Drooping eyelid: Why does it happen and how to deal with it?

Do you hear from acquaintances that you have aged or become sad, even though you do not feel that way at all? This impression may be created by drooping eyelids, which are, however, not only an aesthetic but also a health problem. A narrowed palpebral fissure can cause you problems with vision. Fortunately, the solution is relatively simple and, what is more, it will rejuvenate you.

Do you find that your acquaintances or colleagues at work tell you that you look somehow sad, melancholic or even angry? The reason may be drooping or sagging eyelids. And these no longer trouble only people around the age of 50, but often people in their thirties too. With the passing years the human organism naturally ages and the skin loses its flexibility.
 

Drooping eyelids are not just an aesthetic problem

Age also shows on our eyes. The skin around the eyes gradually loosens, which is also due to the fat stored in it, and so our eyelids tend to sag. Sagging eyelids change the facial expression but, what is even worse, they also have a negative effect on eyesight. They narrow the field of vision, which results in restricted vision.
 

Sagging eyelids can be caused by several factors

Age is the most common cause of sagging eyelids. MUDr. Ivo Ďurkovič, MPH chief ophthalmologist and founder of the iClinic network explains how drooping eyelids occur: “The muscle responsible for lifting the eyelid stretches over the years and gradually loses the ability to return to its original state. At the same time, fat is deposited in the eyelids, pushing the skin outwards, as a result of which drooping eyelids develop.”

Apart from age, drooping eyelids can also be the result of other risk factors:
damage to the nerve that gives the muscle the impulse to lift the eyelid – for example as a result of an accident or an injury to the head or eyes

• genetics
• lifestyle
• wearing contact lenses
• infection on the eyelid
• systemic diseases – stroke, paralysis, kidney diseases, cancer

Drooping eyelids in newborns

Insufficient development of the levator muscle during the development of the foetus in the womb can result in drooping eyelids in newborns. In such a case, immediate treatment is needed, as drooping eyelids can cause incorrect development of the eyes and vision.
 

How to deal with sagging eyelids

Medicine is moving forward and there is a solution to this problem too. Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure performed on an outpatient basis in which drooping lower and/or upper eyelids are removed. It can be performed separately on one eyelid or simultaneously on both, depending on the needs and requirements of the patient.

The eyelid is anaesthetised before the procedure itself. Then the excess skin or fatty tissue is removed. The wounds are usually tiny, so the eyes do not have to be completely covered, and therefore the patient is able to see normally after the procedure. Once the sagging eyelids have been removed, nothing physically obstructs the view any more, and so the patient feels the positive change in vision immediately after the procedure.
 

The first hours and days without sagging eyelids

Although blepharoplasty is a quick and comfortable surgical method, be prepared for several restrictions after undergoing it:

• swelling or small bruises are normal after the procedure and pass after a few days
• driving is not recommended - arrange for someone to drive you
• try to avoid contact of the operated eyelids with water or make-up.
• stop wearing contact lenses for a while
• take a few days' break from sport or other more strenuous activities

 
The stitches you will have on your eyelids will be removed painlessly at the eye clinic after approximately 5 – 7 days. At the site of the incision only a small, fine scar will remain, but it usually disappears almost completely after a few weeks.
 

When drooping eyelids are a thing of the past

In most cases blepharoplasty is very effective and brings an almost immediate result. What is more, the rejuvenated appearance of the eyes gives other people the impression that the person has a friendly nature and is in a positive mood. Even world stars, who try to maintain a young, fresh look at any age, swear by blepharoplasty.