As we age, our skin loses elasticity and loose skin develops in many areas of the body. One of the most noticeable areas is the eyes. When upper eyelid skin begins to "droop", the result is often an older, tired look, which causes many people to rush out and pay for a procedure called blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery. Blepharoplasty is the third most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure year after year, behind breast augmentation and lipoplasty (liposuction).

Of course, as is the case with any other surgical procedure, eyelid surgery comes with a high cost, potential complications, and extended recovery time. Eyelid surgery is considered a particularly risky procedure for many people due to the incisions made close to the eyes. Eyelid surgery costs nearly $3,000 on average and can go as high as $8,000 in some cases. Many people also report that their skin begins to sag or droop again within 3-5 years after the procedure. Due to the commonality of the issue of eyelid drooping, coupled with the lack of affordable options for non-surgical treatment, many products and solutions have emerged claiming to help reduce or remove droopy eyelids.

The first option is eye lift creams. Many creams on the market claim to firm up loose skin, but in the case of drooping eyelids, the skin has lost too much elasticity to be affected by a firming cream. Creams cannot build collagen to an effective level to firm the drooping skin above the eyes.

Another option is facial exercises. While these exercises can be effective with months of dedication, many people simply don’t have the time to spend on exercises to firm the skin above their eyes. People report that you must spend a minimum of 15-20 hours per week to achieve visible results by performing facial exercises.

Other options that have emerged recently are laser skin resurfacing and Thermage. Laser skin resurfacing essentially removes the top layer of skin to stimulate the production of collagen. While this can be effective in some cases where there is minor drooping skin, the cost and recovery times can be compared to eyelid surgery. Thermage also claims to stimulate collagen growth, but is more costly than surgery and has get to be proven as more than moderately effective for eyelid drooping.

The final and most practical alternative to eyelid surgery is adding support to the drooping skin. Products such as the Instant Eye Lift from Eye Magic use lightweight, transparent strips to provide a non-surgical "tuck" to this sagging eyelid skin. A gel is applied to these strips, which allows for replacement and helps the strip adhere to the skin enough to stay on all day. The strip is then placed in the crease of the eye to add support to the drooping skin and simulate the natural, more elastic position of the eyelid. This option is affordable, flexible, and non-surgical. For more information on the Eye Magic Eyelid Lift, visit EyeMagic.net.

In conclusion, the non-surgical products and procedures developed to address eyelid drooping are unhelpful for the most part. Facial exercises can be effective if you are willing to dedicate a large amount of time. Non-invasive procedures such as laser skin resurfacing and Thermage are fairly new and unproven, and can be costly. The most effective solution to this problem appears to be non-surgical lift products such as the Eyelid Lift from Eye Magic. There are certain to be new products and procedures to emerge through the years, as this problem is not going away any time soon.