The eyes are one of the focal points of the face, but as we age our faces — and specifically our eyelids — can change. We can develop baggy lower eyelids, loose skin on our lower eyelids, wrinkles, and festoons and malar mounds. Any of these can make a person appear tired, sick, or older.

Our brains constantly evaluate other people’s faces for communications cues. It’s normal for people with lower eyelid bags to also have the swelling on the cheeks known as festoons or malar mounds. The brain sees these things as normal in an older person. Many people seek help from cosmetic surgeons with these issues, but sometimes this type of correction isn’t the best decision. One example of how isolated lower eyelid surgery can be a mistake is when lower eyelid festoons or malar mounds are present. When the lower lid bags are improved through surgery but the festoons or malar mounds aren’t, the results can look even worse than before.

We expect heavy lower lids to accompany eyelid festoons and malar mounds, and when only one of these conditions is corrected, festoons and malar mounds are accentuated and become more pronounced. For the best results, fix both lower eyelid bags and festoons and malar mounds at the same time. This combination of procedures provides the most natural rejuvenation of this critical area of the face.