New Orleans - Like millions of Americans Chris Ford is out of work.
Though he's only in his 30's, in a tight job market, he sees his appearance as an obstacle specifically the little bags under his eyes.
"Some days I have good days, some days I have bad days, some days they're black, it looks like I got in a fight and other days I look ok," said Ford.
It's the bad days he's worried about, something doctors are hearing more and more from patients lately.
“Frequently the story we hear is with the economy we have a lot of male patients that are trying to be more competitive in the workplace and being more competitive means looking younger, looking energetic,” saidcosmetic surgeon Todd Malan, M.D.
Ford recently underwent a procedure in the doctor's office called laser blepharoplasty. Instead of using traditional surgery to cut out extra skin and fat under the eyes, in 15 minute's time, a laser goes under the skin, melts the fat and then tightens the skin.
"We have to fit this little tiny catheter or candule, that’s what goes in under the eyes," said Malan.
Ford was awake the whole time.
"It’s actually a soothing feeling," said Ford.
But doctors say don't be too quick to jump on board the laser route. It’s not always the right road to take.
"When you laser small areas, sometimes you get different pigmentation, hyper-pigmentation so it really has fallen out of favor,” said cosmetic surgeon Kamran Khoobehi, M.D.
Khoobehi still prefers traditional surgery, although that procedure can be risky; but he also says injectable fillers like juvederm and restylane are less expensive with good results.
“The injections you have to remember are to camouflage it,not fix it, make them less noticeable so you don't have to cut; you see immediate results from that,” said Khoobehi.
Ford had some bruising and swelling from his surgery. But inmost instances, patients can be back at work within a day or two. It can take up to 12 weeks to see the total effect. The bottom line is it's important to know your options, research the time frame ahead of time, and choose your doctor carefully.
In Ford’s case, he's looking forward to hopefully landing anew job and a new outlook on life.
"It’s a self esteem issue for me, but its also the first thing you see," said Ford.
