The February issue of the journal Ophthalmology has the findings of a study done on how people judge age and fatigue. The participants were 47 college students in the Boston area. They were asked to look on a computer monitor at photos of 48 older people and rate either the age or the fatigue level of each person. The monitor was set up to track where their eyes focused.

Study Results

When they analyzed all the data, researchers found that the students had looked at:

  • The eyes 46 percent of the time
  • The nose 19 percent of the time
  • The forehead 13 percent of the time
  • Between the eyebrows 11 percent of the time

The eyes are considered to be just 21 percent of the face. But in this study they received more than twice that percentage of focusing time. Areas near the eyes received the rest of the students’ attention. These reported percentages total only 89 percent, so evidently some other areas received 11 percent of focusing time.

In commenting on these findings, the study organizer, one Dr. Peter Rubin who is both a plastic surgeon and an associate professor of ophthalmology, remarked that a lot goes on around the eyes. Eyelid skin is the thinnest on the body which makes any puffiness visible, makes them susceptible to sun damage, and causes them to change readily with age.

Probably most people would consider these results to be rather obvious. Of course we look at a person’s eyes to assess their fatigue level. And if age or fatigue has made their eyelids droop or swell, or created dark circles beneath their eyes or left wrinkles on the forehead, of course our glance is drawn to those signs if we’re asked to assess age or fatigue. Perhaps there’s some value in assigning percentage figures to each facial area.

At the Cosmetic Surgical Center we offer eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty. It does indeed give a fresh and youthful look to the eyes. It removes excess fat and skin, removing the droop and puffiness and creating a more alert look. We also offer BOTOX treatments for frown and forehead lines and brow lifts to raise drooping eyebrows.

If you would like to know more about these procedures and how they might benefit you, please call or email our cosmetic surgery office today for a free consultation.