3 Treatment Options For Saggy Eyelids

Are your upper eyelids beginning to sag? Do you worry that they're affecting your appearance and perhaps making you look older than you are? Or is the sagging so bad that it's actually blocking your vision? Many people suffer from sagging eyelids, especially as they age. As you get older, your body produces less collagen, which causes you to have more wrinkles and loose skin. Although sagging eyelids can result from certain medical conditions, most people have sagging eyelids because of their body's natural reduction in collagen production. The good news is that you have treatment options available. Here are three popular options for treating sagging eyelids:

Laser skin resurfacing. One way to fix your eyelids without surgery or injections is through laser treatments. Your doctor applies a laser to the most affected areas of your skin. The laser then boosts collagen production, tightening the treated areas of skin. Laser therapy is often used on wrinkles in the cheeks and even cellulite, but it can also be effective for mild cases of drooping or sagging eyelids. You may need several sessions before you start to see results.

Keep in mind, though, that if your eyelids are sagging severely, laser treatment and increased collagen production may not do the trick. Even if the skin does tighten, it could be sagging so far down that you still find it unappealing.

Botox. Botox injections have long been used to treat wrinkles in the forehead and the cheeks. It can also be used to fill in wrinkles around the eyes, tightening the skin and creating a more youthful appearance. Of course, that means you'll have to get injections in and around your eyelids, so if you're scared of needles, this may not be the best treatment option.

You could see results after just one treatment and those results may last for months, meaning you may only need to be treated a few times a year. Like laser, though, Botox is best used on mild cases. If you have severe sagging, it's unlikely that wrinkle filler like Botox will be an effective solution.

Blepharoplasty. This is a surgical procedure in which the doctor removes excess skin to eliminate wrinkles and give your eyes a more youthful appearance. The surgeon can remove as much skin as necessary, so this is an effective solution if you eyelids are sagging so badly that they're blocking your vision. Blepharoplasty is usually an outpatient procedure. However, you could have a few days of recovery time and irritation around your eyes.

Also, you'll want to check to make sure that your insurance covers it. If the sagging is creating a visual impairment, the procedure will likely be covered. However, if the procedure is for cosmetic reasons, it may not be covered.

For more information, contact a surgeon in your area who performs blepharoplasty. They can help you decide whether the procedure is right for you.