Dermal Fillers for Treatment of Under Eye Circles

In college or university, it was possible to stay up all night cramming for an exam or out with friends and still hop out of bed looking like you’d just been to the spa. 

However, not too long after that, you probably started to notice that any change in your routine resulted in more pronounced dark circles forming under your eyes. 

These dark circles have a myriad of causes, from lack of sleep, too much sun, allergies, or simply natural ageing. Of course, none of these reasons makes them more tolerable when they start to show through your best concealer. 

Nevertheless, there is something you can do about it. First of all, you can try the antidotes to the causes listed above. You can get more sleep, cut down your sun exposure, and reduce your contact with allergenic irritants. Although when it comes to age, there’s not much you can do to wind back the years. 

Fortunately, that’s where getting dermal fillers can be of tremendous help. However, before we go too far, let’s explain a little bit about why those dark circles seem to increase with age. 

Immediately underneath your eyes is a natural facial contour known as the tear trough. This tiny bit of skin is actually distinct from your cheeks, and if you run your finger lightly down from your bottom eyelid to the top of your cheek, you’ll feel the variation in texture.

The primary difference between the tear trough and your cheeks is the amount of soft fat that each of them is able to store. Even when you’re at your leanest, your cheeks can hold onto a minimum fat reserve that your tear troughs simply can’t. As we age, our tissues go through a transition called cellular senescence.

It sounds complicated, but it’s a natural process where the new cells moving in aren’t quite as robust as the ones they are replacing. In particularly delicate areas, it becomes more apparent sooner. 

Because your tear troughs are the place on your face where the skin is the thinnest and where the blood vessels are closest to the surface, any reduction in the fat pad in this area will show up as dark lines underneath the eyes.

When you combine this with a natural loss of the structural protein collagen and the connective tissue elastin, the blood vessels in this area become even more noticeable, and a “sunken” look can start to develop. Unfortunately, as the contour becomes more embellished, you will also notice shadows forming under the eye, making the circles even more pronounced.

How Dermal Fillers Can Help

Quite simply, dermal fillers are injected into the areas where the fat stores have been depleted to plump up and balance out the skin underneath the eyes, at the place where the tear troughs meet the top of the cheek. However, there’s more to it than that. As medical skincare professionals, our team works to target the injections to just the right spots to create a smoothed, rejuvenated surface under your eyes. 

What are the Fillers used in this treatment?

The most common filler used in under eye treatment today is called Hyaluronic Acid. This type of filler is a naturally occurring moisture-attracting substance that is already found in high concentrations in the soft connective tissues circling your eyes. It’s also in your cartilage and joint fluids, as well as in your skin. And because of this, when used as a filler, your body readily accepts it, meaning it can be safely injected almost anywhere. 

Before it was approved for use in cosmetic treatments, Hyaluronic Acid had been used for years by arthritic patients, who had it injected into their joints to ease pain.

What is the process like?

Having dermal fillers applied to the tear troughs usually takes no more than 20 to 30 minutes. Before we begin the process, a member of our team will perform a thorough assessment to determine if you are a good candidate for tear trough filler and mark out the exact areas to be treated. The skin is then cleansed with alcohol to create a sterile surface to reduce any infection risk. 

At the beginning of the procedure, a tiny needle is inserted into the skin to create an entry port. A larger blunt tipped cannula is then inserted through the entry port and positioned to the tear trough hollow to allow for placement of small strategic doses of filler to where the fat cells have been depleted. We use a thin filler applied in a smooth and uniform distribution to evenly fill the under eye hollows and prevent textural irregularities on the surface. Once we’ve finished the process, we conclude with soft massaging to further smooth out the area and to ensure that everything looks perfect.

Immediately following, there may be some swelling or redness around the injection site, and we advise our clients to take it easy for the next 24 to 48 hours. Going back to the office is totally fine, but maybe skip any high-intensity workouts for a couple of days.

How Long Will It Last?

Dermal fillers to correct dark eye circles have been gaining popularity over the last few years. This is because the process is quick, painless, and the results last for quite a while. For many of our patients, this treatment’s effects will be visible for up to 10 months. Although some clients have found they can go more than a year before needing to repeat the procedure. And because Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in the human body, it is simply broken down and reabsorbed over time without any issues. It’s also worth noting that clients who regularly train with high-intensity workouts usually notice a slightly shorter period before the treatment needs to be reapplied. With elevated blood flow levels, more athletic people tend to flush out the Dermal Fillers more quickly.

Are there Side Effects?

As with any procedure, you need to stay informed of any possible adverse reactions. The most common side effects associated with dermal fillers are a small amount of bruising, swelling and temporary discomfort or itching at the injection site. Our team goes to great lengths to ensure any of these responses are minimal. Some of the more considerable risks include accidental injection into a blood vessel, leading to scarring, tissue damage, and even blindness if unrecognized. Such occurrences across the industry are very infrequent and internationally represent 0.001 percent of all injectable cases.

Most clients experience no side effects, and minor reactions usually clear within 7 to 14 days. In very rare cases, more severe side effects such as vascular occlusion may occur. Our team will walk you through any potential hazards and explain the strict procedures we employ to minimize our clients’ risks and prevent complications.