Dermal Filler Injections for Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Most people with bags and tired-looking eyes think that surgery is the only option to look younger, more awake, rested and refreshed. But advances in both dermal filler products and injection techniques have changed this fact. So if you’re tired of your tired-looking eyes, non-invasive dermal filler injections may be just the thing to help you look better—without going under the knife.

Why Do Our Eyes Look Older?

Time, environmental damage and gravity take their toll on our face. Most of the changes with tired-looking eyes come from movement of the muscle and fat around the eye as the tissue becomes less firm and elastic.

The orbicularis oculi muscle is a muscle that encircles the eye. It works like a purse-string, squeezing the eye shut as it contracts. Just like the rest of our muscles, it weakens over time. This lets some of the fat beneath the muscle push it outward creating dreaded “under-eye bags”. This movement also creates a groove or “tear trough” beneath the lower eyelid which accentuates the puffiness or bulge.

To add insult to injury, the eyelid skin—the thinnest of all the skin on our body—thins even more as we age. Blood vessels and melanin become more visible, contributing to a darker appearance beneath our eyes.

How Do Dermal Filler Injections Help these Changes?

The most commonly used filler to help correct under-eye changes is Restylane. It is a hyaluronic acid gel. Completely compatible with your body, this gel helps correct changes under the eye by padding or camouflaging them. We can inject small amounts where you need more volume (in the tear trough) and we can also inject it deeply, under the orbicularis oculi muscle to help lift the muscle and provide structural support (like a younger eyelid muscle).

Restylane is also helpful in stimulating collagen in the skin around the eye. This helps improve the skin’s appearance and lessen dark “circles”. By smoothing the under-eye area with Restylane, we can change the way light hits the skin and decrease the “shadowed” look beneath the eye. This helps your eyes look more open, brighter and younger, and more importantly, it helps you look more refreshed and awake!

The best part of having dermal filler injections instead of surgery is that there is virtually no downtime. Most patients have mild swelling, and some may have mild bruising, but this typically resolves in a couple days compared to weeks following a surgical procedure.

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