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key aspects: customised examination, advice and treatment
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differentiating factors: our treatments focus on both eye health and aesthetic aspects
What are aesthetic problems and signs of ageing?
A large number of aesthetic problems and signs of ageing are focused on the middle and upper part of the face, an extremely delicate area due to its proximity to the eyes. This means it is essential to seek the advice of a specialist ophthalmologist with knowledge and experience in order to make one’s look and facial expression more youthful, ensuring the safety of the eyes and eyesight with all medical and ophthalmological guarantees.
Some of the most frequent reasons for consultation among patients include:
- Bags under the eyes
- Dark circles
- Wrinkles in the periocular and upper midface areas
- Excess fat in the eyelids
- Tired eyes and droopy eyelids
- Loss of facial volume
- Sunken cheeks
- Reduced facial contours and structure
- Reduced skin quality
What causes them?
Aesthetic defects may be associated to very different causes:
- Ageing
- Genetic factors
- Trauma
- Repeated facial expressions
- A lack of skin care (excess sun, dehydration and poor diet, etc.)
- Ocular or systemic disorders that affect ocular or periocular morphology
- Paralysis
How can they be prevented?
Aesthetic defects cannot be prevented when they are associated with genetic or hereditary causes or linked to aging. However, measures can be taken to avoid accelerating degenerative skin processes, such as wrinkles and marks, etc. It is important to remember that facial skin is more fragile than the skin on the rest of the body, as it is constantly exposed to external agents and continuously used to make facial expressions (laughter, sadness, anger, etc.), which are factors that increase its vulnerability.
Some basic measures to help maintain a healthy appearance include:
- Protection from the sun: sunglasses, sun creams, controlled exposure to UV rays
- Hydration: drinking plenty of water daily
- Food: eating a balanced diet
- Sleep: sleeping sufficient hours to recover from the day’s activities
- Exercise: doing regular exercise
- Good habits: not smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation
- Patients should visit a dermatologist, if they experience any skin abnormalities or if they have sensitive skin
Symptoms
You do not have to wait until aesthetic problems, such as bags under the eyes and dark circles, periocular wrinkles or droopy eyelids, leave a noticeable mark on your face before you take action and give it back a healthy, rejuvenated appearance. Along these lines, most anti-ageing treatments offered by the IMO Oculofacial Aesthetics and Oculofacial Rejuvenation Department can be applied for preventive purposes (before the age of 40) and once the signs begin to appear or already exist.
In general, patients want to be rejuvenated but want to still recognise themselves in the mirror, thanks to natural and discreet results. To offer the best solution and provide an effects response to the symptoms afflicting them, it is important to bear in mind that not all skins are the same or have the same degree of maturity, or that there are different types of dark circles depending on their origins, for example: hereditary, racial or due to pigmentation alterations. A correct study of each case and personalised advice are therefore essential in the individual selection and application of a wide range of therapeutic options.
Associated treatments
Surgical treatments
All surgeries are performed in outpatients and guarantee good postoperative recovery thanks to the use of small incision procedures that are only within the reach of experts with a command of both plastic surgery and ophthalmology.
Some of the most popular surgeries include:
Non-surgical treatments
Performed in consulting room, are painless and easy to apply in short sessions, with fast recovery that does not hinder everyday activities or require sick leave.
These are the main facial cosmetics techniques offered in the IMO aesthetics department:
Injectables
Used to correct dynamic wrinkles or expression lines. This is mainly applied to the upper half of the face, the most common areas being frown lines and crow’s feet. With this technique, the facial muscles are temporarily relaxed, wrinkles are prevented from forming and existing ones are smoothed out. The results are immediate and the effects last for 5 or 6 months, gradually disappearing.
Fillers
Injections of fillers to restore lost volume or eliminate wrinkles. It’s a biological substance which smoothes subcutaneous skin folds out and stimulates the production of collagen, multiplying and prolonging the rejuvenating result. This substance injected into the skin is found naturally in tissues and means that results can be seen for several months.
Skin Boosters
Micro-injections of fillers that nourishes and hydrates the skin in depth, re-establishing the skin’s water balance while stimulating the production of collagen. Hence, the skin’s elasticity and structure are improved, leading to brighter, smoother and tighter skin when ageing and other factors, such as imbalanced diets or excessive exposure to the sun, begin to take their toll.
Ultherapy
Non-surgical lifting system that uses focalised ultrasound energy to tighten the skin and stimulate the production of collagen in a minimally invasive manner and with very natural results. It is especially recommended to raise the eyebrows and reduce bags under the eyes, as well as to reduce double chins and wrinkles and help fight flaccidity in just one session. Its effects last for around one year, depending on the ageing process of each skin.
Furthermore, collagen therapy, mesotherapy, chemical peels and resurfacing allow for the different layers of the skin to be regenerated and renewed, improving its texture, quality and colour. This helps eliminate fine lines, stains and other visible signs of ageing. Moreover, when the aim is to treat hereditary dark circles, carboxytherapy might be a good option to improve oxygenation in the area and, as a result, lighten the skin and give the face a more rested look.
FAQs
There are different causes for and types of dark circles. Hereditary dark circles present in some families are genetic and are caused by very thin subcutaneous tissue that allows the muscle underneath to show through, adopting a characteristic purple colour that is very difficult to cover up and that often becomes more noticeable with age. These dark circles are also often associated to sunken eyes (deep nasojugal folds), which means that the eyelid casts a shadow and makes them more noticeable.
Racial dark circles are a common feature of darker skins, such as Arabic skins, and are also of genetic origin. In this case, they are caused by accumulated pigment in the skin.
Lastly, there are acquired dark circles that are caused by pigmentation alterations, such as spots in this area caused by the sun.
The only dark circles that can be prevented are the acquired type, using a good sun protection that prevents the skin from spotting. Apart from this, the solution for this type of dark circle are depigmentation procedures, such as peels or laser. This treatment is also recommended for racial dark circles.
However, hereditary genetic dark circles are treated with injections of hyaluronic acid, which restore the volume and improve the incidence of the light, concealing the effect of the dark circle. Another option is carboxytherapy, which involves subcutaneous micro-injections of carbon dioxide (CO2) to improve oxygenation and circulation in the area and help the skin to regain a pink hue and a smoother texture. Both treatments (hyaluronic acid injections and carboxytherapy) may be combined.
It is therefore vital to treat dark circles depending on their cause and offer personalised advice to each patient.
Although it does not prevent the appearance of bags and dark circles, good skin care –especially good sun protection, as the sun is one of the main factors of ageing– will help make these problems less noticeable.
Around-the-eyes creams can help, but they are unable to avoid the problem completely.
If the bags are small and are associated to deep nasojugal folds (sunken eyes), these deep folds might be better treated with injections of hyaluronic acid that restore the volume and conceal the effect.
However, treatment of bags under eyes, especially when they are very noticeable, almost always involves surgery. The technique used is called blepharoplasty, one of the most popular facial cosmetic surgeries that we perform at the IMO using a laser-assisted transconjunctival technique that leaves no visible scars.
Blepharoplasty can be associated with other treatments, such as peels or resurfacing (laser) to improve the quality and colour of the skin at the same time.
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IMO Institute of Ocular Microsurgery
Josep María Lladó, 3
08035 Barcelona
Phone: (+34) 934 000 700
E-mail: international@imo.es
See map on Google Maps
By car
GPS navigator coordinates:
41º 24’ 38” N – 02º 07’ 29” E
Exit 7 of the Ronda de Dalt (mountain side). The clinic has a car park with more than 200 parking spaces.
By bus
Autobus H2: Rotonda de Bellesguard, parada 1540
Autobus 196: Josep Maria Lladó-Bellesguard, parada 3191
Autobuses H2, 123, 196: Ronda de Dalt – Bellesguard, parada 0071
How to arrive at IMO from:
IMO Madrid
C/ Valle de Pinares Llanos, 3
28035 Madrid
Phone: (+34) 910 783 783
See map in Google Maps
Public transport
Metro Lacoma (líne 7)
Autobuses:
- Lines 49 & 64, stop “Senda del Infante”
- Line N21, stop “Metro Lacoma”
Timetables
Patient care:
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
IMO Andorra
Av. de les Nacions Unides, 17
AD700 Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra
Phone: (+376) 688 55 44
See map in Google Maps
IMO Manresa
C/ Carrasco i Formiguera, 33 (Baixos)
08242 – Manresa
Tel: (+34) 938 749 160
See map in Google Maps
Public transport
FGC. Line R5 & R50 direction Manresa. Station/Stop: Baixador de Manresa
Timetables
Monday to Friday, 08:30 A.M – 13:30 PM / 15:00 PM – 20:00 PM
