lifting the eyebrow, lifting lax tissue in the face and neck and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. This means an eye lift is now possible without surgery – and the results are ground-breaking – with up to a 5mm lift!
Prior to treatment, a powerful numbing cream is applied to the eye and brow area. We then apply a jelly to the skin to help the ultrasound waves transmit into the skin. We position the applicator as needed around the eye area and deliver a burst of ultrasound energy. You may feel some mild heat in some of the areas around the eye, and the area might appear a little red afterwards, but this resolves quickly.
Is a non-surgical eye lift right for me?
The above non-invasive treatments are an excellent idea for anyone with tired-looking eyes or mild to moderate hooded eyelids. We can combine all the treatment options as needed to brighten the eye area and give the face a more rested and rejuvenated look.
If you’d like to find out more about the various treatment options for addressing hooded eyes, click here to book a consultation with an expert practitioner.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that results and benefits may vary from patient to patient taking into consideration factors such as age, lifestyle and medical history.