Hello, this is Woori Plastic Surgery.
These days, many people come in for consultations about under-eye fat repositioning. I would like to explain why orbital septum reinforcement is needed during under-eye fat repositioning surgery. Let’s go step by step, starting with the surgical method.
Why Is Under-Eye Fat Repositioning Needed?
Did you know that the reason the under-eye area looks puffy or, on the contrary, hollow is not caused only by fat, but also by the anatomical structure around the eyes? Beneath the eyes, there is a septum that holds the fat in place. When this septum weakens, the fat pushing outward from the inside can no longer be supported and begins to protrude forward. This creates the tired-looking puffiness or shadowing such as the tear trough. To explain it in an easy way, it is similar to the way the contents spill out when you press down on a hamburger patty. Because the eyeball presses from above and the bone supports from below, the fat is pushed toward the direction where the septum has weakened. The procedure that addresses both the puffiness and the hollowing at the same time is under-eye fat repositioning.
Basic Principle of Under-Eye Fat Repositioning
Under-eye fat repositioning involves organizing some of the protruding fat and moving the remaining fat downward to be repositioned in the tear trough area. It is easier to understand if you think of it as flattening the fat that had been pushed forward because of the tear trough ligament. This approach alone can correct the basic volume imbalance, but in some cases the puffiness may return over time. The reason is that if only the fat is moved downward while the septum that holds the fat in place is left as it is, the septum remains stretched out.
Why Is Septum Reinforcement Necessary?
Septum reinforcement is a method that goes one step further than the conventional under-eye fat repositioning approach. The process of pulling down the stretched, loosened septum and tightening it is called septum reinforcement. Just as a large shirt still feels loose even after losing weight, a stretched septum can leave the shape distorted if it is left as is. That is why pulling and fixing the septum together helps reduce the chance of recurrence and helps maintain the results for a longer time. When the fat and septum are repositioned together, the overall surface becomes smoother and firmer, so the improvement in under-eye shadows and hollowness also appears more natural.
The reason under-eye fat repositioning has evolved from older methods that simply changed the fat’s position to a direction that applies both fat repositioning and septum reinforcement is to achieve more stable and longer-lasting results. If you want to address both puffiness and hollowness under the eyes, it is recommended that you check whether the surgical method includes septum reinforcement.
If you have any further questions, please make sure to check during your consultation which approach is suitable based on each person’s amount of fat, the condition of the septum, and skin thickness.
