INTRODUCTION
This is an excellent way of tightening the skin around the eyes and removing wrinkles.
The laser is very effective at tightening the skin around the eyelids. The fully ablative laser also gives a reduction in wrinkles and improvement in skin thickness and elasticity around the eye.
This is the most powerful way to improve laxity and wrinkles around the eye other than conventional surgical blepharoplasty (surgical removal of excess eyelid skin). It is possible to see how the skin contracts in real-time in the videos of the procedure attached to this section. It is this skin shrinkage caused by the laser that gives the tightening and wrinkle reduction of the eyelid skin. During the healing process, new collagen is synthesised leading to improvements in texture, thickness and elasticity of the skin.
Fully ablative CO2 or Erbium YAG laser resurfacing of the eyelids is a procedure only performed by experienced laser surgeons such as Dr Asif Hussein. There are a handful of Laser surgeons that perform this procedure worldwide.
An appropriate surgical grade (not aesthetic grade) CO2 or Erbium YAG laser must be used to safely and effectively perform the procedure. Aesthetic grade CO2 lasers give too much heating of the skin and therefore must be used on very low power. This, unfortunately, does not allow for sufficient contraction of the skin. Dr Hussein uses a state-of-the-art Lumenis Ultrapulse CO2 or Sciton Joule X Erbium YAG laser. This technology in the hands of an experienced user such as Dr Hussein makes this a safe procedure that gives excellent results.
Recovery takes 10 – 14 days and work can be resumed after this. Metal eyeshields (large metal contact lenses) are inserted to protect the eyes prior to the procedure. You will need someone to drive you back home from the clinic. Anaesthetic eye drops and eye gel used during the procedure causes blurring of vision and it would not be safe to drive immediately after the procedure.
Please look at the Fully ablative laser resurfacing section to understand more about this technique, healing and potential complications.
Importance of eyelid and periorbital skin quality
Treatments can address excess fat or volumising where there is hollowing. However a crucial part of the appearance of the lower lid area is dependent on skin thickness, elasticity and quality. Essentially the eyelid and the muscle underneath are above the bone and acts as an sling that keeps things in position.
When the skin thins over time and loses elasticity structures start to bulge and form bags under the eyes. The skin becomes inelastic and wrinkled.
Few treatments have the power to restore the skin quality under the eye. Cutting skin out is not an easy surgical solution hence lower lid skin removal is not an option. Fractional laser is too light an option and often results are disappointing.
The only effective way to restore skin under the eye is full ablation. This is why the UKs leading oculoplastic surgeons refer cases to DrH to improve PERIORBITAL skin quality in a way that cannot be addressed by surgery.
BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS
VIDEOS
Warning – videos contain footage of real procedure.