Hollow under the eyes, a marked tear trough, dark circles under the eyes. People have many ways of describing their tired eyes. With the surge of online meetings in the wake of the pandemic, worries about tired eyes are on the rise.1 Just appearing on pictures on social media can remind many of their tired look. If you’re troubled by dark circles under the eyes, you’re certainly not alone. Can you do something about it? Does that really work? Yes! Continue reading to find out how.
Tired eyes have many descriptions
Some people describe it as a hollow under the eyes. Others describe it as dark circles under the eyes. And some just describe it as tired eyes. Regardless of how we define it, all of these descriptions refer to problems under the eye, often in the so-called tear trough area.
The tear trough is the area that starts at the inner corner of the eye and then continues in a half circle to approximately half-way under the eye. Some of us have no visible indentation, or groove, in the tear trough area at all. Others have a deep groove, or hollow under the eyes.
When you have a noticeable groove in the tear trough area, it can deflect light and cast shadows onto the skin. The result is often described as dark circles under the eyes, that makes us look tired and fatigued.
In the image below you can see what a typical groove in the tear trough area looks like in a young person.
Tired eyes can affect how we feel
Tired eyes, with shadows and grooves, aren’t only about looks, but perhaps more about how we feel. A European market survey1, comprising 3,271 respondents, showed that 7 in 10 think their appearance doesn’t match with how they feel. Also, a third feel older than their actual age due to under-eye issues.
Here are some comments from the survey, that many of us can probably relate to:
“On a daily basis, I feel unfresh and uncomfortable.” (Female, 55-64, Sweden)
”People ask me if I am OK all the time...” (Female, 35-44, UK)
“When looking in the mirror, my tired eyes do not correspond to me feeling good.” (Female, 34-44, Finland)
A healthy lifestyle might not help
Although you have a healthy lifestyle and make sure you get enough sleep, dark circles under the eyes, shadows and grooves, might not go away. Or, as a respondent expressed it:
“They are there for no reason.” (Male, 55-64, Germany)
One third have considered a treatment
Many people who are troubled by dark shadows, grooves and hollow under the eyes are searching for a treatment that can solve their problems.
Of the respondents to the market survey, around one third had already considered trying some kind of treatment and more than a third said they would have, had they known of available treatments.
If you have decided to do something about your tired eyes, what options are there?
Creams, makeup, plasma pen and lasers
There are many creams, lotions and serums that are supposed to treat dark circles under the eyes and puffiness and reduce the appearance of hollow under the eyes.
Makeup, such as concealers, can brighten up the tear trough area and this way mask the problem. These kinds of products often contain pigments that make light reflect better, thereby reducing the appearance of under-eye shadows and grooves.
Aesthetic treatments such as plasma pen and lasers are other options. They work from the outside (just like creams) where they cause a controlled damage to the skin (often via heat) to induce a healing response. When the body heals the damage, the skin can become a bit tighter and more elastic than before treatment, which can improve the appearance of eye bags and lines under the eyes.
Reduce the hollow under the eyes by adding volume
If there’s a definite lack of volume under the eyes, however, with a marked tear trough or hollow under the eyes, a more effective solution can be to add volume.
One way to add volume is to make a fat transplant. Another alternative is a tear trough filler.
If you’re new to fillers, you might have preconceived ideas and prejudices. Maybe you think about big lips or puffed-up cheeks. However, in many cases, fillers are used to compensate for age-related changes. They can also be used to correct asymmetries or to shape, enhance and define facial features.
Used in the tear trough area, very small amounts of filler gel are injected to fill up the groove, or hollowness, and smoothen out the area. When the under-eye area is smooth, with no hollows, light can reflect from the skin and under-eye shadows will be reduced or disappear.
Fillers are a long-lasting solution to under-eye issues
Most fillers are based on hyaluronic acid, a natural water-binding substance. The hyaluronic acid in fillers is “stabilized” with a cross-linking technology to make it last longer.
How long a filler lasts varies from person to person and where it’s injected. Your healthcare practitioner can inform you how long you can expect the treatment to last. Thus, a tear trough filler is long-lasting but not permanent, so you won’t be stuck with something forever if you’re not happy with the result.
It might feel scary to inject something close to the eyes. However, a very small amount of filler is injected, and the injection point isn’t so close to the eye. Most fillers contain a local anesthetic, lidocaine. Your healthcare practitioner can also apply lidocaine onto the skin before treatment. The treatment only takes a few minutes and is fairly comfortable for most people.
Always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner
Since the tear trough is a delicate area, it’s important that you always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner. It’s also important that the filler used has a proven record of efficacy and safety for this area.
Restylane® EYELIGHT™: targeted, trusted and recommended for the tear trough
A filler to consider is Restylane® EYELIGHT™, which is targeted for this kind of treatment.2 It’s made with the patented NASHA® cross-linking technology, which has been trusted by healthcare practitioners for over 25 years.3,4 So far, more than 50 million treatments have been performed with RESTYLANE® fillers.3
In addition, Restylane® EYELIGHT™ is recommended by leading healthcare practitioners around the world.4 The huge number of treatments and the long heritage of RESTYLANE® fillers, makes Restylane® EYELIGHT™ a product to consider if you want to treat under-eye shadows and grooves.
A combination of treatments might be needed for optimal results
Tired eyes can have many causes and they might not only be related to under-eye issues but to surrounding areas as well. You might therefore need a combination of treatments to brighten up your eyes.
It’s very important that you always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner if you consider any kind of filler treatment, not least a tear trough filler.
Further reading
If you would like to know more about the actual treatment with a tear trough filler and what happens in the treatment room, continue reading here.
If you would like to know more about Restylane® EYELIGHT™, continue to this article.
References
- Data on file (MA-46075) European market survey by Opticom and Galderma, Q4 2020.
- A.Nikolis et al. A Randomized, Crossover-Controlled Evaluator-Blinded Trial Evaluating Cannula- Vs Needle-Assisted Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Infraorbital Deformities. ASJ 7-2021.
- Data on file (MA-39680).
- MA-49047