Eyelid Bags

Treating eyelid bags is an effective way to enhance your appearance and achieve a more well-rested look. If you have eyelid bags that make you appear aged or tired, we offer customizable treatments to help you address these concerns. In addition to eyelid bags, we can also improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes (periorbital wrinkles) for a smoother appearance. Changes to the areas around your eyes are a natural part of aging ⁽¹⁾, but they can impact your confidence. At Chicago Oculofacial Plastic Surgery, we can enhance your appearance with surgical and nonsurgical treatments, so these changes do not need to be permanent.

Dr. Paul Phelps, a Chicago-based oculofacial surgeon and member of the Oculofacial Society, has decades of experience helping his patients with life-changing facial treatments. As a leading expert in periocular and facial CO2 laser resurfacing, his treatments are adjusted for each patient’s underlying anatomy and designed for minimal downtime.

Contact our office or call Chicago Oculofacial Plastic Surgery at (312) 888-5754 to learn more about how we can address your eyelid bags.

About Eyelid Bags

Patients commonly experience eyelid bags as a result of the natural aging process because the skin’s collagen levels decline, resulting in laxity, fine lines, and wrinkles. Facial fat can also atrophy over time, resulting in puffiness that makes you appear tired. ⁽²⁾ Gravity also pulls on the skin, and environmental factors can accelerate skin aging. Sun exposure, genetics, and hormonal changes can all affect the quality and appearance of the skin and eyelid bags. UV light can also cause the skin to age prematurely (photoaging), resulting in wrinkles, laxity, and issues like eyelid bags.

Dr. Phelps offers both surgical and non-surgical treatments to address eyelid bags. Surgical treatments are typically best for patients who need to address more significant eyelid bags, while non-surgical therapies are best for achieving mild rejuvenation.

CO2 Laser Resurfacing

CO2 laser resurfacing is a minimally invasive treatment that reduces eyelid bags by increasing your skin’s collagen levels. The treatment can help you achieve more radiant skin with beams of laser energy that resurface the skin to help it repair itself from damage. It can also reduce the pigment in dark under-eye circles to help you achieve a more youthful-looking complexion. With CO2 laser resurfacing, we can address several skin concerns in addition to eyelid bags:

Lower Blepharoplasty

A lower blepharoplasty (lower eyelid lift) reduces dark circles by repositioning the underlying fat (fat repositioning and grafting) for a smoother, more youthful appearance. In 2023, specialists performed more than 120,700 blepharoplasties to help patients achieve their aesthetic goals. ⁽⁴⁾ Depending on the condition of your skin, we can also combine blepharoplasty with CO2 lasers to address wrinkles in the periocular area. ⁽³⁾

Since a lower blepharoplasty is a surgical treatment, it does require more downtime than laser resurfacing. The recovery from a lower blepharoplasty can take weeks, and you must take time off work to allow yourself time to rest and heal.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platlet-rich plasma (PRP) is a nutrient-rich serum that reduces the appearance of under-eye bags, wrinkles, and fine lines using the power of your own blood. During the treatment, Dr. Phelps takes a sample of blood. This sample is then processed to create the PRP serum. Dr. Phelps administers the plasma directly to your skin to increase your skin’s levels of collagen and elastin–essential proteins that help your skin maintain its structure.

PRP can help reduce the appearance of dark under-eye circles for brighter, smoother skin ⁽⁵⁾ because the formula helps your skin regenerate. If you would like to address discoloration but do not have any excess fat creating a puffy appearance, this treatment is likely a good fit for you. PRP can also improve your skin’s texture and quality for a firmer appearance. Afterward, many patients enjoy looking more well-rested and find that since the treatment helps their body generate new cells, the results are long-lasting.

Sofwave™

Sofwave™ is an ultrasound-based energy treatment that reduces the appearance of wrinkles and tightens sagging skin for a firmer, younger look. Sofwave™ is well-known for its ability to provide a non-invasive eyelid lift due to SUPERB™ technology. With Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam technology, the ultrasonic waves can penetrate the deeper layers of your skin and reach farther than radiofrequency (RF). ⁽⁶⁾ Sofcool™ cools the upper layers of your skin while the ultrasonic energy and heat treat the deeper layers, making Sofwave™ safe for lifting the skin around the eyes. The treatment can:

This treatment is best for mild signs of aging. If you have significantly droopy skin beneath the eyes, Dr. Phelps will likely recommend undergoing blepharoplasty to address it.

Benefits

There are several benefits to treating under-eye bags, including:

Candidates

Suitable candidates for eyelid bag treatments want to improve the appearance of their under-eye area. After examining your skin, Dr. Phelps will let you know if CO2 laser resurfacing or lower blepharoplasty is most effective for you. The treatment can help if you would like to address droopy eyelid bags for a more wakeful and well-rested appearance. We adjust all treatments, according to your aesthetic goals and the condition of your skin. ⁽⁷⁾

Consultation

During your consultation, we can determine the best treatment plan for your needs. Please come prepared to discuss your medical history, the medications you currently take, and your aesthetic goals in depth to help us create the best treatment plan for your needs. Based on this consultation, Dr. Phelps can determine whether a surgical or non-surgical procedure is the best approach for your aesthetic goals.

Preparation

Your preparation instructions will depend on your treatment plan. To prepare for an eyelid bag treatment, avoid excessive sun exposure, take good care of your skin, and stay hydrated. You must also stop taking medications and supplements that thin your blood. For the best results, you will also need to temporarily stop using nicotine and tobacco products. You will also need to refrain from drinking alcohol for 24 hours before and after the treatment. We can also provide more specific instructions based on your personalized treatment plan and whether you need a lower blepharoplasty or CO2 laser resurfacing treatment.

Results

After your treatment, you can enjoy a smoother, brighter under-eye area and a more youthful appearance. We can reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and droopy skin for potentially life-changing results. Maintaining your collagen levels is important for preventing signs of facial aging. ⁽⁸⁾

Corresponding Procedures

Sofwave™

Sofwave™ is an ultrasound energy treatment that lifts the skin for a firmer, smoother appearance. It is FDA-cleared to penetrate the skin at a deeper level. We can rejuvenate areas of the face by performing the treatment with minimal downtime for a smoother, more youthful look.

Upper Blepharoplasty

Upper blepharoplasty is a procedure that removes excess tissue to address moderate to severe skin laxity.

Platlet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an injectable treatment that rejuvenates your skin with growth factors for improved radiance and healthier-looking skin. By purifying a small blood sample to extract the purest plasma and administering it to your skin, we can reduce the appearance of eye bags.

The Cost of Treating Eyelid Bags in Chicago

The cost of treating eyelid bags will depend on your personalized treatment plan and whether you need additional treatments. We can adjust your treatment to meet your specific needs.

Do not hesitate to schedule your consultation and learn how our effective procedures can help you improve your appearance for lasting results.

Contact our office or call Chicago Oculofacial Plastic Surgery at (312) 888-5754 to learn more about how simple procedures can improve your appearance.

References

1. Murri M, Hamill E, Hauck M, Marx D. An Update on Lower Lid Blepharoplasty. Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 2017;31(01):046-050. doi:https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1598632
2. Sundelin T, Lekander M, Kecklund G, Van Someren EJW, Olsson A, Axelsson J. Cues of Fatigue: Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Facial Appearance. Sleep. 2013;36(9):1355-1360. doi:https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.2964
3. Carter SR, Seiff SR, Choo PH, Vallabhanath P. Lower eyelid CO2 laser rejuvenation. Ophthalmology. 2001;108(3):437-441. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0161-6420(00)00593-5
4. American Society of Plastic Surgeons ® Endorsed Partner. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/news/statistics/2023/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2023.pdf
5. Nilforoushzadeh, Mohammad Ali, et al. “Assessing the effectiveness of the combination therapy with fractional Er‐YAG laser and platelet‐rich plasma in treatment of periorbital dark circles patients: a clinical trial.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 20.11 (2021): 3526-3536. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.14036
6. Khan U, Khalid N. A Systematic Review of the Clinical Efficacy of Micro-Focused Ultrasound Treatment for Skin Rejuvenation and Tightening. Cureus. Published online December 4, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.20163
7. Naik M. Hills and valleys: Understanding the under-eye. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery. 2016;9(2):61. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.184048
8. Al-Atif H. Collagen Supplements for Aging and Wrinkles: a Paradigm Shift in the Field of Dermatology and Cosmetics. Dermatology Practical & Conceptual. 2022;12(1):e2022018. doi:https://doi.org/10.5826/dpc.1201a18