What can be done about drooping eyelids?
Whether it's one or both eyelids drooping, you may experience ocular and/or aesthetic discomfort. Drooping eyelids, or ptosis, affect both men and women, giving a sad, tired look that can age the whole face. If there are a few tricks available, facial gymnastics is one of them, eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty, remains the most effective treatment for giving your eyes a facelift.
When do we talk about drooping eyelids and what causes them?
We speak of drooping eyelids, ptosis or palpebral ptosis when we notice an abnormal drooping of the upper eyelid. If your upper eyelids are heavy and drooping, with excess skin forming a fold, your field of vision may be reduced, and the aesthetic damage may make you feel self-conscious.
Ptosis is caused by damage to the levator muscle of the eyelid, which may be congenital, acquired, neurological or traumatic in origin.
In the event of sudden eyelid ptosis, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Neurological ptosis is a warning sign of serious pathology.
If the phenomenon of drooping eyelids has set in over time, and your eyes are showing your age, it's a case of damage to the aponeurosis of the levator muscle. As we age, the upper eyelid relaxes, making it difficult to open the eye. Sometimes, the muscle is not affected at all; it's simply an excess of skin or fat, known as mechanical ptosis or dermatochalasis.
Clinique du Lac's practitioners offer consultations to help you make the right diagnosis and propose aesthetic medical or surgical solutions: injections, blepharoplasty, brow lift or temporal lift targeting the tail of the eyebrow...
How can I reduce droopy eyelids?
If you're a fan of natural solutions, you can apply toning compresses to your eyes: cucumber slices, ice cubes wrapped in a cloth, chamomile tea bags in the fridge for a tightening effect. Drink water to hydrate your body and skin, and make sure you get enough sleep.
You can also use beauty treatments such as an eye contour cream or serum to improve skin quality and combat wrinkles. On the cosmetic side, eye make-up can be used to correct drooping eyelids. Use a light blush on the mobile eyelid, add a touch of illuminator in the inner corner of the eye and under your eyebrow, and apply mascara to your lashes.
There are also facial gymnastics exercises to strengthen eyelid muscles. To warm up, blink your eyes several times in succession for a few minutes. Then close your eyes, place an index finger on each closed eyelid, try to open your eyes for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise several times. Be careful not to raise your eyebrows.
Blepharoplasty, eyelid surgery
Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure designed to correct heavy, drooping eyelids with significant excess skin. Depending on your individual case, the surgeon will choose the most appropriate technique for a natural result.
How is a blepharoplasty performed?
The surgical procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, but in some cases a short hospital stay is preferable. The surgeon makes an incision in the upper palpebral crease, located midway between the mobile and fixed parts of the eyelid. He removes excess skin, fat and muscle, then carefully sutures with very fine threads.
What are the results?
After the operation, the eyelids remain swollen for a few days and bruising may appear. You may feel some discomfort when closing your eyes for the first few nights. You will be able to resume your activities after 4 to 5 days, shortly after the threads have been removed.
The results of blepharoplasty can generally be appreciated 3 to 6 months after the procedure, with scars fading and becoming virtually invisible after a year. Blepharoplasty opens up the eyes and smoothes out the folds of the upper eyelid, so that those around you will find you more rested and visibly rejuvenated.