Isn’t skin the most fantastic organ? It serves so many purposes, not the least of which is protection. The same goes for our eyelids.
They protect our precious eyeballs from foreign debris and dryness. Even when we’re sleeping, our eyelids are working to keep our eyes hydrated and free from debris.
So, what happens when droopy eyelids befall us? Not only is this a cosmetic concern, but it can also impact our vision.
In this article, we’re going to discuss a few non-surgical ways to combat this dilemma, as well as a few low-risk, high-reward medical procedures. Let’s start with how to get rid of droopy eyelids naturally using ptosis exercises to improve skin elasticity and vitality. Then, we will explore eyelid surgery options that can tighten skin tissue to provide a more youthful appearance.
What Causes Droopy Eyelids?
Our upper eyelids are connected to a small muscle that holds it in place and allows the skin to move up and down as we open and close our eyes.
There’s also a muscle right under our eyebrows that raises our eyelids. So, the next time you raise an eyebrow at someone, know you have two muscles working hard to convey that nonverbal message.
Typically, droopy eyelids come with age. Our skin and muscles tend to weaken and, in the end, droop. This condition is known as ptosis.
Ptosis vs. Blepharoptosis
For some reason, the Greek language has stuck around when it comes to drooping muscles and skin. The medical field calls this ailment ptosis. In Greek, it means “falling.”
As you conduct your research and enter into any consultations, don’t be alarmed by these hefty words. They’re simply an alluring way of saying, “Your skin is starting to droop.” And, believe us, it’s perfectly normal.
Non-Surgical Solutions
As you start to pursue how to fix droopy eyelids without surgery, rest assured there are many avenues to pursue including exercise, lifestyle changes, and medical solutions.
Let’s start exploring ptosis treatment without surgery with some alterations to your lifestyle and explore a few muscle exercises.
Lifestyle Changes
Learning how to fix droopy eyelids without surgery starts with a good, hard look at our everyday lives. Here a few alterations that can help with how to tighten eyelids at home:
- Quit smoking.
- Get as close to eight hours’ sleep as you can.
- Avoid overexposure to the sun.
- Apply chilled cucumber slices to your eyes as you conduct your evening prayers or meditation.
(They contain ascorbic and caffeic acids that can reduce droopy eyelids.) - Apply chilled chamomile tea bags to your eyes. Chamomile is a natural anti-inflammatory.
(Steep two bags in hot water; let them cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; place them on your eyelids for 30 minutes.) - Enjoy a bowl of grapes each day.
(They contain resveratrol, a natural element that can slow the aging of cells.)
Exercises
We must begin with a disclaimer. Researchers don’t know how effective these common exercises are. But when you want to explore how to tighten eyelid skin without surgery, it doesn’t hurt to consider all the options.
However, we do know this: the more you move a muscle, the more you strengthen it. Here are a few droopy eyelid exercises to try:
- With a warm, clean washcloth, gently massage your eyelids. This may increase circulation and nerve responsiveness.
- With an electric toothbrush, gently stimulate the small muscles of your eyelid. Direct stimulation like this may help to reduce ptosis.
- Raise your eyebrow, place a finger underneath, and try to close your eyes. You can equate this to weight training, forcing your eyelids to work out and, hopefully, improve your eyelid droop.
- Fix your eyes on one, specific item for an extended period of time. Do not look away and, as you do this, you’ll begin to feel your eyelid muscles working. When learning how to fix a lazy eyelid, even simple facial exercises like this can make a difference in simple to moderate cases with sagging eyelids.
Medical Solutions
If you’ve done everything you can to alter your lifestyle and practice these exercises without any discernible results, don’t be afraid to consider a medical consultation with a local plastic surgery center.
Remember, this is about more than cosmetics. Droopy eyelids can impact your vision and impair your ability to carry out everyday activities. And in more severe cases, a healthy lifestyle and exercises may not be enough, which is when cosmetic surgery to repair the eyelid area might be a great option. Here are two prime procedures that you can begin to research today.
Blepharoplasty
Remember that huge Greek word for eyelids, blepharoptosis? Well, blepharoplasty takes aim at this small surface above the eye and is an effective option for how to fix droopy eyelids.
With this procedure, a surgeon will cut along the fold of the upper eyelid, remove the excess skin, muscle, or fat, and then close the incision.
The same goes for the lower lid. Your surgeon will make a cut just below the lash line, remove any excess skin, muscle, or fat, and then close the incision.
There will be some swelling and pain. But, most patients see that subside after 10 to 14 days. The scars from the incisions, however, may take a few months to fade.
We mentioned above to avoid the sun. This will be especially true in the weeks and months following your procedure.
Suture Method
This is another methodology you’ll come across when learning how to get rid of droopy eyelids. The ideal patient will not have excess eyelid skin and they will have relatively thin or moderate eyelids.
What happens here is the eyelid skin is pinched into a small crease above the eyelid. A suture then secures the pinched hood through a series of stitches along the skin of the eyelid and underlying eyelid tissue.
Patients can benefit from this method because the procedure itself only takes about 30 minutes and it’s performed under local anesthesia. Four to six days later, the sutures are removed and life begins anew.
There Is a Solution
We hope this has helped you learn what to do for droopy eyelids. Know that there is a solution, whether you want to discover how to fix droopy eyelids without surgery or need a procedure to address the issue.
Begin with certain lifestyle changes that may benefit your overall health anyway.
And, if those improvements don’t bring about the results you’d like, then consider a consultation with a plastic surgery expert.
He or she will be able to identify your concerns and help you develop a medical plan to produce positive results.
Here at Wave Plastic Surgery Center, we offer a number of ways to help you awaken your inner beauty. This includes body contouring, skin rejuvenation, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, Brazilian butt lifts, and more.
Enjoy scrolling through our before and after photos. There, you’ll be able to take in the results of our blepharoplasties.
And, when you’re ready, come on over and book a consultation with us. We’ll help you find the easiest pathway to a re-awakening of your inner beauty.
