Are there any non-surgical treatments that can improve drooping eyelids?

One of the many frustrating things that can happen to us as we get older is the onset of drooping eyelids. This is unfortunate as it can mean that the face appears older and people can look more tired.

The reason this happens is because as we age facial skin loses some of its elasticity, which means that it gives the appearance of excess or ‘baggy’ skin around certain areas – and the eyelids are particularly prone to this.

If you are suffering with drooping eyelids, there are a number of surgical fixes that can help reduce the effect of excess skin. However, all operations, no matter how small, come with their risks.

So for people who are not ready to go under the knife, are there any non-surgical ways of dealing with this problem?

Skin-tightening therapies for drooping eyelids

It is possible to undergo non-surgical ‘skin tightening’ such as ultherapy. Ultherapy is a treatment using ultrasound (sound waves) to target problem areas deep inside the skin’s tissue layer.

This process then encourages the body’s natural healing processes to take action, which results in a tightening of the skin.

Skin renewal treatments

Another option is something called skin renewal therapy, which uses radiofrequency to improve laxity and texture of the skin around the eyes.

This is a relatively new approach, it has only been available for the past decade, but is popular as another non-surgical route to explore. It works by applying pulses of heat generated by radio waves to the lower layers of the skin.

The process is safe as it manages to target the lower layers of the skin without damaging the skin’s uppermost layer. The effect is that it helps firm up (and generate more of) the skin’s natural collagen.

Short-term benefits

It’s worth remembering that these non-surgical alternatives generally offer a more subtle/understated fix than the surgical solutions. They cannot be as effective as the surgical procedures available because the action taken is much gentler.

They are also often only able to address the problem in the short term – the effects will wear off relatively quickly and repeat procedures will be required to sustain any changes achieved.

To find out more about the surgical options to treat drooping eyelids, please contact us.