Eyelid lifting is a complex of hardware, injection and manual manipulations aimed at rejuvenating and modeling the periorbital area (eye area). This part of the face is considered a zone of increased sensitivity, so non-surgical aesthetic eyelid correction is a difficult task even for a highly qualified specialist with extensive experience. Microsurgical cosmetology and aesthetic medicine today offer several effective methods of lifting eyelids: lifting with radio waves, bio-strengthening with threads, contour plastic, photorejuvenation, microcurrent therapy. You can choose the most appropriate technique only after a visual examination of the problem area, studying the patient's medical history, his goals and ideas about what the final result should be.
Features of periorbital lifting
The eyelid area, also called the periorbital zone (which is not entirely true, since the lacrimal apparatus, palpebral fissure and conjunctival sac, in addition to the eyelids, are in the periorbital space), is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body with a thinlayer of dermis and minimal subcutaneous fat. The eyelids are musculocutaneous folds, which are bounded behind by conjunctival and cartilage tissue. They are located around the eye and perform several functions at once: protect the cornea and retina from the negative effects of environmental factors (ultraviolet radiation, dust, etc. ), clean the connective tissue membrane due to constant wetting with tear fluid, 
prevent drying of the eyeballs and cornea.
The skin in the eyelid area is several times thinner compared to other parts of the face, so it is more prone to age and stress changes, which in most people become noticeable after 30 years. At this age, the process of natural dehydration of the body begins, as a result of which the cells of the epidermis lose moisture, and the skin loses elasticity, becoming relaxed and relaxed. It is in the periorbital zone in men and women older than 30 that the first signs of aging are formed: hypodynamic folds, mimicking wrinkles, folds in the outer corners of the eyes ("crow's feet").
Lifting the eyelids is a complex task that should be performed only by a highly qualified doctor with excellent knowledge of the topographic anatomy of the eye, because improper actions can not only cause new defects, but also seriously impair the function of the organs of vision. The fact is that the eyelids are involved in creating eye focus and optical geometry of the cornea, as well as in regulating eye pressure, so improperly performed plastic surgery and lifting can cause visual dysfunction (in some cases irreversible).Who needs eyelid lift
Periorbital lifting has no strict medical indication (except for surgical correction often used to treat pathologies that interfere with the normal functioning of the organs of vision) and is usually performed at the request of the patient to remove visible aesthetic defects. Cosmetologists and plastic surgeons include the following shortcomings in such shortcomings:
- strong overhang of supraorbital fold;
- excess skin in the infraorbital musculocutaneous fold;
- sagging outer corners of eyes;
- periorbital bulges (fatty hernias);
- periorbital edema (sacs);
- vascular pathologies that lead to the appearance of traces of rosacea and dark circles;
- hypodynamic wrinkles;
- "crow's feet" (creases in the corners of the eyes);
- strongly pronounced infraorbital grooves;
- "eyelid aging" (wilting and sagging eyelid skin).
Lifting the eyelids also helps make the look fresher and more open by correcting excessive skin and periorbital fat sacs and improving the overall tone of the area.
Timely use of various methods of rejuvenation of the eye area helps to solve one of the main tasks of periorbital lifting - hiding age-related changes in the skin and resolving visual defects characteristic of biological aging of the dermis in the background of reducing the functional potential of epidermal cells.
Important! Aging and heavy eyelids are quite a serious aesthetic flaw that can spoil even a young and attractive face. In some, signs of skin aging in this area may appear before the age of 30 (for example, in overweight patients or in people with pathologies of the endocrine system). Cosmetic products are generally ineffective in correcting existing problems and are only suitable for preventing premature aging, so the only effective way to deal with this shortcoming is periorbital lifting.
Eyelid lift surgery
The operation to lift the skin of the upper and lower eyelids is called blepharoplasty. This is a type of radical lifting of the periorbital zone, in which the effect of tightening and rejuvenation is achieved by complete removal of excess skin and fatty hernias in the eyelid area.
Unlike non-surgical eyelid lifting methods, blepharoplasty allows not only to correct the shortcomings of skin aging and improve the appearance of this area, but also to correct the shape and shape of the eyes, as well as to solve various pathologies.
Blepharoplasty is effective for such serious ophthalmic diseases as entropy (bulging of the eyelashes and the edge of the eyelid towards the eyeball) or exophthalmos (moving the eyeball out of the orbit). There are a total of three types of blepharoplasty: upper, lower and circular.
Table. Types of radical periorbital lifting
| Operation type | Section Area | What pathologies can be corrected |
|---|---|---|
| Supraorbital blepharoplasty | Skin incision made along the orbital or tarsal fold of the upper eyelid. | Removal of excess skin, subcutaneous fat and muscle plastic. |
| Suborbital blepharoplasty | A transcutaneous or subcutaneous incision is performed. | Removal of periorbital edema, bags under the eyes, fatty hernias. |
| Circular blepharoplasty | Simultaneous eyelid operation on both sides. | Solving problems common to all types of blepharoplasty. |
Periorbital tightening surgery is performed strictly in the hospital, excluding the possibility of outpatient procedures. The patient is given general anesthesia, and the duration of the intervention is on average about 3 hours. A significant disadvantage of this method of eyelid lifting is the postoperative period, which, although short (about two weeks), is characterized by pain, the need for regular dressings and antiseptic treatment, and significant limitations of the regime and professional activities.
Important! The advantage of surgical blepharoplasty is the ability not only to tighten the skin of the eyelids, but also to perform plastic surgery on muscle tissue, which cannot be achieved by hardware and other minimally invasive methods.
Tightening of the periorbital zone without surgery
Surgical eyelid lifting is a very effective method of radical rejuvenation of the eye area, but experts advise to resort only to patients of older age groups (after 40 years) with pronounced signs of aging and profound age-related changes in the skin. Before reaching this age, while tissue hydrodynamics is within normal limits, there are much less traumatic ways to correct existing problems, while the effectiveness of most of these techniques can in some cases be compared to the result of surgical plastic surgery.
Injection (contour) plastic
Contour plastic surgery is perhaps the safest method of non-surgical eyelid skin lifting, according to a technique that belongs to mesotherapy procedures. Contouring is a subdermal injection of special implants called fillers.
These are preparations in the form of a homogeneous and viscous suspension or gel based on components that have a high degree of affinity for the body's own tissues. These can be:
- hyaluronic acid;
- calcium hydroxyapatite;
- collagen (a peptide synthesized by fibroblasts and which is one of the main elements of the extracellular substance of the dermis, which ensures its elasticity and ability to stretch); acrylic and methacrylic acid based polymers;
- oxygenated high molecular weight silicone;
- polylactic acid;
- salts of tripolyphosphoric acid, etc.
The most popular and sought after fillers for periorbital lifting are preparations based on hyaluronic acid. These are biodegradable (absorbent) dermal implants, which not only compensate for the lack of tissue in this area, but also help remove wrinkles - one of the main visual signs of facial aging. The advantages of hyaluronic fillers include high hypoallergenicity and excellent results, which can be assessed immediately after implantation. Hyaluronate bioresorption occurs within a few weeks, after which the injections must be repeated.
Biosynthetic implants based on polylactic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite retain their properties for 1-2 years.
RF boot
Radio-wave or radio-frequency lifting is a non-surgical procedure for lifting the eye area with a high degree of efficiency.
Among the hardware techniques for minimally invasive lifting of the skin of the upper and lower eyelids, RF lifting takes the leading position, because it allows not only to achieve the instantaneous tightening effect, but also significantly improve the condition of the skin in the periorbital zone.
Radio waves, penetrating the dermis to the required depth, heat the epidermal cells to a temperature of collagen thickening, which is about 60 ° C. Under the influence of thermal energy, the dermal tissue heats up, there is a partial retraction of the collagen frame, resulting in loose collagenthe fibers again shrink and take on their characteristic spiral shape, which is a lifting effect.
RF-lifting is suitable for correcting all age problems in the eye area (crow's feet, hypodynamic wrinkles, eyelid ptosis, etc. ), and the achieved result lasts up to 1-2 years. To achieve a stable rejuvenating effect, you will need to perform about 6-10 procedures with an interval of at least 7-10 days.
Bio-reinforcement with threads (thread lifting)
Thread lifting is a procedure for rejuvenating the area around the eyes based on the implantation of special cosmetic threads made of various metals and synthetic materials under the skin, as a result of which a new collagen frame is created in the subcutaneous layers. The procedure is quite effective and allows you to deal with the problem of "aging of the eyelids", fatty periorbital hernias, the appearance of gravitational ptosis and other phenomena characteristic of skin aging.
There are several types of thread to lift threads. Threads of precious metals are in high demand in cosmetology. These threads are made of platinum or gold and are designed to strengthen the upper layers of the dermis. Golden threads not only provide a visible lifting effect, but also stimulate cellular metabolism, improving the supply of dermal cells with nutrients, oxygen and vitamins. Serious disadvantages of threads made of precious metals are the high risk of separation and the inability to use many cosmetic procedures, for example, photothermolysis after reinforcement.
Liquid mesovines are mainly used to fight small hypodynamic folds, correct "eyelid aging" and smooth the skin in the periorbital zone. The duration of such a procedure does not exceed 20-30 minutes, but the strengthening of liquid threads has many contraindications and is always accompanied by various side effects (swelling, bruising, redness). Experts believe that the most effective lifting eyelid threads are Swiss, polylactic and Korean threads. The result after such strengthening lasts about 2-3 years.
Fractional photothermolysis
Fractional photothermolysis is another effective method of non-surgical upper and lower eyelid tightening. This is a type of laser rejuvenation in which a fractional laser generator (for example, an erbium laser) is used to affect the problem area. The beam generated by this device is scattered in many currents and when it hits the skin it creates a large number of microthermal healing zones, in which the main effect takes place, so the surrounding
tissues are not heated or injured.
A characteristic feature and at the same time the main principle of action of fractional photothermolysis is the heating of the skin to a temperature of 250-300 ° C, which experts call the evaporation process. Old, pathologically altered and destroyed cells under the influence of such temperature are destroyed and evaporated, while natural neocollagenesis is activated and increases the activity of fibroblasts that synthesize the main components of the extracellular matrix - peptides (collagen and elastin).
The result of fractional laser surface restoration is noticeable tightening of the skin on the eyelids, smoothing wrinkles and creases, restoring the hydrodynamics of periorbital tissues and improving the general condition of the skin in this area.
Pulse currents (microcurrents)
Microcurrent therapy refers to low-trauma eyelid lifting methods, but a significant disadvantage of this method is the short duration of the results (no more than 4 months). The clinical result of the application of microcurrent therapy for raising the periorbital zone is a consequence of the following properties of pulse currents:
- normalization of lymph flow.The effect of lymphatic drainage that has impulse currents on the skin, improves the movement of lymph, prevents its stagnation and helps to lighten the eyelids;
- stimulation of metabolic processes.Activation of cellular metabolism has a positive effect on the transport of oxygen and nutrients and the appearance of the skin (the skin becomes smooth, takes on a healthy appearance);
- restoration of muscle tone.The eyelid muscles are quite weak, and additional stimulation allows you to achieve a tightening effect.
The standard duration of the course is 10 to 20 procedures, while in most cases the procedure needs to be repeated after a few months.
Before / After Photos
Conclusion
Lifting the eyelids is a difficult but at the same time feasible task, for the solution of which modern aesthetic medicine offers a large number of effective methods, including low-trauma manipulations with a low probability of complications. Which method of periorbital lifting will be the most effective and safest is decided individually after talking to the patient, diagnosing the problem area and studying data from the medical history.The use of surgical techniques is indicated mainly for patients with pronounced signs of aging in the eye area, in whom the use of gentle techniques is ineffective and is unlikely to give stable positive results. It is better for people with the initial manifestations of "aging" to choose minimally invasive methods with a low degree of tissue trauma and a short recovery period.