Dark eye circles can be hereditary (inborn) or acquired, and usually have one or more causes. Structural causes of dark eye circles happen with a loss of volume in the tear trough, or when bulging eye bags or muscles below the eye cast a shadow on the underlying skin. Pigmentation under the eye arising from sun exposure also contributes to dark eye circles. Most commonly (up to 74% in one study), dark eye circles actually arise from congestion, where there is a pooling of blood within the visible and microscopic vessels below the eye. Common causes of congestion are a lack of sleep and sinus-related conditions. Loss of collagen with age also causes thinner skin under the eyes which results in more visible blood vessels and congestion too.
Both Ellanse and Rejuran can be effective, depending on the reasons for your dark eye circles. Both stimulate collagen in the skin, which gives rise to better skin texture and overall appearance, but they differ greatly in their primary purpose.
- Ellanse is a semi-permanent non-hyaluronic filler that is good for increasing volume to sunken areas. This is great for structural causes of dark eye circles such as sunken tear troughs or sagging eye bags.
- Rejuran is slightly different; it contains polynucleotides (PN) which promotes skin repair. It is used less for volumizing purposes (even though there is still mild volumization), and more for reduction of fine wrinkles and pigmentation improvement. Rejuran I is a product similar to Rejuran healer, offering a lower viscosity that makes it more suitable for eye rejuvenation.
In other words, the choice of whether Rejuran or Ellanse is better would depend on your individual condition. Under-eye threads, which is another injectable option, can also tighten skin and improve blood circulation and the dark circle appearance.
On a side note, there are other options apart from injections that can help with under eye dark circles – don’t be fooled into thinking that injectables are your only option! These options are available:
- Skincare. Certain cosmetic products that stimulate collagen or reduce vascular congestion can be useful for dark circles. Of note, nanotechnology is a promising new development (check out Endor Technologies).
- Vascular lasers can target unwanted veins and blood congestion under the eye (remember that this is the most common cause of dark eye circles). If you have congested dark circles, this would be the fastest and most direct treatment option.
- Infrared lasers and other energy-based devices can selectively stimulate collagen in precise layers of the skin as well as the ligaments under the skin. The SmoothEye laser procedure is one such interesting laser that can tighten the eye septum ligament, improving structural causes of dark circles such as tear troughs and eye bags without any injections! This option is for you if you have a structural cause but do not want to do injections.
In summary, there are various reasons why one develops dark under-eye circles, and individuals may respond differently to, or prefer different treatments. Find a doctor you trust to accurately diagnose your condition, and who also has a wide range of choices and wide experience in various procedures for your best chance at improving your condition.
