Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty: Best Treatments for Eye Bags and Hollow Eyes
2025-05-08
What Is Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty?
Cosmetic lower blepharoplasty, also known as lower eyelid surgery, is a procedure designed to remove or reposition excess fat and tighten the skin under the eyes. It treats puffiness, dark circles, and hollow eyes, restoring a more youthful and rested appearance. At Noonopi Plastic Surgery in Seoul, we offer both traditional lower blepharoplasty and advanced techniques including transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty and fat repositioning.
Surgery Techniques: Transconjunctival vs External Incision
Eyebag repositioning
For patients with prominent fat pockets but good skin elasticity, this technique avoids external scars by making an incision inside the lids, which is called the"conjunctiva". It is often called Scarless lower blepharoplasty or Eyebag removal, and it is recommended for those age 30s to early 40s.
Skin-Incision Technique
In cases with significant wrinkles or loose skin, a fine incision is made just below the lash line to remove excess skin. This is usually called Lower bleph and both precise fat transposition and lid skin tightening are possible. This is often combined with fat grafting for those with severe under-eye hollows and less eye bags.
When Is Fat Grafting Needed?
If the under-eye hollowness is severe, especially in patients with sunken tear troughs or after excessive fat removal from previous surgeries, a fat injection (nano or micro fat) can be recommended.
Fat can be harvested from the abdomen or thighs and injected to smooth the lid-cheek junction. This method helps restore volume, minimize shadowing, and create a seamless contour.
Fat can also be used to treat dark circles because of stem cell effects in nano fat.
Laser peels can also be used as an ancillary procedure to enhance the results, improving skin texture underneath the eyes, especially for those who do not want skin incision methods for faster recovery.
What to Expect from the Results?
- Eye Bags: Reduced puffiness and smoother contour
- Hollowness: Plump and youthful under-eye area
- Dark Circles: Often improved due to better light reflection, skin tension, and enhanced skin quality
- Lower Eyelid Wrinkles: Minimized appearance of wrinkles and dark circles, resulting in a more youthful look
Downtime: Minimal with transconjunctival; about 5–7 days for incision methods
2month after lower eyelid surgery
Fat Graft vs Fillers: Which Is Better for Hollow Eyes?
- Fillers may be suitable for minimal hollowness or those who want a temporary, non-surgical treatment. However, they cannot remove excess fat or skin and have risks of irregularities.
- Fat graft, need more downtime compare to fillers but are more human tissue friendly.
Procedure | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
Fat graft | Long-lasting, Biocompatibility | Requires downtime |
Fillers | Quick, non-surgical | Temporary, risk of lumps or Tyndall effect May be potential obstacle in future surgeries |
Non-Surgical Eye Lift
If you’re not ready for surgery, consider these options:
Laser lower blepharoplasty
Skin tightening with minimal downtime. Rejuvenates skin by improving quality and addressing fine lines.
Eyelid Lift Laser
RF-based devices… like Xerf skin tightening procedures. These treatments can improve mild signs of aging but won’t remove large fat pads or fix structural hollowness.
