Our eyes are one of the most expressive parts of our face. They are also one of the first areas people assess when they see one another. Youthful eyes are bright with clear tight skin on the upper lid and lower lids.
Usually as we age, the lids begin to change. Heavy upper lid skin can occlude the view of our upper lids and lower lid bags and festoons can make us look tired, sick and older.
Festoons are a term to describe loose and swollen skin the lower eyelid and cheek regions. They are usually seen in individuals with lighter skin types and have their genesis in past sun exposure and contrasting muscle action under the skin in this region.
They can wax and wane and be more noticeable first thing in the morning. They are frustrating in that surgery to help lower lid bags doesn’t help correct the festoons.
They are frustrating because festoons and lower lid bags can make us appear tired and sick even when we feel fine inside. Patients looking, How to get rid of festoons under eyes often report that other people tell them they look tired. This is frustrating for people who feel fine but are perceived as tired when they are not.
They differ from lower lid bags in a few ways. First involves location. Lower lid Bags form just below the lower lid lashes while festoons and malar mounds form further down on the cheek region. The Second involves etiology. Lower Lid Bags form as a result of age related fat changes around the eyes while festoons and malar mounds result from past sun damage in most cases. Third, lower lid bags when palpated are firm while festoons are squishy.
In terms for how to get rid of festoons under the eyes, the initial approach involves preventing them from getting worse. Since festoons and malar mounds have their origin in sun exposure, wearing daily sunblock and sunglasses when outside can help to prevent festoons and malar mounds from getting worse.
In regards to treatments to improve festoons, the first involves timing. During different times of the days, festoons and malar mounds can be better or worse. They are usually more noticeable during the morning hours after sleep. A second treatment involves incisional surgery to cut out the festoons. This can work but results in scars on this important part of the face.
Cautery and Injections of caustic components have been used as well with mixed results. My approach to treat festoons involve using lasers to injury the sun damaged skin that caused the festoons and malar mounds and then allowing the body to heal the injury with new collagen and elastic fibers. This has given me the best results in helping individuals with festoons and malar mounds.
It’s always best to treat lower lid bags and eyelid festoons and malar mounds at the same time for the more natural results.