Your grandma probably had them, and so did your parents. If you are looking in the mirror and see lax or sagging skin that spans from under the eye to the top of the cheekbone, you also probably have a condition called “festoons,” which is almost as common in older adults as the need for reading glasses.

Fellow doctors call them malar mounds, and describe it as ballotable skin edema or swelling in the lower eyelids and upper cheek that broadcasts a nonverbal message of being sick or tired. This condition often looks worse after people undergo eyelid surgery to correct sagging lower lids if the festoons are not corrected at the same time.

Festoons vary in severity, with extreme cases leading to peripheral vision loss. Sun exposure, smoking and other factors contribute to the development of festoons, and doctors believe that festoons are a marker for pre-cancerous skin conditions in other parts of the face.

Until recently, festoons could be removed only by surgery, with mixed results, or with steroid injections that typically yield minimal and often temporary results. I am writing the groundbreaking medical text about a new and potentially more effective process. I am amongst the few physicians in the country been trained to treat festoons with a specialized laser resurfacing process and to manage the critical wound healing protocol after the procedure. The healing protocol and follow-up I use with my patients accounts for 50 percent of the desired results from the procedure and is critical to help prevent complications.

Revolutionary Laser Skin Resurfacing in Tampa Bay Area Transforms Festoons

I trained in this revolutionary treatment with Dr. Sterling Baker, the pioneer of laser eyelid surgery based in Oklahoma City. I then revised and enhanced that treatment over the last 10 years in my practice to the effective treatment it is today. The laser skin resurfacing procedure transforms what previously has been an irreversible condition in older adults. The treatment usually is performed in conjunction with lower eyelid surgical rejuvenation, thereby leading to a more natural and complete rejuvenation of this expressive part of the face.

The procedure can be life changing because this medical problem has confounded many patients and their physicians over the years. Traditional surgeries have had less than optimal results for the condition.

With a deep understanding of wound healing, it’s possible to treat the tissue in a specific way and then coax the skin into healing in a tighter and more vibrant form. By applying this technique and taking advantage of the latest advances in laser application, it’s possible to dramatically improve this troublesome facial condition.

Success Stories: Customized Laser Skin Resurfacing in Tampa Fl

Wilma Lewis was often told that she looked tired, sad and exhausted. She said that for years “my bags were always packed.” For Ms. Lewis, the condition was more than just a cosmetic problem. “When I bent my head down reading my newspaper every day, bags were in my way. I’d put my make-up on and leave to go some place, and I wouldn’t get a block from my house and the make-up was all over my eye glasses,” she explained.

Lewis says she tried everything to get rid of the extra baggage. “I’d wake up at 4 a.m. and I’d make myself an ice pack and I would put it on my face,” she said, “I have tried just about everything there is on the market to no avail. It did no good,” she said.

Ms. Lewis elected to have me help her with her festoons through my customized laser and healing protocol. She healed beautifully and now she says the procedure has changed her life.

“I’m not embarrassed in the public anymore. My glasses fit better; they’re not sliding down.  My make-up is not coating my glasses. I’ve had people tell me how nice I look,” she said. “My granddaughter told my son, ‘Oh, she looks so much younger,'” she said.

Another patient of mine, Linda Demartino, thought she would finally be rid of the significant bags under her eyes as she prepared for her Tampa eyelid surgery. Ms. Demartino’s severe festoons covered a significant part of the top of her cheekbone. The condition made her self-conscious about her appearance, and impeded her ability to wear eye cosmetics and corrective eyewear. Unfortunately, extensive eyelid surgery left Ms. Demartino’s festoons virtually unchanged. Her doctor referred her to me after hearing of my success in treating festoons with laser resurfacing. I treated Ms. Demartino, and the process succeeded in removing her severe festoons.

Demartino said, “You don’t know that festoons aren’t treatable with eyelid surgery. I was beginning to feel that I’d just have to live with these horrible eye bags. Dr. Scheiner treated me in his office, and I no longer feel like I’m walking around with a disfigurement.”

I am so pleased to be able to help individuals suffering with this previously difficult to treat condition. The procedure and healing process not only improves the appearance of the lower eyelid and cheek, it also makes the skin healthier and removes the sun damage wherever the skin treated. Beautiful skin that is healthier at the same time is the best of both worlds.

I hope this discussion was helpful in educating you about festoons and their treatment. Thank you for your attention and feel free to contact me if you want my advice for yourself or for someone you may know.