Festoons

Festoons, also known as malar pads, are swollen bags that appear beneath the lower eyelid around the cheek. They are a common sign of aging, although time alone is not the only reason that they appear. Learn more about festoons and how our board-certified dermatologists Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Pennsylvania in Devon can treat this persistent problem.

Festoons and eye bags are similar in that they both can appear as swollen areas due to lax skin and protruding fat. The difference is location. Eye bags are located directly under the lower eyelid and festoons are just below eye bags around the upper cheek. Eye bags have a puffier, circular look and are more firm than festoons. Eye bags are more commonly associated with aging, and while festoons can be as well, they may also be a result of environmental damage, including sun exposure and smoking.

Festoons form in the lower eye/upper cheek area because of a structural problem in the skin. The orbicularis muscle that helps close the eyelids gets loose and can become more noticeable with draping of excess skin. There are several leading causes of festoons, including:

• Heredity – you can inherit structural problems that make festoons more prominent
• Sun exposure – damage from the sun can cause thinning and loss of elasticity
• Aging – loss of muscle and structural support as people age causes loose skin and fat
• Smoking and other lifestyle factors – lifestyle choices can impact dermal support, circulation, and drainage

Many patients have both festoons and eye bags, and when treated together, patients see more noticeable results. It is common for patients to have festoons and not realize it impacts their appearance, or they misidentify the problem as eye bags when it is actually festoons that are present. Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Pennsylvania has effective individual and combination treatments for festoons and eye bags.

Our Pennsylvania location effectively treats festoons using Genius Radiofrequency Microneedling. This radiofrequency (RF) microneedling device targets different skin conditions, including festoons. Genius uses a combination of microneedling and radiofrequency energy to stimulate collagen production and repair the skin at a cellular level. Increased collagen levels can help build a healthier dermal structure for younger-looking skin.

Most patients experience noticeable results within several weeks of the initial treatment. The number of treatments varies by patient and depends on factors like the progression of aging and aesthetic goals. Over time, your body naturally produces more collagen and elastin to encourage healthy cell turnover. Improvements tend to be long-lasting once they become apparent.