You know you are getting older when your eyelid start to sag. You look in the mirror and your eyes look baggier and puffy, and give you a tired look. So what is the reason that eyelids sag with age?

I would have guessed that it was because they were losing some underlying fat that kept them firm and taut. My reason for this is, as explained in a previous post is the fact that one of the major reasons for the aging of our faces is loss of deep fat pockets in our cheeks. However, it seems my guess is wrong.

Apparently it is the reverse.

Previously the bulging and sagging of the lower eyelid has been attributed to the covering for the fat in our eye socks becomes weaker and does not hold the fat in place. This then results in the fat bulging out making the eyes look baggy and puffy.

However, new research suggests that there is actually an increase in fat that puts pressure on the fat covering and so makes a bulge. So unlike your cheeks, where there is the loss of fat, there is an increase in the amount of fat round the eye.

Currently procedures to get rid of the sagginess (blepharoplasty) will reposition fat and/or tighten muscles or ligaments round the eye. This new research suggests that there should also be fat removal.

Perhaps the fat migrates from our cheeks to our eye sockets as we age.

photo credit: Martin Kingsley

[tags]eyelid, sagging, bulging, aging, fat[/tags]