Plastic Surgery Anti-Aging Eye Surgery Methods to Improve Sagging Eyes Caused by Aging, Including Sub-Brow Lift and Forehead Lift

As people age, many keenly feel the passage of time through changes in their physical condition compared to the past. However, unlike in the past when one simply had to become accustomed to helplessly growing older, advances in medical technology have recently made it possible to improve signs of aging to a certain extent.

If one were to pick one of the most uncomfortable areas experienced during aging, it would likely be the "eyes." The skin around the eyes is thin and highly active, making it prone to easy wrinkling and sagging. Sagging around the eyes not only creates a dull, tired, and aged impression, but can also cause functional impairments such as skin chafing/irritation and visual field obstruction due to drooping skin.

If the degree of sagging is not severe, it can be corrected through double eyelid surgery. In particular, the non-incisional (buried suture) double eyelid method—which removes sagging fat and creates the eyelid crease through 5 to 7 micro-punctures without an incision—is in high demand because it improves drooping eyes and creates a double eyelid crease without the burden of an incision.

If you wish to create larger and more refreshed-looking eyes alongside buried suture double eyelid surgery, canthoplasty can be performed simultaneously to improve the size and shape of the eyes. Depending on the shape and size of the eyes, canthoplasty can be chosen from epicanthoplasty (inner corner), lateral canthoplasty (outer corner), supra-canthoplasty (upper corner), or lower lateral canthoplasty (lower corner), and two or more types can be performed together depending on the case.

If you want to correct sagging eyes without creating a double eyelid, a sub-brow lift (infrabrow excision), which makes an incision under the eyebrow to pull up sagging skin, is suitable. It is especially suitable for those whose drooping eyelids give them a heavy or dull impression, and it can create a natural and refreshed eye shape even when the skin is thick and firm.

A sub-brow lift removes sagging skin through an incision beneath the eyebrow and then sutures the pulled skin by anchoring it to the firm periosteum. Consequently, it can improve not only aging phenomena caused by eyelid drooping, but also functional issues such as eyelashes poking the eyes or visual field obstruction.

In cases where sagging eyelids cause the eyelashes to turn inward into the eyeball—leading to decreased vision and forehead wrinkles—or when the upper eyelids appear hollowed, upper blepharoplasty or upper eyelid fat grafting can be used to improve sagging and create a natural eye shape. Upper blepharoplasty, one of the representative plastic surgeries for middle-aged individuals, involves making an incision along a pre-designed line on the upper eyelid to remove drooping skin and fat.

Because the stretched muscle is then pulled and sutured, stable correction into a natural, soft eye appearance is achieved. Since the muscle strength used to open the eyes—a major cause of eyelid sagging—is reinforced, it also helps prevent forehead wrinkles caused by this issue.

Lower blepharoplasty, regarded as an anti-aging procedure and in high demand as a filial piety gift surgery, improves bulging fat or wrinkles under the eyes caused by aging. Through under-eye fat repositioning and fat removal, it restores the under-eye area to a clean and bright appearance.

Furthermore, a forehead lift can be performed to simultaneously improve symptoms caused by aging such as forehead wrinkles, glabellar (frown) lines, crow's feet, and drooping eyebrows. A forehead lift is a method that improves the overall aging of the upper face via a hairline incision, and it sees consistent demand not only from middle-aged and older adults but also from younger demographics. A forehead lift in one's 20s is also possible if the eyebrows and eyelids sit low, the eyelids droop over the pupils to obstruct vision, or forehead wrinkles have formed due to insufficient eyelid-opening power.

A brow-forehead lift, which transforms a flat, narrow, or cramped impression—often caused by a narrow distance between the eyes and eyebrows—into a refreshed look, can also be performed as an endoscopic forehead lift using the bone-tunneling method with Endotine. Utilizing bioabsorbable Endotine provides a broader and more balanced corrective effect compared to screws or sutures, and operating under direct endoscopic visualization offers the advantage of enhanced safety.

Dr. Kim Sung-hoon, Director of Kim Sung Hoon Plastic Surgery Gangnam Clinic, stated, "Eyelid sagging due to aging requires a different approach than purely cosmetic procedures; it is crucial to establish a meticulous surgical plan to achieve definitive improvements in functional aspects as well." He added, "Rather than simply seeking out clinics famous only for anti-aging surgery or relying on recommendations based solely on cheap prices and costs, I hope patients choose a verified specialist with extensive clinical experience at a proven clinic to achieve satisfying results and reviews."

Source: Psych News (The Psychiatric News) http://www.psychiatricnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=21244