Written by Dr Nerina Wilkinson MBChB (Stell) M.MedFC PLAST (SA)
Beautiful eyes have always drawn me to people’s faces… I love traveling and photography and often I find myself zooming in on complete strangers’ eyes to captivate their natural beauty. This is the reason I developed the EyeLight360TM Blepharoplasty procedure.
When your eyes stand out your whole face appears to be brighter and fresher. Accomplished Make-Up artists are able to achieve a radiant look using specific techniques. Perfectly placed contouring makeup using highlighters and concealers can instantly open up the look of your eyes, define your face, and create symmetry, providing an instant eye lift
WHAT IS AN EyeLight360 PROCEDURE?
Beauty is light and shadows. To achieve the most natural rejuvenation of the eye I have used these principles and applied them to my 360 approaches to periorbital rejuvenation. This technique holistically rejuvenates and volumizes the periorbital area as a complete unit to create harmonious results. This is in contrast to previous surgical techniques that rely on a 1-dimensional approach of only removing sagging eyelid skin, which often left patients looking more hollow and skeletonized.
This procedure utilizes 5 techniques that work in synergy to create harmonious results.
- Blepharoplasty eyelid surgery which removes excess upper eyelid skin
- Fat grafts are precisely placed to stimulate Myomodulation (i.e. strengthening of the deeper facial muscles) and restoration of the orbital volume and contours
- ADSC (adipose-derived stem cells) in the form of Nano Fat for the regeneration of the delicate per orbital skin
- CO2RE Fractional Co2 Laser Skin Resurfacing.
- Muscle relaxing injections
WHO IS THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR AN EyeLight360?
Typical features of facial ageing include changes in skin pigmentation, increased skin laxity, rhytid formation, and volume loss. The delicate periorbital region is particularly vulnerable to the effects of ageing based on the intrinsic properties of these tissues and is, therefore, an extremely complex area to treat.
Most patients believe that they look tired due to excess upper eyelid skin, however, on close examination, the most common problem is loss of volume in the areas surrounding the upper eyelid. These changes can be visible from the early 30s. As we age the concavities of the temples, and upper eyelid sulcus. forehead, tear troughs, and cheeks cast deeper shadows resulting in our eyes losing their youthful appearance defined by soft curves and volume.
The EyeLight360TM Is therefore ideal for any patient wanting to holistically maintain the natural youthful contours of the eye area.
HOW IS THE EyeLight360 BLEPHAROPLASTY PERFORMED?
The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and oral sedation in a sterile operating room.
The EyeLight360TM Is a bespoke treatment and the sequence of procedures would be determined after I have assessed the per orbital area.
Firstly the hooding of the upper eyelid skin is addressed with an Upper Blepharoplasty. The incision for the upper eyelid is hidden in the upper lid crease.
The most important step of the procedure is replacing the volume in a 360-degree approach creating youthful soft contours that lift and illuminate the whole face.
A small syringe is utilized to suction the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen, knees or medial thigh area – donor sites with high stem cell concentrations The fat is purified using specialised techniques to create lipografts and nano fat.
A multi-plane technique precisely transplants the fat and stem cells to the periorbital area at different levels and layers to improve orbital contours and create an uplifting effect. Finally, the Nanofat is layered very superficially under the skin harnessing the potential of the rich stem cells to improve the quality of the skin.
The last surgical procedure is CO2RE Fractional CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing. Essentially, the upper layers of the skin are vaporized, removing the superficial skin layers. This direct photo-thermal and photo-biostimulation effect, therefore, removes the dull upper layers of the skin, stimulates new collagen and enhances the survival of the fat injections. This leaves the targeted area of the lower eyelid skin feeling tighter and looking rejuvenated.
The final touch in the procedure is the injection of Muscle Relaxing Injections to relax the depressor muscles that contact the periorbital area. This results in a wide, uplifted, and relaxed periorbital complex surrounding the eyelids.
The EyeLight360TM creates a complete periorbital rejuvenation and uplifting effect replenishing youthful contours while improving the quality of the skin. As stem cells are nature’s way to regenerate new cells in targeted areas, the results are noticeable in a firmer and more youthful appearance of the eyes.
WHAT IS THE RECOVERY OF THE EyeLight360?
Recovery time varies per patient and procedure. Upper eyelid sutures are removed on day 7. Most patients can expect swelling and redness for 7-10 days however most patients require up to 3 weeks for a full recovery and cover makeup for the resurfaced skin is often required for 6 weeks post-procedure.
The advantage is that the results are more permanent and the stem cells in the fat have regenerative potential. An EYELight360TM Procedure is therefore indicated for patients looking for a once-off treatment to improve tired eyes rather than multiple less invasive rejuvenating treatments.
WHERE CAN I GET AN EyeLight360?
EyeLight360TM BLEPHAROPLASTY is one of the most life-changing procedures for most of my patients wanting a natural rejuvenating eyelift. If you are interested in more advanced, yet natural-looking results, contact us at capetown@drnwilkinson.co.za to request your consultation.
