Eyebags are present not because of just excess fat, but also because the membrane (orbital septum) covering the fat is lax, allowing it to bulge out like a hernia. It also causes the surrounding areas to look depressed, giving rise to a surrounding sunken look and deep creasing.
Treatment of the eyebags are a complex subject, as it not only involves removing the eyebag fat, but also tightening the membrane, as well as filling the depressed areas and removing excess skin if required.
Non-surgical methods basically involve only 1 or perhaps 2 of the aspects mentioned - they merely serve to camouflage the eyebag. What this often means is that the treatment is not permanent and the eyebag recurs very quickly after less than a year. Also, the eyebag may still be visible during certain periods of the day or during animation of the face.
Surgical treatment is the only method to permanently remove the eyebags. This is a multistep procedure. The first involves using a 1cm hole in the inner part of the lower eyelid to access and remove the eyebag fat - a scarless procedure. At the same time, the membrane is tightened and a SOOF lift is performed.
For many of my patients, this is all that is required - a scarless blepharoplasty. For others, other steps are required - filling of the depressed portions with fat graft and removal of excess skin (a pinch blepharoplasty).
Once eyebags are properly treated surgically, they never recur.
Costs for surgical eyebag removal range from $3500 to $7000 incl GST depending on what is required.
Thanks and best regards,
Dr Samuel Ho
