By Doctor Sylvia AMARIS
7 techniques that really work
Under-eye bags, dark shadows, thinning eyebrows and wrinkles all make our eyes look smaller. To enhance your eye area and make it look more radiant, here are the 7 combined techniques of the Look Lift.
1- Combat dark shadows
Why?
The appearance of dark shadows under the eyes is due both to the colour of the skin, which has become too thin, and the disappearance of fat. These two things accentuate the skin’s contact with the bone, a phenomenon which increases with age and which will make you look tired
How?
In order to regain volume, we must fill in the hollowness under the eye and reduce the purplish colour of the skin.
My advice:
I use slightly reticulated hyaluronic acid, which means it absorbs little water, in order to create volume without causing a localised oedema. In this way, I also reduce the dark shadows.
Practical aspects:
The procedure is carried out in a consulting room and lasts around 20 minutes. The average cost to combat dark shadows is 100 Euros.
2- Open up your expression
Why?
A person’s expression tends to close with age because of 2 things: the thinning of the tail of the eyebrow, which creates a sad (doe-eyed) expression, and the appearance of secondary crow’s feet wrinkles due to muscle contraction.
How?
Botulinum toxin injections are used to open up the expression. They paralyse the muscles that cause wrinkles and eyebrow loss and therefore rejuvenate the expression.
My advice:
I inject a blister of botulinum toxin to treat the affected areas.
Practical aspects:
The procedure lasts on average 15 minutes and is carried out in a consulting room. The average cost is 300 Euros.
3- Remove eye bags
Why?
Under eye bags are the result of the relaxing of the orbicular muscles associated with a hernia of periorbicular fat. They can be genetic and appear early on in the life of young adults or can be caused by the slackening of the skin due to age.
How?
The treatment is surgical and is called blepharoplasty.
My advice:
The procedure involves surgically removing the fatty hernia. In the case of a young adult, and if the skin is not too loose, I operate via conjunctival route, so as not to leave any visible scarring. If the skin is loose, I make an incision along the lash line so that the scar is invisible, which also serves to tighten the muscles and the skin.
Practical aspects:
An ophthalmic examination is recommended. The average duration of the operation is one hour. The average price varies between 1,500 and 2,000 Euros.
4- Lift the upper eyelids
Why?
With age, the upper eyelids relax and droop down until they cover the eyelashes, leading to a reduction in the field of vision. The expression looks sad and sometimes heavy, evoking the presence of a fatty hernia. Applying make-up becomes difficult and makes the expression seem even heavier.
How?
A surgical procedure is needed to remove the excess skin.
My advice:
I sometimes remove any hernias at the same time. This procedure is called upper eyelid blepharoplasty.
Practical aspects:
The procedure lasts 30 minutes and is carried out in a clinic. The average cost is between 1,500 and 2,000 Euros.
5- The temporal lift
Why?
With age, the drooping of the skin and the thinning of the bones in the eye socket cause the tail of the eyebrow to drop. The outer edge of the eye then droops down, accentuating the crow’s feet wrinkles. The under-eye tissue follows the same movement and we see a reduction in the volume of the cheekbones.
How?
Since treatment by injection is insufficient, surgery is needed in order to bring tension back into the skin and muscles. For patients who have a fallen external palpebral fissure, aging is quicker and surgery will be performed earlier.
My advice:
I reposition the drooping tissue and I smooth out the crow’s feet wrinkles via the temporal region. Sometimes, I may even remodel the bony part of the eye socket or lift up the outer angle of the eye in order to create a glamorous, cat-like expression.
Practical aspects:
The procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic and lasts between 1 and 2 hours. The price varies between 3,000 and 4,000 Euros.
6- Reducing the temporal fossa
Why?
The temporal fossa is an area located on the outer edge of the eye and eyebrow, going down to the cheekbones. It makes way for the temporal muscle which is used for chewing. With age, the muscle becomes thinner and the fossa deepens, making the face look skeletal.
How?
This area can be filled using injections of moderately reticulated hyaluronic acid or lipostructure, which involves injecting the patient’s own fat.
My advice:
I inject a syringe of 1ml of product per side and massage well to disperse equally. Sometimes I remove some fat, which is easier if the patient also wishes to have liposuction performed at the same time, which I then reinject into the temporal fossa.
Practical aspects:
The procedure is carried out in a consulting room and lasts between 20 and 40 minutes, or in a clinic if it is paired with another procedure. The price varies between 500 and 700 Euros.
7- Raising the cheekbones
Why?
The cheekbones give the face depth. They follow the shape of the deep-rooted malar bone, which is covered by a cutaneous network of muscles. With age, bone density lessens and the tissues slacken, causing a decrease in the volume of the cheekbones and the appearance of a pronounced naso-labial fold.
How?
The treatment involves injecting highly reticulated hyaluronic acid, which is very efficient at increasing volume.
My advice:
I inject deep into the muscle tissue using either a micro-cannula that causes minimum damage or a fine needle (around 1ml each side). Depending on the case, I sometimes inject the patient’s own fat.
Practical aspects:
The procedure is carried out in a consulting room and lasts on average between 20 and 30 minutes. The price varies according to the number of syringes injected and can be anywhere between 1,200 and 1,500 Euros.
These seven techniques make up what I call the Look Lift. They will help you to enhance your eye area for a dazzling look!
