What are Festoons and Malar Bags and can they be removed?

Malar bags are swellings or pouches that can form under the lower eyelids. They are sometimes called tear trough deformities, periorbital puffiness, malar edema, malar mounds or secondary bags. They can be an excess fluid collection or fluid accumulation that creates mild swelling, skin and fat compartments along with skin laxity.

A malar mound can be genetic, meaning they run in families, or they can result from ageing, sun damage, or as we are seeing due to dermal fillers or other factors.

Festoons are similar to malar bags but occur below the eye bag area or malar area on the face. We often describe festoons as pouches or sweeling on the cheek bone under the eye or creases of skin that form below the lower eyelid to upper cheek bone area. They are located around the boney orbital rim at the lower lid cheek junction. In extreme cases there can be excessive skin laxity or excessive skin and swelling. 

They can also be called triangular cheek festoon, fluid bags or cheek bags. Like malar bags, festoons can be genetic, can be caused by dermal fillers being placed incorrectyl or the dermal filler dropping. They can develop and worsen with age.

There are a few different factors that can contribute to the development of malar bags and festoons. One common cause is the weakening of collagen and elastin in the skin. This can happen because of ageing, sun damage, or dermal fillers exaserbating the area.

Another cause of malar bags and festoons is fat herniation. This occurs when the fat that usually surrounds the eye bulges out through a weak spot in the orbital septum, the membrane that separates the eye socket from the rest of the skull.

Lastly genetics can cause the malar festoons bag or lines. Thankfully they can be addressed with malar, festoon surgery. 

How to get rid of malar bags and festoons? Yes, both malar bags and festoons can be removed surgically with experienced plastic surgeons. 

The most effective surgical treatment for treating a malar bag is a Lower blepharoplasty, surgery to correct problems with the lower eyelids or eye bags, can often improve the appearance of malar bags. Sometimes a combination procdure is required. This includes a  mid-facelift targetting the cheek and cheekbone area, to tighen the skin and remove the puffy fat like appearance. This combination approach can help to improve the appearance of malar edema and festoons on cheekbones.

This approach requires an expert plastic surgeon, it is not a straight forward procedure. At Kensington Medical our expert plastic surgeons have decades of experience in treating Malar mounds and festoons.

Can you remove malar bags and festoons with a non invasive treatment without surgery, or can you tighen malar bags or festoons with a non surgical treatment?

Non surgical treatments for festoons and malar bags, such as dermal fillers and Ultherapy may provide temporary relief from malar bags and festoons on cheek bones, but they will not offer a long-term solution. 

In some cases dermal fillers can worsen the fat compartment due to the weight above the swollen mounds.  Malar edema or a festoon treatment may need to be repeated every few months or years to maintain results. 

Ultherapy a skin tightening treatment may help tighten the area but it will not remove the malar bag or festoon and Ultherapy will need to be repeated every 12 to 18 months. This makes it a very expensive option with results that are dissapointing. 

The best option for malar bags and festoons is to surgically remove them. At Kensington Medical our plastic surgeons have decades of experience in removing malar bags and festoons on the face.

The removal of malar bags or festoons can  help to rejuvneate the face. This is because they do tend to exacerbate or get worse as we get older and the skin loses its elasticity making them look more pronounced. The removal will create a less tired and more refreshed looking face. 

To find out more or to book a consultation for malar bags or festoons click here.

Yes, malar bags and festoons can worsen with age. This is because of the continued weakening of collagen and elastin in the skin and the further bulging of fat around the eyes.

If you are concerned about the appearance of malar bags and festoons, you should get in touch to arrange a chat with one of our GMC registered plastic surgeon who can assess your case and recommend the best malar and festoon treatment options.

At Kensington Medical, our team of experts are here to help you with malar bag removal and festoon removal.

Contact us today to arrange a consultation or to enquire about the right options for you.

There are a few different surgical procedures that can remove malar mounds and festoons. These include lower blepharoplasty and mid-facelift or a combination of the two depending on the severity.

For severe cases with a prominent lower eyelid bags and significant festoons and excess skin in the lower periorbital region a direct incision can allow the removal of more concentrated loose skin than the traditional method, plus avoid causing tension to the lower eyelid.

At Kensington Medical your plastic surgoen will advise in the best cosmetic surgery method to achieve a natural and harmonious result. 

Lower blepharoplasty or eye bag removal is a surgical procedure to correct problems with the lower eyelids. This surgery can often improve the appearance of malar bags, swellings, or festoon pouches that can form under the lower eyelids.

The recovery time for a lower blepharoplasty is typically about two weeks, and the results last many years.

A mid-facelift is a surgery to improve the mid-face's appearance, including the cheeks. This surgery can often help improve the appearance of festoons, pouches, or creases that form along the lower eyelid and upper cheek. The recovery time for a mid-facelift is typically about four to six weeks, and the results last many years.

Combined blepharoplasty with Midface lifting

A combination of a lower blepharoplasty and mid face lift can work wonders on either malar bag or festoon or both. It will give the face a refreshed look that is natural, removing the tired worn out appearance.

Lower blepharoplasty or eye bag removal is a surgery to correct problems with the lower eyelids, while upper blepharoplasty is a surgery to fix problems with the upper eyelids. A mid-facelift is a surgery to improve the mid-face's appearance, including the cheeks, nose to mouth lines and can help with jowls. These surgeries can all help to improve the appearance of malar bags or malar lines and festoons or bags on cheek bones.

What are the complementary procedures?

We can perform complementary procedures to improve the area between the lower lid and the upper cheek and mid face area with a lower blepharoplasty, upper blepharoplasty, or mid-facelift to further improve the appearance of the face. These procedures include brow lifts, eyelid lifts, and cheek lifts.

Brow Lift

A brow lift is a surgery to improve the appearance of the eyebrows. This surgery can help to raise drooping eyebrows and enhance the appearance of wrinkles in the forehead. The recovery time for a brow lift is typically about two weeks, and the results last many years.

Eyelid Lift

An eyelid lift is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. This surgery can help to reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of sagging skin around the eyes. The recovery time for an eyelid lift is typically about two weeks, and the results last for many years.

Cheek Lift

A cheek lift is a surgery to improve the appearance of the cheeks. This surgery can help to reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of sagging skin around the cheeks. The recovery time for a cheek lift is typically about four to six weeks, and the results last many years.

Kensington Medical offers a variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures to help you achieve your aesthetic goals. Our team of experts are here to help you choose the best treatment options for your individual needs. Get in touch to ask a question by calling is on 0204 551 4892. You can also email us a question on Info@kensingtonmedical.co.uk.

Deciding to have surgery is a big decision.

A consultation with one of our expert plastic surgeons is the start of your journey to a malar bag free  or festoon free face. They will listen to your questions about malar bags or festoon, explain the best options for your face and can show you many before and afters. 

Find out more today. 

At Kensington Medical we have highly experienced facial plastic surgeons who can help.

To find out about our facial plastic surgeons, our 5 star hospitals in Harley st, London and Wimbledon in the UK, our quality care  click here for About Us. 

Festoons and Malar mounds can be hard to treat, there is not really any effective treatment that is non surgical based for them. The non surgical options include laser resurfacing, Ultherapy and dermal filler injections.

Dermal fillers can be placed in the lower eyelid area to try to fill in the area so it evens out the festoon. However Malar festoons can worsen when fillers are placed above them, under the lower eye lid area. Festoons are not well treated by placing filler above the festoon area to fill out the indent. This can make the appearance look worse and the filler can cause the festoon to drop or bulge even more.

Ultherapy is not advised as the results may not work, it is expensive and the treatment will need to be repeatewd every 12 months. 

Fixing festoons with laser skin resurfacing can help improve the quality of the skin treated however it will not give the effect of a mid facelift/ lower blepharoplasty.

To find out about malar bag and festoon removal book a conultation or get in touch.