Treating Excess Lower Eyelid Skin Without Incisions.

Abstract

Periocular rhytids and dermatochalasis are common and striking signs of facial aging. The CO2 laser technique described herein addresses Hester classification type I, aging at the level of the lower eyelid, focus on the treatment of the dermatochalasis. In this retrospective study of patients undergoing treatment at our clinic between 2000 and 2018, 263 were classified as Hester I and CO2 laser therapy was the treatment to improve the local rhytids. Improvement in dermatochalasis was found in all patients, resulting in better rejuvenation of the target area while eliminating visible scarring from a suture through the skin. In our experience, CO2 laser functions as a substitute for transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty, due to the fact that the contracture of the skin renders resection of that skin unnecessarily, thus avoiding the tell-tale scalpel incisions under the lashes. The quality of the results of this retrospective study allows us to offer this laser therapy to treat lower eyelids classified as Hester I. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .