Dark circles and/or bags under the eyes

The areas around the eyes often betray the lifestyle as well as age!

The skin around the eyes is one of the most delicate areas of our body. The area under the eyes is one of the biggest challenges in aesthetic medicine, because it is very delicate and anatomically complex - since there are almost no sebaceous glands and no fatty tissue in this area, the skin around the eyes is significantly thinner and more sensitive compared to the rest of the skin on the face and body, and consequently, it is also translucent.

The look of the area around eyes is affected, for example, by our lifestyle, diet, sleep, long days in front of the computer or TV, fatigue, stress, etc. Genetic and anatomical features are undoubtedly important, as much as the overall state of health.

Dark circles under the eyes - do eye creams help and which eye creams?

We definitely recommend that in addition to a face cream, every woman use in the morning and evening an eye cream designed specifically for this area.

The cream should be gentle and not irritate the skin or cause swelling. For most issues concerning the skin around the eyes, but especially for dark circles, it is important to speed up the blood and lymphatic circulation, nourish and moisturize the skin by means of creams that help strengthen the quality of the skin around the eyes.

The cream should only be applied to the lower eyelid, because the skin of the upper lid is very thin and delicate, and any active substances applied too close to the mucous membrane could seep into the eye and have an irritating effect. If unsure whether a cream is suitable for your skin, Dr. Laasma suggests not to apply the cream, because using an unsuitable cream may cause further problems and swelling.

You should avoid stretching or causing traumas to the skin - a cream should be applied by gently dabbing, making soft circular massage movements. The product should also be applied under the eyebrows to prevent drooping of the eyelids. Age-appropriate creams could also be used alternately with moisturizing and protective creams, not forgetting the sun block creams!

If creams no longer help...

The most effective measure against mimetic wrinkles is the botulinum toxin, i.e. the so-called Botox injections

The eyes express the emotions, which is evidenced by the appearance of mimetic wrinkles and the indications of aging.

Mimetic wrinkles are sometimes also called laugh lines, but are more commonly known as "crow's toes". The latter occur due to the contraction of the lateral orbicularis oculi muscles. The most effective way to remove or reduce mimetic wrinkles around the eyes is botulinum toxin injections, which partially and superficially paralyze the transmission between the nerve and muscle in the orbicularis oculi muscles, resulting in significantly smoother mimetic wrinkles or the wrinkles disappearing completely, depending on the age, wrinkle depth, etc. It is also possible to lift the eyebrows (brow lift), widen the eyes (open eye) and to treat indications such as blepharospasms, twitching eyelids and other issues in this area, caused by muscle strain.

Botulinum toxin injections (approx. 3-5 injections on both sides) are administered superficially in the skin and require no recovery, meaning that you can immediately return to your daily activities. The so-called Botox effect occurs within a few days to few weeks and lasts for 3-6 months.

Filler injections and fat transfer for the treatment of hollow and dark circles under the eyes

The formation of dark circles is directly linked to the location of fine superficial capillaries. Very often it is hereditary, but fatigue, illnesses, stress, over-exertion, vitamin deficiency, smoking, lack of fresh air and similar factors also play a role.

We can successfully remove superficial veins under the eyes, using the Fotona Dynamis Nd:Yag laser. The removal of individual blood vessels from the lower eyelids already significantly improves the dark circles under the eyes.

With filler injections under the eyes we can treat dark and hollow circles under the eyes, which are often caused by tissue laxity and sagging in the area, that in turn exposes the tear duct in a cavity. It is extremely important to think through if you will have the injections, what will be injected and who will perform the injections, because should an incorrect preparation and/or injection technique be used in the procedure, the result could be unnatural and cause swelling for many years after the injection procedure.

In addition to the correct injection technique, the choice of a suitable filler injection is very important. For this our clinic uses the Redensity 2 filler injections by Teoxane, specially designed for filling the area under the eyes and approved by the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration).

Superficial injection techniques should be avoided, which often result in the so-called Tyndall effect, whereby the gel glows through the skin, causing unnatural bluish reflection of light and swelling of the subcutaneous tissue in the injected area. For this we use a special microcannula, which guarantees maximum safety for the patient and the best possible administration of the preparation.

Another and a slightly more permanent alternative to filler injections is the transfer of fat, which also helps to reduce dark circles under the eyes, smooth out the wrinkles around the eyes and fill in the hollow areas around the eyes. The transferred fat becomes fixed in the metabolism and becomes a permanent filler under the eyes. In addition, fat transfer is ideal for lifting the arcs of drooping eyebrows. As the layer of fat decreases, the brow starts to droop and as if sit on the bone. Fat injected in there will restore the former natural state.

What causes the bags under the eyes?

As a person gets older, the retraction of the skin around the eyes begins to be hindered by the fatty tissue i.e. hernia that forms under the skin. This is mostly due to age-related laxity of the orbicularis oculi muscles. Morning puffiness of the eyes is also caused by weakened superficial blood circulation in the skin around the eyes and ineffective removal of residues.

Contributing factors are fatigue, excessive sleep, excessive fluid intake in the evening and alcohol. Other possible causes of swelling, such as allergies (e.g. due to unsuitable eye cream), eye inflammations, etc. should definitely be ruled out. Other health issues, which could cause swelling, include heart or kidney diseases.

One alternative to aesthetic procedures is the morning lymphatic massage, which should be performed with gentle pulsating movements, which slightly tighten the skin, moving from the inner corner of the eye to the ear.

Although drooping eyebrows and sagging upper eyelids are the first signs of a normal aging process, there are several ways to prevent and treat these. When fatty hernias and sagging skin have already become aesthetically displeasing and drooping eyelids start to block the field of vision, you could consider aesthetic procedures.

One of the alternatives to surgical methods is the Fotona Smile Eye and Fotona Smooth Eye laser procedures, which help to improve the quality of the skin, reduce sagging skin and also reduce fatty tissue protrusions of the lower eyelids. The procedure is quick, safe, painless and requires no time for recovery. Usually the procedure needs to be repeated 3 times, with 1-month intervals. However, when the laxity of the eyelids is already significant or if quick and permanent results are required, the help of a plastic surgeon should be sought. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can be used to correct the tissues surrounding the eye - to remove excess skin from the eyelids, trim the muscles and reduce accumulated fatty tissue.