What are eye bags?
Eye bags are fatty bulges that appear in the lower or upper lid with ageing. They are often inherited.
In the normal eye socket (called the orbit), the eyeball is surrounded by fat. When we are young, the fat is held into the eye socket by a stiff membrane, a bit like a piece of glad wrap, called the orbital septum. As we age, the septum thins out and weakens. This results in bulges in the septum appearing, and these are eye bags. Usually, we don't accumulate extra fat in the eyelid; it always exists without being visible. But, when it starts to bulge out in some people, an eye bag appears.
How are eye bags corrected?
Mostly, eye bags can only be corrected by surgery called a blepharoplasty. (Please read the procedure description of blepharoplasty for more information.)
For a non-surgical approach, if the bags are mild, filler or fat injections can sometimes add volume to the lower lid area and make the bags less obvious.
Key facts
-
An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to assess your eye bags and recommend treatment options.
-
Please read the Blepharoplasty for more information about the most common method of treatment: open or transconjunctival blepharoplasty.
-
In mild eye bag cases, sometimes a non-surgical approach might be successful.
Important to know
So you can make an informed decision, your elected surgeon will discuss the possible risks associated with 'eye bag treatment'. Although the majority of patients do not experience these complications, it's important to understand how they can be managed in the event that they occur.