Eye Bags in Phoenix

When you were young, you may have noticed the skin just beneath your eyes occasionally get puffier due to factors such as not sleeping enough or eating salty foods. However, now that you are older, you may find that the area beneath your eyes perpetually bulges even when you have gotten a good night’s rest and eaten healthy meals.

This bulging can create the appearance of “eye bags” that make you look older, more tired and less attractive overall. Thankfully, you can take active steps to diminish these bags. In fact, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali Ghafouri and the team at Arizona Oculoplastic Specialists have multiple treatments that can help smooth out the lower eyelid.

What Causes Eye Bags?

Eye bags are generally due to one of two causes:

1. Excess fat, skin and other tissue that cause the lower eyelid to protrude
2. Swelling or fluid retention

Eye bags caused by excess tissue are usually the result of aging. As muscles weaken and skin loosens and sags, bags are much more likely to form. In the case of swelling, liquids can accumulate while you sleep or after consuming a high-sodium diet. Allergies can also exacerbate swelling. Alcohol, smoking, genetics and certain medical conditions can further exaggerate your bags. 

Although eye bags are often conflated with dark circles that form beneath the eyes, those are technically a separate cosmetic issue — though it is not uncommon to have both. Fortunately, Dr. Ghafouri can also treat dark circles (and tear troughs) for complete rejuvenation beneath your eyes.

Treatments for Eye Bags

You may find that taking certain steps at home can help minimize your eye bags, such as:

• Sleeping more and with your head slightly elevated
• Not drinking fluids right before bed
• Avoiding excess salt
• Applying cold compresses

However, if the results from these steps are not satisfactory, you can probably benefit from cosmetic treatments for eye bags.

Lower Blepharoplasty

This surgical procedure focuses on smoothing and rejuvenating the lower eyelid. By removing and/or repositioning excess tissue, skin and fat, Dr. Ghafouri can flatten the age-related puffiness for improved skin texture and appearance. For most patients, the results last the rest of their lives. This makes it a smart investment if you do not wish to keep trying to conceal your eye bags with cosmetics.

Dermal Fillers

If you would prefer to avoid surgery, you may be interested in an easy injectable treatment like dermal fillers. Admittedly, it may seem counterintuitive to try to add volume to the undereye area to make it bulge less. However, by tightening the sagging skin, Dr. Ghafouri can smooth out the unappealing puffiness. While dermal fillers are not a permanent solution, they do tend to last longer in this area than other parts of the face, with results visible for one to two years.

Laser Rejuvenation

Another option for addressing undereye puffiness is laser treatment. Laser technology is a safe and effective way to improve the texture of skin and regenerate production of collagen and elastin for ongoing rejuvenation. Because lasers can also improve pigmentation issues, they are a good option if you are also dealing with dark circles causing by thinning skin.

Make an Appointment with Eye Bag Experts

In many cases, your best treatment depends on the condition of your skin and the root cause of your eye bags. Our friendly team of cosmetic professionals can formulate a precise treatment plan that optimizes your results. To schedule a consultation, please call (480) 905-1010 today.