Is fat to blame for the appearance of bags under the eyes?

There are several theories explaining the appearance of bags under the eyes in aging people. Scientists at the University of California, working under the guidance of Dr. Sean Darcy, argue that the main cause of this phenomenon is the proliferation of adipose tissue in the eye sockets. They believe that the main component of the treatment of this common reason for contacting plastic surgeons should be the removal of excess fat.

For the first time, the authors used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study age-associated changes in facial tissues.

Traditionally, it was believed that the amount of fat in the eye sockets does not increase with age, but there is a weakening or rupture of the connective tissue of the orbital septum covering the fatty tissue, which as a result goes beyond the space allotted to it in the form of a kind of hernia. Plastic surgeons trained in this theory have so far treated bags under the eyes by removing this hypothetical hernia.

However, until now, no one has conducted studies on the changes in the condition of the orbital septum with age. Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that in reality, as the body ages, adipose tissue grows in the eye sockets, which, apparently, is the cause of the appearance of bags under the eyes.

As part of the work, the authors examined 40 people (17 men and 23 women) aged 12 to 80 years using MRI. The obtained results clearly indicated an increase in the volume of the tissues of the lower eyelids as they age, mainly due to the proliferation of adipose tissue.

Many plastic surgeons do not remove fat at all when treating bags under the eyes. They redistribute it, or perform a more invasive procedure, which consists in tightening the muscle surrounding the eye or ligament that holds the eyeball in place. These procedures are currently being carried out, despite the lack of evidence of age-associated changes in the operated structures.

The discovery may change the approaches practiced by some surgeons to blepharoplasty (plastic surgery on the eyelids). However, the authors emphasize that in addition to the growth of adipose tissue, a number of other factors are involved in the formation of bags under the eyes. Therefore, they recommend evaluating the contribution of each of the known factors and, based on the evaluation results, individualize blepharoplasty as much as possible.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru Based on ScienceDaily – Why Do Eyelids Sag With Age? Mystery Is Solved 

01.10.2008