Eye Bags Causes & Treatments
Many people express frustration at looking chronically tired despite getting adequate rest. Eyebags, fine lines and hollowing under the eyes (tear troughs) are common signs of ageing. So if getting the prescribed eight hours of sleep every night and religiously applying the latest eye creams don’t solve these problems, is it time to resort to surgery? Maybe not!
What is perceived as eyebags can be from a variety of causes:
- Orbicularis Hypertrophy
- Fat Pads & Skin Laxity
- Hollow Tear Troughs
Orbicularis Hypertrophy
When seen in a young person, particularly someone that squints from myopia, this could be due to over-activity of the eye muscles (orbicularis hypertrophy). Such eye bags are usually well defined and more obvious when the person squints. The eye bag is also closest to the eyelid. Such eye bags respond well to Botox, which has an added effect of widening the eye aperture, resulting in larger eyes!
Classic bulge from orbicularis hypertrophy from squinting is close to eyelid margin:
Fat Pads and Skin Laxity
Eye bags can also be caused by excess fat tissue in the area under the eyes. This is often associated with some degree of skin laxity.
There are 3 distinct fat pads, lying in a straight row below the eyes. These herniated out below the eye muscles, causing a distinctive bulge slightly lower in the tear trough area. There is a large genetic component to these fat pads, which are also diet and exercise resistant (they don’t go if you go on a diet). Traditionally, surgery was needed to remove the excess fat and cut out the excess skin.
Some degree of improvement can be seen with using radiofrequency to melt the fat and tighten up the skin.
Hollow Tear Troughs
A loss of volume by gravity-induced cheek sagging can produce a hollow appearance under the eyes, resulting in a tired appearance. Lighting can also cast deep shadows into the hollow areas, making it look far worse.
Temporary fillers injected into deep tear troughs will re-contour the cheeks and can immediately revitalise tired eyes. The injection is not into the eye sockets, which is potentially dangerous. The treatment takes minutes to perform and the results are immediate.