Posted in Facial Plastic Surgery, Injectables
From blinking and squinting to sun damage and the loss of skin elasticity, many factors leave lasting marks on the eyes and upper face. The eyes and forehead are typically the first facial features to show the effects of age, time, and gravity. Unfortunately, they are also the facial features responsible for portraying youth and displaying emotions, leading many individuals to consider cosmetic procedures.
What Causes Aging Eyes?
The skin around the eyes is the thinnest skin on the body, making it extra delicate. Factor in the thousands of blinks and eye movements per day, the damage caused by not protecting your skin from the sun, and the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and you are left with distinct lines and wrinkles around and between the eyes. Eye wrinkles fall into two categories, static and dynamic, and the ideal treatment depends on the type of wrinkle they are.
Dynamic Versus Static Lines
Dynamic lines are caused by repeated muscle movements, such as blinking, squinting, and any facial expression that causes the eyes, brows, or forehead to move. Static lines are those that are not caused by movement but instead develop due to other parts of the aging process. Men and women produce a significant amount of elastin and collagen when they are young, which allows the skin to remain taut and smooth. Unfortunately, the production of these proteins slows with age, and as this occurs your skin quality pays the price as you develop deep lines and creases.
Your Cosmetic Options
BOTOX® Cosmetic offers non-surgical relief from dynamic lines. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a neurotoxin that prohibits the chemical signals that allow for muscle contraction in the upper regions of the face and is, therefore, an effective treatment for crow’s feet, frown lines, and vertical forehead wrinkles. As the most popular injectable treatment, BOTOX® Cosmetic is minimally invasive, and patients can return to their normal activities immediately after. BOTOX® Cosmetic is only a temporary solution to dynamic lines, and treatments need to be repeated at three to four-month intervals.
Eyelid surgery and brow lift surgery can both address static and dynamic lines. Eyelid surgery improves heavy, drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags beneath the eyes. Eyelid surgery can also open up the eyes to improve your visual fields and your ability to convey a more extensive array of emotions. Brow lift surgery addresses lines and wrinkles on the forehead as well as those between the brows. A brow lift can also raise drooping eyebrows so that there is less pressure on the eyelids. While these surgical procedures do require some downtime, they provide long-lasting results that do not need to be repeated every few months.
To learn more about which eye procedure may be right for you, contact Dr. Benjamin Schlechter at North Shore Aesthetics by calling (847) 393-4770 or by filling out our online contact form.
