Dark circle changes the entire look of a person. Due to aging, additional concerns such as fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes also become more prominent. They not only make you look sleepy and fatigued but also 10 years older than your age.
Like me and you, many people of both genders are concerned for those dark discolored areas. Chances are that you’ve spent a large amount of money on products that claim to help remove dark circles but fail to do so.
With increasing concerns and demand from people for an effective Dark Circle Treatment, doctors introduced dermal filler injections to lighten them. It claims to be an efficient and safe treatment procedure that has minimal side effects. Moreover, there’s almost no downtime which allows the person to continue with routine work right after the session.
What Are Dark Circles?
Discolored patches underneath the eyes are what we refer to as “dark circles”. As the name suggests, they are one to two-tone darker than the natural skin color and may appear as dark brown, black, purple, or blue depending on the skin color of an individual.
Dark circles occur due to multiple causes which will be enlisted below, and result in the skin of a person getting dull, pale, or thin due to reduced elasticity so much so that the dark tissues or blood vessels under the skin start showing as dark circles. At other times, the blood vessels become swelled or dilated that their visibility increases from under the skin.
What Causes Dark Circles?
The three main reasons due to which dark eye circles appear are
- Dilated or congested blood vessels
- Loss of volume in the skin
- Increased pigmentation
While the above mentioned are the core causes, there are various factors and conditions which lead to it. A few examples include;
- Aging
- Fatigue or reduced sleep
- Allergy
- Eyestrain
- Dehydration
- Genetics or family history
- Increased exposure to sunlight
- Thyroid conditions
- Anemia
- Dermatitis
- Reduced fat pads around the eye
- Smoking
- Frequent rubbing or irritation of the eye
What Makes Dark Circles Worst Over Time?
The severity and color of the dark circle are different for every individual at every stage of life, it is not necessary that the intensity of your dark circles right now matches what it was previously. Three main key elements which determine how bad the dark circles get are:
1. Age
As we age, our skin also undergoes an aging process. Cellular aging or cellular senescence is a phase where the old cells are replaced by new ones but with time this process gets weaker and our skin starts losing its elasticity. Due to the lost volume, it gets thin and the dark circles get more prominent and worse. However, we can delay the worsening process by wearing sunscreen, staying hydrated, and having a balanced diet.
2. Lifestyle
Lifestyle has a great impact on our skin thus our dark circles. Not having proper sleep, excessive use of electronic devices, smoking, having too much salt, not drinking enough water, etc. These all are some of the habits that lead to the dark circles getting much worse with time. Little changes in lifestyle help delay the process or sometimes even reduce the appearance of dark circles.
3. Genetic Factors
Genetics and family history are what tells how bad one’s dark circles will be from the other. People who are born with defects in pigmentation or skin elasticity have quite prominent dark circles from an early age and they keep on getting worse as they age.
Treating Dark Circles With Filler Injections
Dark Circle Treatment with dermal filler injections is not new. With increased research and experiments, the efficacy and safety are now proved. Below answered are some of the frequently asked questions.
What Are Fillers?
Dermal filler injections are a gel-like substance that is injected into the skin under the eyes. They are mostly hyaluronic acid based, which is a substance that also occur in our body naturally and help smooth and plump the skin by maintaining a good level of hydration.
What Are The Types Of Fillers For Dark Circles?
Teosyal Redensity II (RDII) combined with hyaluronic acid is considered to be one of the better filler for the treatment of dark circles. The mixture is specially prepared to be used under the eye and is approved by the FDA for use.
The perfect combination of crossed-linked and non-crossed-linked hyaluronic acid adds volume to both, superficial and deeper layers of the skin which fills the fine lines and wrinkles.
Other options include Belotero Balance, Restylane Silk, Restylane Refyn, and Juvederm Ultra. These all are fine fillers that prevent the lumps, bumps, and the pillow puffy effect after the filler treatment.
How Does Filler Treatment Work To Improve Dark Circles?
Dermal filler injections once injected into the skin raise the depressed area and increases the production of collagen and elastin which reduce the visibility of the vessels from underneath the skin. Adding on, dermal fillers replace the lost volume along with toning down the puffiness around the eyes which might be causing the shadow under the eyes.
What To Expect From The Procedure?
Once the procedure is over you might feel slight discomfort due to the filler being freshly injected but this goes away shortly after. You will be advised to ice the area to reduce the swelling and redness from the needle and avoid doing any high-intensity exercise as well as putting pressure on your face. You will be able to observe improvements immediately after treatment and you may continue with your daily activities right after that.
How Many Fillers Are Required For Dark Circles?
For Dark Circle Treatment the amount of filler required typically depends on how severe and dark the patches are. On average doctors suggest the use of one entire syringe of filler for each eye if the dark circles are deep but in case they are not that intense one syringe of filler can be split between the two sides.
Are The Results After Dark Circle Treatment Permanent?
No dermal filler treatment is permanent. Nevertheless, the results of dermal filler injections for Dark Circle Treatment do last longer than 6 to 9 months. How long the results last depends on:
- Metabolism of the fillers under the skin
- Viscosity of fillers used for treatment
What Are The Side Effects Of Dermal Filler Injections?
Though it is considered as one of the safest treatment but due to the involvement of injectables, a few side effects are associated with it which include;
- Swelling
- Redness
- Pain
- Bruising if a blood vessel gets injured
- Numbness or altered sensations due to damage to the nerve
- Skin necrosis due to occlusion or blockage of a blood vessel
- Blurred vision
- Blindness or permanent vision damage if the optic nerve is effected
- Allergic reaction
- Inflammation or infection of an unhealed wound
- Scarring at the injection site
Who Should I Look For?
If you are planning to go for dermal fillers for Dark Circle Treatment then it is important to look for an experienced medical doctor who is well versed in the procedure. The doctor should be open to sharing the risk and treatment results you can achieve with filler.
About Dream Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery
Bespoke surgical for cosmetic or medical reasons is what Dream covers to bring out the beauty in every individual. Going beyond the aesthetics and working on physical anomalies are what we value the most in leading our patients to cherish self-improvement and confident lifestyles.
Derived from Associate Professor Vincent Yeow’s long-standing experience performing plastic surgery in Singapore, our treatment plans deliver physical remodelling in our patients’ favour. One of the notable remodellings is droopy eyelid correction. The ptosis surgery used for treatment eventually fixes drooping eyelids, improves vision and enhances appearance.
Most importantly, as a trustworthy plastic surgery and aesthetic clinic, we treasure positive and natural outcomes for each individual. We will ensure to deliver the beauty refinement of your dream without compromising your safety and privacy.
