The eyelid lift is a complex of hardware, injection and manual manipulations whose objective is to rejuvenate and shape the periorbital area (the area around the eyes). This part of the face is considered an area of greater sensitivity, so non-surgical cosmetic eyelid correction is a difficult task even for a highly qualified and experienced specialist. Microsurgical cosmetology and aesthetic medicine today offer several effective methods for eyelid lifting: radio wave lifting, bio-reinforcement with threads, plastic contouring, photorejuvenation, microcurrent therapy. You can choose the most suitable 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.
Peculiarities of the periorbital lift
The region of the eyelids, also called the periorbital area (which is not entirely true, since the lacrimal apparatus, the palpebral fissure and the conjunctival sac also belong to the periorbital space, in addition to the eyelids), is one ofthe most sensitive areas of the human body with a thin layer of dermis and minimal subcutaneous fat. The eyelids are musculocutaneous folds, delimited behind by the conjunctival and cartilaginous tissue. They are located around the eye and perform several functions at the same time: they protect the cornea and retina from the negative effects of environmental factors (ultraviolet radiation, dust, etc. ), they clean the connective tissue membrane due to constant wetting with liquidtear, 
prevent the sclera and cornea from drying out.
The skin in the eyelid area is several times thinner compared to other parts of the face, making it more prone to stressful and age-related changes, which are noticeable in most people after30 years. At this age, the body's natural dehydration process begins, as a result of which the epidermal cells lose moisture and the skin loses its elasticity, becomes loose and flabby. It is in the periorbital area where the first signs of aging are formed in men and women over 30 years old: hypodynamic folds, mimic wrinkles, folds in the outer corners of the eyes ("crow's feet").
An eyelid lift is a complex task that should only be performed by a highly qualified physician with excellent knowledge of the topographic anatomy of the eye, as improper actions can not only cause new defects, but also seriously affect the function of theorgans of vision. The fact is that the eyelids are involved in the formation of the eye focus and the optical geometry of the cornea, as well as in the regulation of intraocular pressure, therefore improperly performed plastic surgery and lifting can lead to a disorder of thevisual function (in some cases, irreversible).
Who needs an eyelid lift
The lifting of the periorbital area does not have strict medical indications (with the exception of surgical correction, which is often used to treat pathologies that interfere with the normal functioning of the organs of vision) and is generally performed at the request of thepatient to remove visible cosmetic defects. Cosmetologists and plastic surgeons include the following defects to such disadvantages:
- strong cantilever of the supraorbital fold;
- excess skin in the infraorbital musculocutaneous crease;
- drooping of the outer corners of the eyes;
- periorbital bulges (fatty hernias);
- periorbital edema (sacs);
- vascular pathologies that lead to the appearance of traces of rosacea and dark circles under the eyes;
- hypodynamic wrinkles;
- "crow's feet" (creases at the corners of the eyes);
- strongly pronounced infraorbital grooves;
- "aging eyelid" (wilting and laxity of the eyelid skin).
The eyelid lift also helps create a fresher, more open appearance by correcting protruding skin and periorbital fat pockets and improving the overall tone of the area.
The timely use of various methods to rejuvenate the area around the eyes helps to solve one of the main tasks of the periorbital lift: to hide age-related skin changes and eliminate the visual defects characteristic of biological aging of thedermis against the background of a decrease in the functional potential of epidermal cells.
Important! Aging and heavy eyelids are a serious cosmetic defect that can ruin even a young and attractive face. In some, the signs of skin aging in this area can appear even before the age of thirty (for example, in underweight patients or in a person with endocrine system pathologies). As a general rule, cosmetic products are ineffective in correcting existing problems and are only suitable for preventing premature aging, so the only effective method to treat this defect is the periorbital lift.
Eyelid lift surgery
An operation to lift the skin on the upper and lower eyelids is called a blepharoplasty. It is a kind of radical lifting of the periorbital area, in which the tightening and rejuvenation effect is achieved by completely eliminating excess skin and fatty hernias in the eyelid area.
Unlike non-surgical eyelid lift methods, blepharoplasty allows not only to correct aging skin defects and improve the appearance of this area, but also to correct the shape and shape of the eyes, as well as to get rid ofof various pathologies.
Blepharoplasty is effective for ophthalmic diseases as serious as entropion (bulging of the eyelashes and the edge of the eyelid towards the eyeball) or exophthalmos (displacement of the eyeball out of the orbit). In total, there are three types of blepharoplasty: upper, lower, and circular.
Table. Types of radical periorbital lift
| Type of operation | Section area | What pathologies can be corrected |
|---|---|---|
| Supraorbital blepharoplasty | An incision in the skin that is made along the orbital or tarsal fold of the upper eyelid. | Elimination of excess skin, subcutaneous fat and muscle plastic. |
| Suborbital blepharoplasty | A transcutaneous or subciliary incision is made. | Elimination of periorbital edema, bags under the eyes, fat hernias. |
| Circular blepharoplasty | Simultaneous eyelid surgery on both sides. | Solution of problems common to all types of blepharoplasty. |
The periorbital area adjustment operation is strictly carried out in a hospital setting, excluding the possibility of an outpatient procedure. The patient receives general anesthesia and the duration of the intervention is, on average, about 3 hours. A significant disadvantage of this method of eyelid lift is the postoperative period, which, although short in duration (approximately two weeks), is characterized by pain, the need for regular bandages and antiseptic treatments, and significant restrictions on regimen and activities. professionals.
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 with tools and other minimally invasive methods.
Stretching of the periorbital area without surgery
Surgical eyelid lift is a highly effective method of radical rejuvenation of the area around the eyes, but experts recommend resorting to it only to patients in the older age group (after 40 years) with pronounced signs of agingand profound age-related skin changes. Before reaching this age, although the hydrodynamics of the tissues is within the normal range, there are many less traumatic ways to correct existing problems, and the effectiveness of most of these techniques in some cases can be compared with the resultof plastic surgery.
Injection plastic (outline)
Contour plastic is perhaps the safest method of non-surgical eyelid skin tightening, which is related to mesotherapeutic procedures according to technique. Contouring is a subdermal injection of special implants called fillers.
These are homogeneous and viscous suspension or gel preparations 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 stretching capacity);
- polymers based on acrylic and methacrylic acid;
- high molecular weight oxygenated silicone;
- polylactic acid;
- tripolyphosphoric acid salts, etc.
The most popular and demanded fillers for periorbital lift are the preparations based on hyaluronic acid. These are biodegradable (absorbable) dermal implants, which not only compensate for the tissue deficiency in this area, but also help eliminate wrinkles, one of the main visual signs of facial aging. The advantages of hyaluronic fillers include high hypoallergenicity and excellent results, which can be seen immediately after implantation. Hyaluronate bioresorption occurs within several 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 elevation
Radio wave or radio frequency lift is a non-surgical lift of the area around the eyes with a high degree of efficacy.
Among the hardware techniques for the minimally invasive lifting of the skin of the upper and lower eyelids, the RF-lifting takes the leading position, since it allows not only to achieve an immediate tightening effect, but also to significantly improve the conditionof the skin in the periorbital area.
Radio waves, penetrating the dermis to the required depth, heat the epidermal cells to the densification temperature of collagen, which is approximately 60 ° C. Under the influence of thermal energy, the dermal tissue becomesheated, a partial retraction of the collagen framework occurs, as a result of which the loose collagen fibers are again compressed and take their characteristic spiral shape, which is the lifting effect.
RF-lifting is suitable for correcting all age-related problems in the area around the eyes (crow's feet, hypodynamic wrinkles, palpebral ptosis, etc. ), and the result obtained lasts up to 1-2 years. To achieve a stable rejuvenation effect, you will need to perform 6-10 procedures with an interval of at least 7-10 days.
Bio-reinforcement with yarns (lifting yarn)
Thread lifting is an eye contour rejuvenation procedure, which is 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 structure is formedin the subdermal layers. The procedure is quite effective and allows you to cope with the problem of the "century of aging", periorbital fat hernias, gravitational ptosis phenomena and other characteristic phenomena of skin aging.
There are several types of threads for lifting threads. Threads made of precious metals are in great demand in cosmetology. These threads are made of platinum or gold and are designed to reinforce the upper layers of the dermis. The golden threads not only provide a visible lifting effect, but also stimulate cellular metabolism, improving the supply of nutrients, oxygen and vitamins to the dermal cells. The serious disadvantages of precious metal threads are the high risk of detachment and the impossibility of using many cosmetic procedures, for example, photothermolysis after reinforcement.
Liquid mesothreads are mainly used to combat small hypodynamic folds, correct “aging eyelid” and soften the skin in the periorbital area. The duration of such a procedure does not exceed 20-30 minutes, but reinforcement with liquid threads has many contraindications and is always accompanied by various side effects (swelling, bruising, redness). Experts believe that the most effective type of eyelid lift are Swiss, polylactic and Korean threads. The result after such a reinforcement lasts about 2-3 years.
Fractional photothermolysis
Fractional photothermolysis is another effective non-surgical method of tightening the skin of the upper and lower eyelids. This is a type of laser resurfacing in which a fractional laser generator (for example, an erbium laser) is used to influence the problem area. The lightning generated by this device is dispersed in many currents and, when it hits the skin, it forms a large number of microthermal healing zones, in which the main effect takes place, thus the surrounding
tissues are not heated andthey are not injured.
A distinctive feature and at the same time the main principle of action of fractional photothermolysis is heating the skin to a temperature of 250-300 ° C, which experts call the evaporation procedure. Old cells, pathologically altered and destroyed under the influence of said temperature are destroyed and evaporated, while natural neocollagenesis is activated and the activity of fibroblasts increases, which synthesize the main components of the extracellular matrix: peptides (collagen and elastin).
The result of fractional laser resurfacing is a remarkable tightening of the skin in the eyelid area, smoothing out wrinkles and folds, restoring the hydrodynamics of the periorbital tissues and improving the general condition of the skin in this area.
Pulse currents (microcurrents)
Microcurrent therapy refers to low-traumatic eyelid lifting methods, but a significant disadvantage of this method is the short duration of the result (no more than 4 months). The clinical result of using microcurrent therapy to lift the periorbital area is due to the following properties of impulse currents:
- normalization of lymphatic flow.Lymphatic drainage effect, which has impulse currents in the skin, improves the movement of lymph, prevents its stagnation and helps to lighten dark circles under the eyes;
- stimulation of metabolic processes.The 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, acquires a healthy appearance);
- restoration of muscle tone.The eyelid muscles are quite weak and the additional stimulation allows it to achieve a tightening effect.
The standard duration of the course is 10-20 procedures, while in most cases it is necessary to repeat the procedure after a few months.
Before and after photos
Conclusion
Eyelid lift is a difficult task, but at the same time feasible, for the solution of which modern aesthetic medicine offers a large number of effective methods, including low-traumatic manipulations with a low probability of complications. The most effective and safest periorbital lifting method is decided individually after talking with the patient, diagnosing the problem area, and studying the medical history data.
The use of surgical techniques is indicated mainly for patients with pronounced signs of aging in the area around the eyes, in whom the use of gentle techniques is ineffective and presumably will not give a stable positive result. It is best for people with the initial manifestations of the "century of aging" to choose minimally invasive methods with a low degree of tissue trauma and a short recovery period.