Is eyelid surgery the answer to get rid of puffy eyes?

There are a number of reasons for people to have puffy eyes. Some are genetic and anatomical, while other reasons can be related to other factors such as allergies, poor sleep, intermittent swelling from fluid retention, and crying. Eyelid surgery, also called blepharoplasty, works well when there is a true excess of skin and/or fat around the upper and lower eyelids. Essentially, the skin and fat bulges in front of the lid itself. Other factors which may cause this look include eye brow descent, where the eyebrows start to drop and create heaviness on the upper eyelid, or upper eyelid ptosis (drooping), which means that the upper eyelid muscles are weak and the resting upper eyelid position is lower than ideal. For the lower lid, many patients complain of puffy lower eyelids or dark circles in the situation of hollowness. This means that rather than a redundancy of skin and fat of the lower eyelid, the situation is quite the opposite. In these cases, the orbit is noticed from loss of facial volume, genetics, or cheek tissue descent, unmasking the orbital structures and looking like a dark circle or sometimes a puffy lower lid. Darkening of the lower lid can occur from pigmentation, or color changes can occur from the robust capillaries in this thinned-skin area. In the situation of hollowness, sometimes fillers can be used to fill the depth of the depressions, which can improve the look of the orbit. Consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon will be the best way to establish what is causing your puffy eyelids so that a treatment plan can be recommended.

H.A. Brown, MD

Best advice is to obtain a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. After obtaining your medical history and examining your eyes, the surgeon can discuss options with you. Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery is commonly performed on puffy eyelids to rejuvenate them. Depending on the patient, removal of the excess fat only can be performed or in some instances we also address skin laxity and crepiness using a laser or skin removal.