Put Your Fat Where It Counts! 3 Ways Eyelid Fat Grafting Can Give You a Fresh Look

In one of the ironies of aging, we begin to lose fat where we need it most – around the eyes and midface, where it keeps the skin looking plump and youthful – and gain it in areas where we don’t need it at all, such as the abdomen and flanks.

Eyelid fat grafting is a rejuvenating technique that harvests fat from places you’d like to lose it and injects it into tear troughs and under the brows to give you a younger, fresher look. In many cases, this simple procedure even allows you to avoid more extensive eyelid surgery. In other cases, fat grafting (aka lipo transfer) can be used as an adjunct to upper and lower blepharoplasty and other eye-rejuvenation techniques. And, unlike hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, fat transfer is permanent.

The Most Natural “Filler” There Is

Fat grafting is the most biocompatible dermal filler available because it is derived from your own fat. This makes it appropriate even for those with sensitive or allergy-prone skin.

For fat transfer around the eyes, just 10 to 100 ccs of fat are harvested from small incisions in fatty areas, such as muffin tops, love handles, and flanks. The living fat cells and rejuvenating stems cells are then carefully processed and injected around the eye area.

Because only 60% to 70% of the injected fat cells survive the first few months, we usually insert more than is needed. Sometimes, patients opt for touch-ups after the fat graft has settled. These touch-ups can be done with newly harvested fat or with hyaluronic acid-based fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane. Learn more about dermal fillers at WebMD.com.

Here are three ways Los Angeles eyelid fat grafting can perk up your look:

1. Fill In Dark Circles and Hollows

Hollow, sunken, and darkened under-eye areas are not only aging but often give the impression that you’re tired or even ill. Under-eye circles often become more prominent as we age, but even young people can be genetically predisposed to them.

These “dark circles” are more a result of a shadow than of color. Filling out the tear troughs with harvested fat grafts plumps up the skin, thereby eliminating the shadow. In many cases, this is sufficient to rejuvenate the eyes, obviating the need for lower blepharoplasty. In other cases, it can be used as an adjunct to surgery. Either way, the dark circles are gone, and the lower eye area looks filled out and youthful.

2. Lift and Plump Up Droopy Eyelids

Nothing can make you look sleepier and unenergized than drooping eyelids. While older patients or those with significantly sagging skin may benefit from upper blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), those whose skin is still elastic and who have minimal sagging can take advantage of fat grafting alone.

In this procedure, the fat graft is injected into the area between the upper lid crease and the eyebrow, to plump up the skin and give it a lift. The result is a more alert and youthful look without the pain and expense of double eyelid surgery. A bonus is that the rejuvenated lid holds eye-makeup better as it no longer “bunch” up in the skin creases.

3. Nonsurgical Eyebag Removal

Even more of a dead giveaway of age than sagging or hollow eyes is the presence of unsightly eye bags. Depending on the size of the bags, eye bag surgery may not be necessary. A quick and permanent fix to camouflage the bags is to fill in the hollow area below them through fat grafting. The plumper skin smooths out the transition to the eye bags, making the entire area look rejuvenated and fresh.

Simple Procedure, Long-Lasting Results

Fat grafting can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. There will be about seven to 10 days of bruising and swelling. Owing to its biocompatible nature, lumps or bumps – common with other dermal fillers – are rare in fat grafting with proper injection technique.

After two or three months, only about 60% to 70% of the injected fat will still be present. If you feel you would like more volume, you may opt at that time for re-harvesting fat for another fat grafting or fill in with hyaluronic acid fillers at your Los Angeles oculoplastic surgeon’s office.

It All Starts With a Consultation

A face-to-face consultation is essential for determining if you are a good candidate for rejuvenating your eyes with an eyelid fat transfer. Please contact Mehryar (Ray) Taban, MD, FACS, at my offices in Beverly Hills (310-499-2565) or Santa Barbara (805-556-7099), California. You may also reach me at877-958-9277 or contact my office via online contact form. If you plan to travel from out of town or out of state, please see some tips here: http://tabanmd.com/out-of-town-patients/.

Next, read 5 Signs You Need Revision Eyelid Surgery

The post Put Your Fat Where It Counts! 3 Ways Eyelid Fat Grafting Can Give You a Fresh Look appeared first on Taban MD oculoplastic cosmetic eyelid plastic surgeon Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara.

5 Signs You Need Revision Eyelid Surgery

They say that your eyes are the windows to your soul, but what if people can’t see into your eyes because of drooping eyelids? The oculoplastic surgeon at TabanMD might say that you’re having undesirable complications from an eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) gone awry and expert eyelid treatment is necessary.

Your eyes tell the world a lot. Yet much of the time, it’s not your actual eye by which people end up judging your appearance. Sure, if you’re one of the lucky ones whose eyes are any shade of blue or green, people notice your eyes more than usual.

Actually, though, it’s the skin around your eyes – underneath the eye socket (the tear trough), the outer corners, and both your upper and lower eyelids – that most people use to determine your age, condition, and emotion.

In the past, if the skin in these areas had issues that distracted from your looks or made you appear older than your real age, you may have had cosmetic blepharoplasty to correct these minor aesthetic issues.

However, if you’ve had complications from any type of eyelid surgery performed more than six months ago and are still having cosmetic issues, you may want to consider discussing the benefits of revision eyelid surgery with Los Angeles oculoplastic specialist Dr. Mehryar (Ray) Taban to correct the unsatisfactory results of the first procedure.

The Benefits of Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Normally, a blepharoplasty is an operation to improve the appearance of either or both of your eyelids. This surgery can be done for cosmetic or medical reasons, such as excess skin or eyelid malfunctions, respectively. Beverly Hills eyelid surgery can rejuvenate your face by treating loose eyelid skin, excess fat, under eye bags, fine lines and wrinkles on the lower eyelid, and drooping lower eyelids that reveal more of the whites of your eyes than you want.

This procedure improves your tired, droopy-eyed look and can steal back years from your appearance. Depending on your circumstances, you can have upper or lower eyelid surgery separately or have them both done at the same time.

5 Signs You Need the Revisional Blepharoplasty Expertise of Dr. Taban

Dr. Taban is a widely acclaimed reconstructive and cosmetic eyelid surgeon who has performed various types of blepharoplasties and revisional blepharoplasties with resounding success on patients of all ages, ethnicities, and skin types.

Not all cosmetic eyelid surgeons have such skill, training, and results. Blepharoplasty is a delicate procedure that doesn’t forgive mistakes very easily. If a first procedure done incorrectly, hastily or carelessly begs for corrections, yet a revision eyelid surgery is no less forgiving.

That’s why talking to a specialist of Dr. Taban’s caliber is so crucial to getting the results you want. He specializes in revisional procedures to correct what has unsatisfactorily happened before.

If you’re not sure whether or not revisional blepharoplasty is for you, here are five common signs that could indicate your viability.

Sign #1 – Droopy Eyelids

One reason for this could be that the original eyelid surgery under-corrected your initial issues. In other words, not enough skin was removed and/or the muscle that lifts the eyelid was not tightened (ptosis surgery). The result is a “heavy” look to your appearance as if you’re less vibrant and older than you really are. Often, your eyes appear puffy and tired. Furthermore, the sag in some patients is so bad that it blocks the upper field of vision.

All of this can be corrected with a revision eyelid surgery, particularly one called eyelid ptosis surgery, which tightens the muscle responsible for lifting your upper eyelid (levator muscle). This has the intended effect of making you look younger and more vibrant.

Sign #2 – Unsatisfactory Shape or Contour from Previous Surgery

The shape of the eye can become distorted if the previous blepharoplasty either removed too much or not enough skin. One result is that your lower lid sags, revealing more of the white of your eye than normal (sclera show).

A revisional lower blepharoplasty is ideal for correcting your eye contour and giving it back its more natural shape.

Sign #3 – You Can’t (Fully) Blink or Shut Your Eyes

The inability to close your eyes is called lagophthalmos, which can happen as a result of an unsatisfactory blepharoplasty. An example of this is if, during an upper blepharoplasty, too much skin was removed from your upper lids, making the eyes unable to fully shut, which is extremely uncomfortable.

Fortunately, eye surgeon Dr. Taban offers several ways to correct this issue, including a revision eyelid surgery using skin grafts so the eyes can shut and blink properly.

Sign #4 – A Hollow Look Under Your Eyes

If during your first procedure your surgeon got overzealous in her or his removal of the fat pockets in your lower eyelids, you may now have a hollow sunken eye look, as if you’re fatigued or sick.

A revisional lower blepharoplasty can restore the volume to these areas, making you more youthful looking, alert, and naturally rested.

Sign #5 – Your Eyes Are Now Noticeably Asymmetrical

In the first blepharoplasty, too much skin or fat was removed from either under your eye or in the upper lid. This causes poor positioning of either or both of your eyelids, giving your appearance an unbalanced, unnatural look.

A blepharoplasty revision realigns everything so that the previous symmetry you had is restored. Although in reality, most people’s set of eyes is completely symmetrical, it’s usually close enough that it looks perfect. This corrective surgery will modify the eyelids so that they are at matching heights and, thus, look symmetrical.

Learn more about eyelid surgery at WebMD.com.

Complications from a Previous Blepharoplasty? Consult with Dr. Taban, Los Angeles Eyelid Surgery Specialist

If you’re considering a corrective procedure for an earlier, unsatisfactory blepharoplasty, contact oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Taban to schedule a consultation. He’ll design the ideal droopy eyelid treatment plan for you based on your persistent issues. Contact TabanMD online or give us a call in Beverly Hills at 310.499.2565 or in Santa Barbara at 805.556.7099.

Next, read Is There an Age Requirement for a Lower Blepharoplasty?

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Is There an Age Requirement for a Lower Blepharoplasty?

One of the most common complaints and concerns that individuals have about their appearance as they get older is the bags and sagging loose skin with dark circles that often form under the eyes. These features can make a person look older or more tired than he or she feels and will ultimately detract from his or her youthful appearance. But what if these features are present at a young age? Genetics, weight, and other health conditions can play a major factor in whether or not a person has puffy, sagging lower eyelids. Is it necessary to wait until the standard age range of 50 to 60 in order to take action and get eyelid surgery? In short, there is no specific age limit requirement for lower blepharoplasty.

Are You Eligible for a Lower Eyelid Surgery?

At TabanMD, oculoplastic specialist Dr. Mehryar (Ray) Taban carefully evaluates each patient to determine whether he or she is eligible for lower eyelid surgery, also known as lower blepharoplasty to address puffy under eye bags. In most cases, the best candidates fit the following requirements:

• At least 18 years of age
• In good physical condition
• Have droopy, puffy, or wrinkled eyelids
• Haven’t had success with non-surgical treatments
• Have realistic expectations

Patients who smoke or suffer from medical conditions, such as glaucoma, hypothyroidism, or high blood pressure need further assessment before being deemed candidates for eyelid surgery, but it is important to meet with Dr. Taban to determine the best course of action. Every patient is unique and requires a thorough evaluation prior to any operation to identify any concerns or issues. Patients younger than 18 may even be eligible for blepharoplasties depending on the circumstances, such as a birth defect or trauma.

What is Lower Blepharoplasty?

Lower blepharoplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that can erase years from one’s face, achieve a fresh, relaxed appearance. There are several techniques that Dr. Taban may use to create smooth, natural looking lower eyelids depending on the patient’s unique circumstances and desired goals. The most common types of lower blepharoplasty include:

Transconjunctival Lower Blepharoplasty with Fat Repositioning

Patients with excess fat in the lower eyelids or dark circles may benefit from this lower blepharoplasty procedure. The fatty tissue is removed or repositioned through tiny incisions in the lower eyelid where any scarring will not be visible. The fat is often repositioned under the eye to help fill out any hollowness, typically around the tear troughs, and concealing any darkness. This technique is stitch-less with quick, painless recovery. It also avoids any risk of eyelid malposition such as lower eyelid ectropion (eyelid turning out). If there is extra skin that needs to be removed, Dr. Taban uses minimally invasive technique called skin pinch technique.

Orbicularis Plication

This blepharoplasty technique involves surgically tightening the muscle under the eyelid to lift the lid to a more aesthetically pleasing and functional position. Additionally, this technique helps reduce excess skin that looks baggy or loose.

The type of technique that Dr. Taban uses will depend entirely on the patient’s needs and goals. For example, many younger patients do not have loose, sagging skin under their lower eyelids as the skin is generally still supple and firm with collagen and elastin. As a person ages, the skin produces less and less of the firming substances. Younger patients, however, may have inherited hollow, sunken tear troughs that make their eyes appear older or more tired.

Dr. Taban has years of training and experience performing reconstructive and cosmetic eyelid surgery on patients of all ages, ethnicities, and skin types with natural, youthful looking results. To learn how this eyelid surgery may improve your appearance, please contact us for a consultation. Lower blepharoplasty may be combined with other facial procedures, such as upper blepharoplasty, eyebrow lift or cheek augmentation, for a more rejuvenated effect.

Is Lower Blepharoplasty Right for You?

While patients as young as 18 years old may be eligible for lower eyelid surgery, it is important to consider whether it is the best option for achieving youthful, relaxed looking eyes. There are several non-surgical alternatives to lower blepharoplasty that may be effective, such as dermal filler injections, laser skin resurfacing, or even fat injections. Surgery is typically reserved as a last resort until other conservative methods have failed to achieve the desired results.

It is important to note that many non-surgical options, especially dermal fillers, can provide only temporary results. Lower eyelid surgery typically yields long-lasting results that do not typically require touch ups. Therefore, younger patients may be more comfortable with a temporary option, particularly if the lower eyelids are not dramatically baggy, loose or sunken. Older patients may finally decide to get a permanent fix for a cosmetic or medical condition that cannot be corrected with makeup, topical skin treatments, or dermal fillers.

Learn more about blepharoplasties at WebMD.

Meet with a Los Angeles Eyelid Surgery Specialist

If you are interested in undergoing blepharoplasty, whether for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons, contact TabanMD to schedule a consultation. Dr. Taban is an oculoplastic specialist who will provide you with a personalized treatment plan as well as explain what you can expect throughout a lower blepharoplasty procedure. Simply fill out our online contact form or give us a call at our Beverly Hills (310.499.2565) or Santa Barbara (805.556.7099) office today.

Next, read Can an Upper Blepharoplasty Correct Hooded Eyes?

The post Is There an Age Requirement for a Lower Blepharoplasty? appeared first on Taban MD oculoplastic cosmetic eyelid plastic surgeon Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara.

Can an Upper Blepharoplasty Correct Hooded Eyes?

In today’s hectic world, where people are on the go nearly around the clock, nobody can afford to be perceived as tired or lacking energy. We humans get our clues about one another from many different body signals, but one of the most important is through eye contact. If your eyes look sleepy, saggy or dull, you are giving the impression that you are not fully energized or even sad looking. Droopy eyelids and hooded eyes also make you look older and may lead to self-conscious behavior that others could perceive as a lack of confidence. In some instances, the sagging or drooping may be so pronounced that it actually interferes with your vision. Luckily, a relatively simple surgical procedure called upper blepharoplasty (“eyelid lift”) can re-open your eyes, giving you are more alert, energized and youthful look.

Unveiling the Mirrors to Your Soul With an Eyelift

By removing excess skin during the upper blepharoplasty procedure, an oculoplastic surgeon will help bring the sparkle back to your eyes, whether you suffer from loose or excess skin that occurs as a result of the aging process or from loss of muscle tone, otherwise known as ptosis. Hooded eyelids, drooping eyelids, saggy eyelids, sad-looking eyes, and tired-looking eyes will all respond well to this surgery.

Some eyelift patients may benefit from adjuvant therapies such as a brow lift that lifts the skin and prevents it from dropping over the eyes, ptosis surgery to tighten the underlying muscle, fat replacement or dermal fillers to make the eyelid look more youthful, and/or lower blepharoplasty to correct under-eye bags. Performing both upper blepharoplasty and lower blepharoplasty simultaneously is referred to as quad blepharoplasty, which may be necessary for those suffering from numerous conditions, not just drooping eyelids.

Dr. Mehryar (Ray) Taban also performs Asian upper blepharoplasty in Los Angeles, which respects each patient’s ethnicity and unique anatomic features. As with any cosmetic procedure, the end result of an eyelift must be in harmony with the patient’s face, enhancing his or her looks subtly and naturally.

Hidden Eyelift Treatments, Visible Benefits

Upper blepharoplasty is performed with local anesthetic through oral sedation, which means you will be awake during the procedure. If preferred, we also offer IV sedation. The lack of need for general anesthesia is one factor that speeds recovery time after an upper blepharoplasty.

You will be able to open and close your eyes while the upper eyelid surgery is performed. In fact, this is asked of during the upper blepharoplasty procedure, as it allows Dr. Taban to create symmetric and aesthetically pleasing eyelids for all of your natural eye positions.

During the upper blepharoplasty procedure, an incision is made in the eyelid crease, which will allow the scar to remain hidden. The amount of skin removed will be sufficient to resolve your drooping eyelid, but not so much that you will look like you have had “work done” or be unable to close your eyes. Knowing how much skin and/or fat to remove and whether extra fat or fillers are required takes not only surgical expertise but an advanced knowledge of facial aesthetics and anatomy, which is part of what Dr. Taban’s eyelift procedures so successful.

Finding Success in Upper Blepharoplasty Healing

After your upper blepharoplasty, experience some bruising around the eyes, which lasts for approximately 10 days. During that time, you will need to refrain from exercise and heavy lifting but can otherwise go about most of your daily routines. Your eyesight will not be affected at all. You will not even have to wear an eye patch. In addition, there is no pain!

The eyelift sutures are removed after seven days, at which time you can resume exercising and all other normal activities. Full healing after eyelid surgery takes up to three months. During that time, you may experience some residual swelling and redness from your eyelift.

After your skin has healed, you should not look as if you have had surgery. In fact, you will probably be surprised by the number of people who comment on how much younger and more vibrant you seem after your eyelift, but who will not be able to put their finger on exactly why that is.

Finding the Right Eyelift Practitioner Is Essential

As with any surgical procedure in Los Angeles, finding the right practitioner can mean the difference between happiness and dissatisfaction in your eyelift. With cosmetic eyelid surgery, obtaining natural results that make you look refreshed and alert without looking “done,” requires a practiced hand, deep knowledge of the eye’s anatomy, knowledge of facial aesthetics, and an ability to understand the eyelift patient’s needs.

Dr. Taban is an oculoplastic specialist with expertise in cosmetic blepharoplasty and revision blepharoplasty surgery, a double board-certified by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO/AAO), and a diplomat of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS). You can read and watch patient testimonials to learn more about upper blepharoplasties.

Click here to learn more about upper eyelid surgery.

To schedule a consultation to learn more about what is causing your droopy, wrinkled, saggy, or hooded eyelids and what procedures are needed to give you the alert, rejuvenated look you desire, please contact expert eye plastic surgeon Mehryar (Ray) Taban, MD, FACS, at his offices in Beverly Hills (310-499-2565) or Santa Barbara (805-556-7099), California, or fill out the online contact form.

Next, read Having Problems with Tear Production? These Tear Duct Surgeries May Be Right for You.

The post Can an Upper Blepharoplasty Correct Hooded Eyes? appeared first on Taban MD oculoplastic cosmetic eyelid plastic surgeon Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara.

Doctors’ Of Optometry AMD Assessments Comparable To Ophthalmologists

Doctors of optometry are no less effective at identifying developments in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than ophthalmologists, and may even be more meticulous in their assessments, concludes a new study.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal BMJ Open this past June, the study out of the United Kingdom found community doctors' of optometry ability to make neovascular, or "wet" AMD retreatment decisions were "not inferior to ophthalmologists' ability," and that "shared care with optometrists monitoring quiescent [wet AMD] lesions has the potential to reduce workload in hospitals."

In the U.K., ophthalmologists within the Hospital Eye Service (HES) typically administer AMD treatment of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs and continue tracking patients through routine, monthly hospital visits to monitor for lesion reactivation. This can tie up doctors' time and resources. Therefore, researchers set out to determine whether 'shared care' between private practice doctors of optometry and the HES to monitor for this reactivation was feasible, considering an established model already exists for conditions such as glaucoma.

Researchers found that the 48 doctors of optometry and 48 ophthalmologists classifying lesions using virtual vignettes were 84.5 percent and 85.4 percent correct, respectively. Additionally, the study noted that doctors of optometry tended to be more cautious in their review and more likely to classify lesions as reactivated—a trait that study authors noted "may be desirable in a primary care setting."

Medical News Today cited the study, reporting: "Decisions made by ophthalmologists and optometrists were consistent and that after training, optometrists based in the community were as good as hospital-based ophthalmologists."

Read more on... Doctors’ Of Optometry AMD Assessments Comparable To Ophthalmologists