Festoons - Malar bags (watery/puffy eye bags) it's an aging thing! How to remedy without surgery

Never mind. Was trying to copy a gif.

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Hahaha PM the link.

Looking good, LaraPo. Do you add these triangles to your mm skin injections?

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Do a before and after photo with these smoothie things.

Causes can be simply aging (collagen/elastin breakdown), fluid retention, histamine, high sodium, sun damage, smoking, alcohol intake, inflammation, facial filler migration and it also may be indicative of thyroid or kidney issues.

You’re on TRT, sometimes this can lead to a bit more estrogen than is ideal and can cause some puffiness.

Additionally you’re on HGH, and this can also cause water retention. This is why I personally stopped taking HGH. I follow your posts a lot and if I were to bet I’d bet this is the main culprit.

If it is more prominent after waking then it indicates fluid driven.

If the major driver is fluid retention then an aldosterone blocker like eplerenone might be helpful. It is also good for blood pressure and the heart. I take 25mg a day for leanness.

Telmisartan also helps reduce aldosterone, which I also take at night.

Possible home remedies are lowering sodium intake (and/or increasing potassium), elevating head during sleep (including elevating the head of the bed higher than the foot of the bed, not just using lots of pillows), controlling allergies, reducing histamine triggers and cold compress.

There are a number of surgical options to treat this as well but I wouldn’t bother with this until you find the primary driver, address it and see if there is resolution.

I strongly think for you this is the HGH. I had to stop taking it completely for a while then reintroduce as a lower dose while also using eplerenone to get rid of water retention.

I’m guessing you don’t have water retention around your ankles? You would know. If you take your socks off after a long day you don’t have an indentation? If not your water retention isn’t too bad and perhaps lowering HGH dosage and the introduction of eplerenone and/or telmisartan can help lower aldosterone and thus water retention.

It’s good that you can address the physical manifestation but also consider it as a warning light on your dashboard.

According to ChatGPT a good blood panel to do to see what is the primary driver of this (assuming it isn’t just aging and elastin/collagen degradation) would be:

Most useful tests for someone on TRT + HGH with festoon/morning facial swelling:

  • IGF-1
    • High IGF-1 strongly suggests HGH-related edema/fluid retention.
  • Estradiol (E2)
    • Elevated estrogen can worsen water retention on TRT.
  • Aldosterone + Renin + Aldosterone/Renin Ratio (ARR)
    • Evaluates fluid retention and RAAS activation.
  • CMP / Electrolytes
    • Sodium, potassium, creatinine, eGFR, albumin, liver enzymes.
    • Checks kidney/liver function and fluid balance.
  • Fasting glucose, insulin, HbA1c
    • HGH can increase insulin resistance, which may worsen edema.
  • Thyroid panel
    • TSH, Free T4, Free T3.
    • Hypothyroidism can contribute to facial puffiness.
  • CBC, hs-CRP, Tryptase
    • Looks for inflammation/allergic contribution. Tryptase for mast cell activation
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Thanks Travis… hopefully I can provide something to your lifespan knowledge… as someone twice your age…if not, then comic relief.

I do appreciate your very thoughtful post.

And, I too would bet on HGH as the culprit. Might go on a month wash out… and see. Ankles and everything else is fine no water retention. Pretty lean.

CT scan checked for thyroid and kidney issues. Great.

I did get puffy face and swollen ankles edema when higher dosing rapamycin for 7 months. I beleve too much withoutbMTOR recovery is negative… atvleast gor me. Lowered dose and everything was completely back to normal in 7 months.

The HGH is one year and 3 months-ish. Didn’t notice the festoons… bags before that… soooo yeah!

TRT is 6 years plus… so that’s been a known with no issues… well I can’t get fat and can’t get sarcopena. :rofl:

Will drop HGH (it’s done great work and a break from it is good) and definitely will look into telmisartan and eplerenone. My physician is super supportive.

And, true… it is a light on the dashboard… but as everything has been checked with no problems… not a biggie. Each person is different so the satin mask and goggles could have fantastic results with someone who just has the fluid… and great skin otherwise. Curious to see if anyone has success… PM me. :wink:

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I enjoy your posts a lot!

All of the data you’ve gathered rules out other causes, the HGH is a simple lever to manipulate. One month break from HGH isn’t a bad move.

Interesting that the right eye has it more than the left. Do you sleep on the right side?

Keep us updated man!

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Damn - Detective Hercule Poirot.

Yes, I sleep on my right side predominantly. Let’s see what a month of no HGH brings.

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You should make a series of YouTube videos, get a million followers, and attend the Oscars with Kim Kardashian.

Seriously, you could help some people with your hacks. Go deep and go wide.

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Thanks Tim… an over active, curious mind I guess.

Already wrote a book that became a Hollywood #1 Box Office hit.

TBH - hung with movie stars and Producers/Directors not my type. Lol

Did take their money. Buys me a new sportscar every year. :wink:

Nobody would follow me. Hahaha

Take that back… had a PM on my Festoon treatment… should know if it helps by next week.
Then we have N=2.

I do hope a few more on this site tries it. And, reports back. Definitely some old timers on here… with weakened facial muscles and tissues.

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Nice car, man. Better than nice. It’s gorgeous.

What book did you write, and what movie did they turn it into?

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I researched a strange Jewish artifact for several years and wrote a non-fiction book about it… University Press published. So yeah, its true!

Link: Dibbuk Box By Thompson Rebecca| World of Books US

Movie trailer for the Possession by Sam Raimi based on the Dibbuk Box story.

Link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=i3Xn6lJHgm8&si=5SGJHSrP6pS4vm7H

Was fun to assist on the script…and attend the Red Carpet and Opening Premier with the actors.

As Joseph would say…the world’s most fascinating man! Hahaha

Updated photos… from this morning using my, as @Phillipe would say… lymphedema therapy device. :laughing:

It works!

Let me know if anyone else finds this useful. At 68 years not bad… a bit of filler and everything would go taunt. :wink: