There is so much to be said about the eye area when it comes to a person's appearance. Eyes are the first thing noticed on every face we meet. This is a major reason we are focused on making the eye region look as good as possible. 

Dark circles, bulging fat pads and/or festoons can be congenital or acquired. We have very effective means of correcting the first two of these problems, but the most vexing is festoons, also known as malar fat pads. 

What is a festoon? 
Festoon refers to the pouch that develops below the bony rim at the lower edge of the eyelid (the orbital rim). This is distinctly different from the bulging fat pad, which is present above the orbital rim. It is made from lax skin and thinned out muscle. The tissue under becomes swollen with fluid. 

What causes festoons? 
There is often a role played by genetics in that there is a hereditary predisposition. The apparent size of these festoons can increase based on: 

• Aging 

• Excess salt in the diet 

• Smoking

• Fatigue 

• Damaged skin from sun exposure

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What are treatments for festoons? 

There are both surgical and non-surgical treatments for festoons, the suitability of which will depend on the extent of the condition.

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Non-Surgical:

Most festoons can be treated non-surgically. Though it was originally felt that laser was the best way to eliminate them; having treated festoons solely with laser for many years, we have found the recovery time too great and results not always satisfactory. Our preferred method is to combine both radio frequency technology and laser. This is a simple in office procedure performed only under local anesthesia in less than one hour. 

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Surgical:

In very severe cases, direct excision has been performed; however it is rarely ever needed. More commonly, a blepharoplasty with or without a mid-face lift will be done. 

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Of course, every case is different and consultation is extremely important in determining which route best serves each patient.