Have you always struggled with under-eye dark circles? Does your friend or spouse ask you if you are sleep deprived or if you feel tired even though you had the best sleep of your life the night before?
Perhaps over the years, you have spent a great deal of time and money exploring whatever products, treatments and makeup promise to reduce the appearance of dark circles? At a certain point, no amount of concealer is going to cover up a hollow under-eye area. If dark circles bother you and you would like to do something about it, we can help – and it only takes 20 minutes.
Why do you have more prominent dark circles than others?
‘Dark circles’ is a broad term to describe a variety of cosmetic concerns around the eyes. There are a few factors which can cause dark circles and believe it or not, they are not always due to sleep deprivation but much more to do with your genetics.
Some people are born with less subcutaneous fat in the under-eye area. This is the layer of fat underlying the skin and the lack of it therefore causes an indentation commonly referred to as ‘tear trough’. While it is natural to have mild indentation, which sits on top of the rim of the bone, some people may have a deeper groove than others.
Fair skinned people may have dark circles because the colour of the underlying muscle and veins shows through the skin. Beyond natural anatomical factors, dark circles can also be caused by sun exposure, dehydration and sleep deprivation.
Do dark circles get worse as we age?
Unfortunately, yes. Our tissue undergoes a process called ‘cellular ageing’ as we age. Basically, this means the cell turn over rate reduces over time. Knowing this, it is important that preventative measures are taken from a young age such as daily application of sun block, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated and getting adequate sleep. These are all measures which naturally promote and maintain skin health.
How can the use of fillers help address dark circles?
Dark circles treatment aims to reduce the severity of the indentation under your eyes. The treatment involves the use of premium dermal fillers in the following two regions of your face:
1. Treating volume loss in the cheeks – Over time, and as we age, our cheeks undergo volume loss. This can have a considerable effect on other areas of our face, particularly the under-eye area. Volume loss in the cheeks drags the under-eye hollow downward, accentuating the tired and unrested appearance. Not only does the restoration of volume in the upper cheek area makes you look more youthful, but it also helps harmonise the transition from the eyes to the cheek.
2. Treating the tear trough and under-eye hollow – This can be carried out as an isolated treatment provided that you have adequate cheek volume and that the hollowness under your eyes are mild.
Our cosmetic doctor, Dr Kieren Bong, invented the revolutionary Two Point Eye Lift™ technique and owns its international trademark. This technique is used in over 50 countries and widely recognised as one of the safest and most effective techniques for reducing the appearance of dark circles and tear trough with dermal fillers.
Are there different fillers and different ways of injecting?
Absolutely. There are over 200 brands of fillers available in Europe and no two fillers are identical. As mentioned above, Dr Bong is the pioneer of one of the world’s safest and most effective techniques. It is vital that you have your treatment carried out by a skilled and experienced cosmetic doctor and that the filler he/she uses is one which has been specifically designed for this area of the face. An injector who uses a generic ‘one-size-fits-all’ filler risks causing lumps in this area.
How long does filler for dark circles last?
In general, this treatment lasts anywhere between six months to just over a year, depending on how quickly your body metabolises it, and the type of filler used. The filler is broken down by your tissue’s enzyme gradually.
Find out more in our treatment page (click here).
