Hooded, Saggy, Droopy Eyelids!

This post is totally unrelated to my chemical peels, but it has a lot to do with my quest to look younger.  I am so thrilled to have found a surgery-free way to get rid of my sagging eyelids!  If you're thinking about an upper blepharoplasty, you may want to try this first!  

I've finally figured out a way to get rid of my hooded, saggy, droopy eyelids in a couple of weeks, without creams and without spending a dime, but it takes a lot of dedication in the form of a very low-carb diet to reduce inflammation and a gentle retinoid (designed for the delicate skin around the eyes), which is a peeling agent. Any diet change should be reviewed by your doctor!

Here's a picture of my droopy eyelids when I don't follow the plan (this is from a few days after Halloween):

These are pictures of my eyes when I follow the plan and since I've been using Retin-A on them:

I'm suffering with a bout of ocular rosacea in this photo, so please excuse the red lids while I scream! Beyond that issue, which I'm treating, you can see that the inflammation is gone.

I think it's due to two changes: one is diet and the other is retin-a. I have a separate post on the retin-a, but here's how I discovered the diet issue...

I happened upon it accidentally when I started reading Dr. Perricone’s latest book, Forever Young: The Science of Nutrigenomics for Glowing, Wrinkle-Free Skin and Radiant Health at Every Age
I decided I really needed to get off all the sugar and high-glycemic foods that I’m addicted to and get on a healthier diet--part of my overall strategy to reclaiming my youth.

I think the hooded, saggy, droopy  eyelids are basically supposed to sink back into the socket, but with retained fluids (inflammation) caused by eating too much sugar and salt, they are pushed outward, if there’s excess skin.  Those without excess skin, don’t have the baggy, saggy, droopy eyelids.

Another reason I think diet is the culprit is that I’ve tested it.  I tested it by going back to my sugary ways for about two weeks when I went on vacation, and yes, my hooded eyelids reappeared.  Also, I will wake up with saggy, droopy eyelids when I sleep on my stomach (yes, I know this is bad for other reasons too), but they disappear with about an hour.

I know this is a lot, but the bonus is that I’ve lost 18 pounds, and I’m eating more than I ever did before:

1. I stopped eating bread.  I now make a no-carb bread from almond flour. Here's the recipe
2. I don’t eat pasta, rice, corn, or potatoes, at all.  Period. They are high-glycemic foods, which means sugar.  If you’re wondering about the glycemic value of foods, check out this site: http://riskfactor.cancer.gov/tools/glycemic/
3. I don’t eat candy any more.  I was an addict, to be sure.  I get my fix now with 70% coco polo made with stevia. Here's the link
4. Interestingly, I added alot of nuts, eggs, avocados, and other proteins to my diet—as much as I want, and I’m still losing weight.  I eat a cup of nuts every night while I’m watching TV. 
5. I stopped drinking milk; now I'm drinking unsweetened almond milk; love the vanilla.  I mostly used milk in my smoothies, so that was an easy switch.
6. One last thing that I did is cut out most of the fruit I was eating; I now stick with berries, which are the lowest-sugar fruits, but I limit them to 1/2 cup a day.

His plan includes some of this and other things, but this was what I could manage.  Check out his book; it's a very interesting read.

I really urge you to try this if you’re considering an upper blepharoplasty.