Our eyes can speak volumes more than our smiles, or the radiance of our skin, ever could. Besides the range of expressions they convey, the structure of our eyes and their surrounding features can tell a different story. This is why you must never overlook this delicate area in your skin care regimen.
Eyebags, hyperpigmentation, and sunken eyes can all give the wrong impression. But, many are finding hope in what an under eye filler is able to do to save the day. If looking the worse for wear is not an impression you want to leave on others, then you need to read this.
Common Aesthetic Concerns Around the Eyes
Before we further explore the benefits of an under eye filler, let’s take a closer look at the common aesthetic concerns around the eye area that you may be struggling with.
Eyebags
Eyebags, per se, are not facial flaws since we all have them. It’s simply the quality of your skin that determines if they are visible or not. These unflattering little pouches that settle under your eyes become more apparent when the anatomical “fat pads” are pronounced due to skin damage or thinning out as a result of aging. This can cause puffiness and shadowing that can make you look tired or stressed out. To make matters worse, the shadow effect can also age you almost immediately.
You might have tried being creative and probably even perfected the art of blending your foundation and concealer to make it go away. But, this only camouflages the problem. If you want to address it with long-term solutions, it is best to have it examined and evaluated by an experienced professional.
Aside from lack of sleep, eyebags may also stem from allergies, smoking, fluid retention (especially upon waking or after a salty meal) or your genes. With professional help, you can rule out and address more serious underlying reasons such as thyroid disease or infections. With proper evaluation, you can be advised on the appropriate solutions available.
Sunken Eyes
Some say that having deep-set eyes can be a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, this facial structure can make your eyes look exotic, while the shadowing effect may even make them look more attractive. However, others find this to be unflattering. Sunken eyes, or what is also called a tear trough deformity, create a shadow over the lower eyelid giving an impression that the area has darkened – an aesthetic concern that your makeup may not be able to correct.
There are different causes as to why the area around the eyes hollows out. These include:
- Aging
- Genetics
- Dramatic weight loss
- Sun exposure
- Dehydration
- Lack of sleep
- Allergies
- Smoking
- Sinus infection
If changing your habits, by drinking enough water, or getting enough sleep, is not making any improvement then you might need to see a doctor to address any underlying conditions. Otherwise, there are DIY fixes where you can simply apply cucumber slices or use products which contain Vitamin C or Retinol. But, if you are brave enough, you can opt for a permanent solution like a lower eyelift or blepharoplasty to remove any loose skin under the eyes. However, you really don’t have to brave the knife since there are less invasive treatments, like dermal fillers, that can help fill up the areas.
Dark Pigmentation Around the Eyes
Individuals of African-American or Asian descent can sometimes get irregular pigmentation around the eyes. Aside from that, there are several contributing factors such as exposure to UV rays, lack of sleep, a bad diet, or post-inflammatory pigmentation. Actual dark pigmentation of the skin can be difficult to treat because the goal is to actually reduce the amount of melanin.
Your Non-surgical Option
In the era of the “selfie”, the concerns mentioned above can make a person feel very conscious and could easily ruin what would otherwise been a great shot. However, thanks to the magical touch of Photoshop, we can easily click them away! But don’t you want to look selfie-ready any day without having to blend layers of makeup, or rely on apps to make those peepers look picture perfect?
Dermal fillers have come to be the superstar in addressing dark under eye circles non-surgically. If you think that this is your cup of tea, don’t just allow them into your skin without fully knowing what they are and what they can do. So let us give you the juice on dermal fillers.
Dermal fillers
Dermal fillers, or soft tissue fillers, are naturally-derived or synthetic materials that are injected directly into the skin to address wrinkles, folds, or depressions. Depending on the type of filler used, the effects can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.
What makes dermal fillers very useful in addressing dark under eye circles is their ability to plump up depressed or sunken areas. This can help correct mild to moderate issues. However, severe depressions or tear troughs may have to be treated more aggressively to efface them and lessen the shadow effect. Concealers may lighten pigmented skin, but they may not restore the fullness of youthful skin.
Consultation
An in-person examination allows your doctor or aesthetician to determine if what is giving you that raccoon eye effect is anatomic hollowing or pigmentation. Once it has been assessed, you will then be advised on whether a dermal filler is an effective treatment for you or not. For instance, pigmentation that is on the surface of the skin caused by rubbing or sun exposure would better improve with other treatments than dermal fillers would. Although, aesthetic treatments may be used together depending on what the patient needs.
Treatment
Dermal filler gel is carefully injected, either directly into the depression, or just beneath it. This will increase the volume and plump up the area while the contours between the eyes and cheeks are smoothed out. You will notice an improvement from the filler right after treatment, but also remember that the final results can be fully appreciated once the swelling has gone down.
The time taken for the treatment will vary between practitioners. Usually, patients are surprised at how quick the treatments are, with some taking as short as 30 minutes or even less.
Pain
Most people would think that injecting fillers under the eye is painful, but it is not. The nerve bundles can be avoided easily and most patients feel very little during the process. A topical anaesthetic cream is generally applied to the area prior to the treatment. What you may end up feeling is some mild pressure once the product is administered. A smooth tipped cannula can also make the process pain-free.
Restylane® Skinboosters™
Restylane has been one of the trusted fillers today for treating dark under eye circles caused by fat loss beneath the lower eyelids. Through micro-injections of a very soft, non-animal sourced hyaluronic acid filler into the skin, it can fill the depression in this area to an appropriate level. It will also serve as a buffer between the dark purple-brown muscle under the eye and the skin, resulting in the reduction of hollowness, lightening of the pigmentation, and wrinkle reduction.
Amidst its line of products, Skinboosters™ has been a celebrated solution against dark under eye circles, and here’s why.
How Skinboosters Does It
Compared to other fillers in the Restylane family, Skinboosters are the softest. Instead of providing mechanical effects, it works by releasing biochemical properties to correct volume deficiencies and even provide skin lifting. This explains why it is technically not a dermal filler as it runs under a different process to deliver its intended results. In essence, it provides deep skin hydration which augments the result when treating tear troughs.
Skinboosters reverse the process of skin aging by reintroducing hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring sugar molecule that hydrates and plumps up the skin. This counters the loss of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid that comes with aging and other factors. This has to be addressed because it also worsens the appearance of dark under eye circles.
Once it is injected, the hyaluronic acid molecules start to absorb water up to 200 times its weight and swell up. This brings a profound hydration to the skin from the inside out which causes it look more luminous, plump, and youthful. To achieve this, the doctor may also use the “layering effect” where Skinboosters and dermal fillers are used to complement each other.
Just a Heads Up
Should you decide to go for this procedure, lumps and bruising can be normal. Don’t worry about the small lumps as these are expected and should subside within a few weeks. Some doctors would suggest a light massage to hasten the process of dissolving the lump.
Meanwhile, bruising is also normal due to the number of injections involved in this procedure. So, remember to have it done at least a week prior to an important event.
If you wish to know more about Skin Boosters, Dr. Soosay can walk you through the details. Let’s get the conversation started so we can determine the right product and treatment for you to bust dark under eye circles.
If your under eye skin had a label, make it say something in your favour!
