How Does Aging Affect Eyelids?

Eyelid sagging, also known as ptosis, is the reason for around 150,000 eyelid surgeries in the US every year.  The most common cause of eyelid sagging and bagging is aging, but there are also adjacent causes.

At DiGeronimo MD Advanced Plastic Surgery in Miami, Florida, Dr. Ernest M. DiGeronimo can help determine if eyelid surgery is the best way to refresh your sagging eyelids and restore a youthful look. 

How aging causes drooping eyelids

There are several causes of ptosis, mostly having to do with the nerves, muscles, tendons, or skin surrounding the eye. If you’re experiencing ptosis as an older adult, it could be caused by the fact that as you age, your skin loses its elasticity. This means gravity starts to take a toll, as your eyelids’ thin skin begins to stretch and droop. 

Your upper eyelid might start to sag down, folding over at the top of the eye and drooping into your field of vision. The lower eyelid can likewise sag and stretch until it curves into a deep sagging crescent that hangs under your eye.

If you’ve suffered any other issues with your eyes or face, they can contribute to the ptosis caused by aging. For example:

Nerve damage

Damage to the nerves that control the muscles around your eye can make it hard for them to contract and open your eye fully, and this can lead to lazy lids.  

Injury to the eye itself

An injury or abrasion caused by trauma sustained by the eye can mean your eyelid doesn’t want to open, and stays shut and puffy over the injured orb. This can make it look like your eyelid is sagging even more.  

Neurological causes

A stroke or a brain tumor or cancer can cause changes in how the muscles in your face control the skin around your eyes. Eyelid drooping can be a sign of a stroke, and may also be a symptom associated with a condition like myasthenia gravis, which limits how wide eyelids can open and causes a droopy, sad expression.

Surgical mistakes

Poorly executed laser eye surgery can also cause slight damage to the muscles around the eye, causing an eyelid to droop unattractively. 

Any or all of these issues combined with the aging process can cause severe eyelid sagging or bagging. 

Eyelid surgery

If your droopy look is simply aging skin starting to sag downwards, Dr. DeGeronimo can perform upper or lower eyelid surgery (or both blepharoplasties, if needed) to restore your youthful look. His technique is minimally invasive and effective, and can have you looking and feeling younger in no time.  Each procedure only takes one to two hours, and you can return home the same day. 

Do your eyelids sag? A blepharoplasty could be the answer. Schedule a consultation by calling 208-225-4358, or request an appointment online.