This month, Dr Karen Soh, medical director at Prive Aesthetics, explains how to deal with eye bags and frown lines.
This month, Dr Karen Soh, medical director at Prive Aesthetics, explains how to deal with eye bags and frown lines.
I am a fiight attendant, and I have eye bags due to my irregular shifts and lack of sleep. I’ve tried eye creams, but they don’t work. Is cosmetic surgery the only fix? Brigitte. Y
In many instances, minimally invasive filler treatments can help address your problem without the need for surgery. Hyaluronic acid fillers, for instance, can be injected into the hollows under the eye bags and in the tear troughs to make the eye bags less obvious. Cheek volumisation fillers, too, can help reduce eye puffiess while creating a more desirable facial contour. Chemical peels as well as laser and radio-frequency treatments can also be used with fillers to tighten the skin in the eye area with minimal downtime. The difficulty about treating the eye area is that there’s no one-size-fitsall treatment. There are many factors to consider; often, the treatment chosen is based on your personal needs and aesthetic goals.
My upper and lower eyelashes tend to curl inward and poke into my eyes. What can I do? Cecilia Chng
You could be suffering from trichiasis, a common eyelid abnormality in which eyelashes are misdirected and grow towards the eye. In mild cases, a doctor will pluck out the pesky lashes while the eye area is numbed. For more severe cases, surgery may be needed to remove the offending lashes and hair follicles permanently; options include laser ablation, electrolysis (using electricity) and cryosurgery (intense cold treatment).
What is the best way to get rid of frown lines on the forehead? Jasline Tan
Botulinium toxin A injections (common brand names include Botox, Dysport and Xeomin) can relax the muscles that cause facial lines. If they are still visible even when you’re not frowning or squinting, fillers can be used to plump them up and reduce their appearance. These, combined with laser resurfacing treatments, can be an effective long-term solution for your concern. You should also apply plenty of sunblock to protect the skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. Sun damage can cause wrinkles, and make the skin look and feel dehydrated. Make sure, too, to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. In general, wellmoisturised skin tends to look plumper and smoother.
