Features of the Ageing Upper Eyelids
Video transcript: In my practice, we frequently get requests for rejuvenation of the upper eyelids. Changes to the upper eyelid occur as part of the natural ageing process. This is also predetermined genetically, and is made worse by excessive sun exposure.
There are very typical changes that occur to the upper eyelid and those include laxity of the upper eyelid skin, fullness or bulging of some of the fat pads of the eye through the upper skin; what look to be fatty deposits, fine line and wrinkling of the skin, discoloration of the skin, and laxity or droop of the eyebrows. Of these changes, those that can be addressed by upper eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, are those related to skin laxity, or puffiness and fatty deposits in the upper eyelids.
This is an example of a patient who came to see me for a blepharoplasty. What you'll notice about her eyelids is she has extra skin , and that skin is hooding down over her eyelashes, so you can't really see where her eyelashes are originating. This makes it difficult for people to apply makeup. In addition, she also has some bulging of the upper eyelids, and that's because the fat that normally sits within the orbit is bulging forward into a fairly lax upper eyelid structure. These features can be corrected with upper blepharoplasty by removing the excess skin, and also by removing some of the extra fat that is bulging forward.