Firstly one has to understand that the causes of dark eye circles can be due to multiple factors or combination of them. These include
- Genetic Predisposition eg. in Indians
- Very thin skin in the under eye area allowing the vessels underneath to be seen
- Loss of volume in the under eye area
- Periorbital Hyperpigmentation
- Fatigue
Because the cause is multifactorial there is no treatment that can result in a permanent cure.
Most commonly doctors will recommend the use of a dermal Filler usually a hyaluronic acid filler to be injected in the under eye area to increase the volume and at the same helps to increase the “ thickness “ of the skin.
This usually results in a disappearance of the dark circles . However the results are expected to last usually not more than one year.
With regards to non surgical options for the treatment of eyebags it depends on the severity of the eyebags.
Eyebags are formed by the herniation or downward migration of prexisting fat pads located in the lower eyelid region. As we age the septum that supports these fat pads weaken resulting in the migration of these fat pads downwards into the undereye area.
When the skin in this area is elastic it is able to support the fat but as the skin loses it’s elasticity it sags and the fat bulges out giving the appearance of the typical eyebag. Eyebags are also usually associated with a tear trough depression.
For purposes of selecting treatment options for eyebags I like to classify them into mild, moderate or severe. This is based on the degree of skin laxity , the amount of fat or bulge and the severity of the associated tear trough. In addition they can also be made worse by the loss of fat or volume in the Cheek area.
For mild cases, the use of a dermal HA Filler is usually preferred by most Doctors as they give quite a good aesthetic result with no or little downtime although in some cases extra skin tightening may be done either by the use of a RF or HIFU device.
For moderate cases it is usually necessary to reduce the fat bulge first and this can be achieved by either a needle RF device ( Agnes ) or the use of a interstitial fibre optic laser ( Accusculpt ) to induce a lipolytic effect on the eyebag fat.
The eyebag can then be further treated with a skin tightening Device before deciding if a dermal HA Filler is required to further enhance the result.
For severe cases, surgical blepharoplasty is usually recommended. Hope this helps and ask your doctor for the treatment options suitable for you.
