One of my best assets is the shape of my eyes. I have often been told that I have romantic eyes, so the thought of turning 26 and coming to terms with the fact that one day they droop like tired eye bags, frightens me. How does one counteract this fierce truth of natures aging process? If only all of the potions and lotions in the world could come up with a solution then perhaps one would see that this is just something you will have to live with.

Or perhaps not! These days one can get themselves onto a queue for blepharoplasty or for the layman, eyelid surgery. This is probably something I would consider should the signs of aging creep up on me a little sooner than I'd like, however, the prospect of going under the knife seems too premature at this stage. Nonetheless this is something that many people intend to do to reduce the crow's feet and create a more youthful look to their face.

Eyelid surgery, however, is not as painful as one may think it is and is not a simple one off procedure. It consists of removing excess skin which develops from years of wear and tear, which is only natural for this area to become increasingly loose and wrinkly, having fatty tissue develop causing excess skin and the muscles to weaken. The eye area is very sensitive, with very weak muscles around it so over time the muscles slacken quickly, causing the fatty deposits to bulge forward and lose skin elasticity.

This of course leads to eye bags, so aptly named for the way the skin fold sags down. The skin cells are thinner around the eye area, hence they are more likely to wrinkle up, lose elasticity and appear much more wrinkled than anywhere else on the skin. For this reason many people would rather undergo plastic surgery to reduce the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes and improve the facial appearance. Puffy eyes generally make the individual look tired, worn out and older.

Eyelid surgery takes away the extra skin fold that has developed, which is what gives the person an aged appearance. This can be done on the top or bottom lid; however, the procedure may need other forms of surgery to enhance the youthful appearance of the eyes. The surgery is only offered to people in good physical health, stable mental state and does not hold unrealistic expectations. The patient will have to go through a normal routine eye appointment, to ensure that your eyes are in good health.

During preparation process the surgeon will ask you about the kind of anaesthetic best suited for you, generally the best form would be a local anaesthetic for people who want to be aware of the procedure. However one thing to remember is that the actual procedure will take a few hours, so this may appear longer when having it done, so the surgeon will give you a sedative to help you relax during the process.

If you are a smoker you will be asked to quit as the smoking may cause a chest and wound infection. Other factors to consider is being realistic about the results, this will need permanently keep the wrinkles at bay. However, this will have a lasting effect, the lower lid will rarely need more than one treatment and the upper lid could last anywhere between five or more years. This does not radically change the appearance however, you will notice a difference so study the way your face is before and after by taking a photograph.