Written by Avery Samuels, Reviewed by Dr. Justin Harper, MD
Undereye Filler Treatment: Tired to Bright Instantly
Is the Under Eye Filler Treatment for You?
As sparkly as your eyes may be, if you are also dealing with under-eye bags, hollows, and rings, you inevitably look haggard and tired. Genetics can cause these to become obvious sooner — even when you’re still in your twenties!
DIY measures help temporarily, but when it comes to tear troughs, even the most trendy Korean masks or medical-grade creams boosted with hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, and peptides can’t promise long-term benefits or significant age reversal. For those who are averse to surgery, can’t afford the downtime, or are simply too young to consider this risky and expensive procedure, the Under Eye Filler Treatment using hyaluronic acid fillers is a great option.
What are Tear Troughs?
The ‘under eye’ or the space between the lower eyelid and upper cheek, commonly referred to as the tear trough, is a source of frustration as we age. Intake of salty food or alcohol, allergies, chronic stress, and lack of sleep makes any problem you have in this area so much worse.
Many things happen simultaneously as we get older. The bones surrounding the eye resorb slightly, supporting ligaments weaken, and the fat surrounding the eye descends. Production of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin, naturally-occurring substances that plump the skin, slows down. This leaves the overlying skin thinner, crepey, and less elastic.
As we age, facial contours flatten, especially in the midcheek area which makes us prone to developing under eye hollows. When nothing else seems to work, and you can no longer blame poor lighting for distressing selfies, consider having Under Eye Filler Treatment. This non-surgical procedure is quick and comfortable — by using biosimilar hyaluronic acid to disguise the transition between the eye trough and cheek, imperfections are softened.
“We take great care in the choice of fillers; its correct placement, and sequence to achieve a relaxed look that makes the eyes look instantly younger and brighter easily without the risks and downtime of traditional surgery.
Under eye fillers are indicated to last for 6-8 months but it is not unusual for patients to come back for a retouch only after 2 years.with just a 10% deficit — making it truly a worthwhile investment since we don’t need to start over from scratch!” – Dr. Justin Harper, MD
Treatment with Fillers
At Juvly, our Master Providers have been trained to evaluate each client’s unique needs, based on individual concerns and degree of volume loss. The treatment plan may include strengthening the upper cheek, improving skin condition, and filling of the tear trough for the best cosmetic result. The rim of the cheek needs to be strengthened using more robust hyaluronic acid fillers before the under eyes can be smoothed out with a softer one. Less product is used and the overfilled look is prevented if the slack, overlying skin was thickened and stretched before introducing fillers.
At Juvly, we favor using the cannula, a long, blunt-tipped and flexible needle. With this technique, the single entry point (in contrast to multiple ones), minimizes trauma. It is generally considered safer than the traditional sharp technique because it “slides” over arteries, veins and nerves, lessening the chances of nicking any structure.
Juvederm Voluma or Restylane Lyft is used to build up the cheek and support the under eye ligament before placing Restylane L in the under eye.
For clients in their 20s, a single syringe of Restylane L may be enough, but for those with significant volume loss on the upper cheek, a combination of adequate amounts of two types of fillers produces the best results. This process takes less than an hour and leaves you looking more refreshed and rested. Beautiful results take years off your face almost instantly!
Here are some tips to get you started:
1- Choose a Provider who has performed a lot of these procedures successfully. Practices like ours concentrate on non-surgical aesthetic treatments and possess ample experience and expertise.
2- For this procedure, mastery of anatomy is essential — important structures are avoided and the fillers are placed at the precise depth. Shallow placement increases the chances of developing nodules and the Tyndall effect, a bluish tinge that is visible under a certain light or angle. Too deep, and results will not be aesthetically pleasing; too much, and the delicate skin will be overly-stretched and contribute to skin laxity.
3- Any good Provider will create a treatment plan during your initial consultation — but a great one will give you the proper expectations because not all under eye concerns can be successfully treated with fillers. Extreme looseness of the skin and huge fat bulges may require surgery instead. Dark pigmentation can be caused by blood vessels and may not be “brightened up” satisfactorily by using fillers alone.In some cases, the use of lasers may be recommended.
3- Bear in mind that you are unique — meaning that age, genetics, bone structure, skin condition, sun exposure, and inflammatory conditions affect how you develop puffiness, hollowness, dark circles, and rings. Even if you are of the same age and of comparable weight, you and your friend may have different filler requirements and treatment approach. So don’t be surprised if you end up needing more fillers, especially if your mother has formidable eyebags.
4- Preparation is key. Under eye rejuvenation is complex because there are many layers involved, beginning with the skin. Think of it as a reconstruction project that involves art, architecture, and a whole lot of science. Skin thins out as part of the normal aging process, but effects are worsened and accelerated by damaging UVA and UVB and other stressors. Microneedling can also be used to prepare the skin
The goal of the under eye filler treatment is to create a smooth transition between the undereye and the cheek so hollows and lines are diminished, if not erased altogether. To do this, the upper cheek might be augmented to support the actual filling of the under eyes.
A popular choice for this is Restylane or Voluma. Some clients find it strange that the cheeks are augmented in an under eye treatment, but it makes sense — if you were building a house, you would first build a strong foundation. In the same manner, the cheeks should be able to support eye fillers.
5- The choice of filler for the under eye is crucial. Fillers that are thin in consistency produce the least swelling, but can be metabolized or degraded faster.
6- Observe pre and post care treatment guidelines (cialgen). For instance, to avoid the incidence of bleeding or bruising, avoid antioxidants and blood thinners for several days prior to getting treated. To avoid swelling, don’t exercise heavily post-op to avoid increased blood flow to the head.
7- Use the recommended skincare to promote healing and to keep the eye looking hydrated.
8- Protect your eyes from the sun — consider huge sunglasses that cover not just the front of your face but most of the side as well. Sun damage can reverse your great results by hastening the breakdown of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
9- Drink enough water and limit both your salt and sugar intake.
10- Have your touch-up or maintenance treatment before your results totally wear off.
Even the best technique can produce swelling and bruising. There is practically no recovery-time with eye fillers, and you walk out visibly refreshed because the results are immediate. In fact, your undereyes will look a lot smoother once the filler settles in and residual swelling disappears completely.