Dark circles and Hollows under eyes
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Bruises and hollows under the eyes, and tear trough formation are common issues that most people face at some point in their lives. These problems often result from sleepless nights, stress, or genetic predisposition. Hollows and dark circles under the eyes, as well as the appearance of the tear trough, give a tired and exhausted look, causing discomfort.
Photo: Lipofilling of the upper and lower orbital area, temples, cheeks, and chin. After 3 weeks
Causes
- Diseases: Heart failure, kidney disease, or thyroid conditions.
- Lifestyle: Overwork and constant lack of sleep, stress, smoking, poor diet, sudden weight loss, consumption of salty and smoked foods.
- Genetics and Age: For many people, dark circles are linked to genetics, where the blood vessels under the eyes become more noticeable. As aging progresses, the loss of fatty tissue in the area under the eyes enhances the appearance of hollows and dark circles. This is particularly noticeable in the tear trough area between the lower eyelid and the upper cheek.
How to get rid of hollows and dark circles under the eyes?
The under-eye area is rightly considered one of the most technically challenging and crucial for facial appearance. This zone significantly influences the perception of freshness or tiredness of the face.
Without correcting the under-eye area, efforts to smooth out wrinkles will not significantly impact the patient's perceived age.
The under-eye area is one of the top three most important facial aging indicators: facial contour, under-eye area ("tear trough"), and corners of the mouth ("marionette lines").
For correcting the tear trough, dark circles, and hollows under the eyes, there are 2 most effective methods: filler injections and under-eye lipofilling.
Correction with Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Hyaluronic acid filler injections are an effective method to restore lost volume in the under-eye area. These injections act as small cushions under the eyes, lifting the hollow area, reducing bruising, and creating a smoother, more youthful appearance.
The effect of fillers can last from 6 to 24 months, depending on your metabolism and injection technique.
Procedure Features
Contouring the under-eye area with hyaluronic acid is a complex procedure requiring high qualifications. From a technical standpoint, this area often experiences frequent mistakes during contouring procedures. Let's look at the most common ones:
- Incorrect filler density selection. Using too dense a filler can lead to unevenness on the skin. In such cases, it is recommended to dissolve it with hyaluronidase and use a softer filler.
- Overcorrection. Excessive or uneven filler injection can lead to undesirable results requiring correction.
- Injection technique. Problems arise when contouring is performed on patients with a thin hypodermal layer in the under-eye area. In this case, high-quality filler distribution is necessary. This is achieved by making more injections down to the periosteum level with a smaller volume of a more pliable filler.
Rehabilitation
- First days. In the first 48 hours after the procedure, swelling and bruising may occur, which usually resolve on their own. During this time, avoid contact with water in the injection areas and follow your doctor's skincare recommendations. Until the skin heals, do not touch your face with your hands, rub, massage, or use scrubs. Do not apply makeup to the injection areas.
- First week. To prevent swelling, it is recommended to limit water intake.
- First 2 weeks. Avoid intense physical activity, direct sunlight, swimming pools, and saunas. When going outside on sunny days, use sunscreen. If you regularly take medications, consult your doctor about their use during the recovery period.
Under-Eye Lipofilling
Lipofilling is a technique where the patient's own fat is used to fill the under-eye area. Filling with the patient's own fat is currently the most effective method for eliminating the tear trough, hollows, and dark circles under the eyes. Fat grafting also improves the color and quality of the skin under the eyes.
Method Features
- Long-lasting effect. After transplantation, about 50% of the fat is absorbed, and the remaining mass stays permanently, eliminating the need for further correction.
- Natural result. Fat, unlike clear hyaluronic acid fillers, has a yellowish color – similar to skin color, which helps to whiten dark circles and achieve a completely natural result.
Photo: Under-eye lipofilling - before and after
Rehabilitation and Result
- On day 2. Makeup is allowed. However, it is recommended to use gentle products and avoid aggressive rubbing of the skin around the eyes.
- First days after the procedure. It is important to note that there will be excess volume under the eyes. This is due to swelling and the fact that fat is injected with a slight excess to achieve the desired result.
- After 7 days: At this stage, the appearance may seem unsatisfactory. Swelling may still persist, creating a "puffiness" effect under the eyes. This is a temporary phenomenon.
- After 14 days: Your appearance will significantly improve, although the final result has not yet been achieved. Some minor swelling and residual changes may persist.
- The final result of lipofilling will be visible after 3-6 months when the swelling completely subsides and the fat fully integrates into the correction area. During this time, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations and avoid exposure to extreme temperatures, as well as not to overdo it with physical activity.
Facial lipofilling is performed for a wide range of purposes. Lipofilling can even out facial contours, correct asymmetry, and fill "hollows" under the eyes. Lipofilling helps to correct several aesthetic flaws: brow ptosis, unclear jawline, "jowls," and also enhance lips, cheekbones, and chin. When precise plastic correction of a specific facial area is needed, lipofilling is the optimal method.
Content author - plastic surgeon Valentyn Zykov
- Practicing surgeon since 1998
- I perform more than 500 operations a year
- Laureate of the 21st national program "Person of the year"
- I operate in Poland (Warsaw) and Greece (Athens)
