Miriam Hanson, a certified dermatologist and cosmetic expert in Austin, Texas, explains that dermal fillers are a family of injectable medications that restore volume in areas of skin where it has been lost. As we age, we may lose volume under the skin around our eyes, making us look tired even when we're well-rested. The skin may appear rough or the wrinkles next to the eyes may become more pronounced. Dermal fillers are located beneath the surface of the skin and are designed to fill, soften and sculpt.
Fillers can be made of several different substances, the main one being hyaluronic acid, a natural substance in the skin that helps add volume and hydration. Others can be made of collagen, calcium hydroxylapatite or poly-L-lactic acid. Many of them sometimes include a little lidocaine to help numb and compensate for pain. The main reason for putting fillers under your eyes is to fill a hole under the eye colloquially called a tear canal, according to Noelani Gonzalez, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West.
The filler can be reversed with hyaluronidase and the area can be re-injected with the correct technique. The report looked at all the most commonly used fillers, including Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, Sculptra, Radiesse, Artefill, Bellafill and Juvederm Voluma. Fillers can help you look younger by minimizing your appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles or bags under your eyes. For example, Allergan's Juvederm Ultra XC is approved for lips, its Voluma XC is for medium face volume loss, and Juvederm is for folds and wrinkles such as lines around the nose and mouth.
When skin care fails to reduce eye bags, many turn to cosmetic treatments for a more invasive and professional option. Dermal filler is one of the most popular treatments for this purpose. Natividad Reyes recalls her husband's experience with dermal filler: he had his forehead, chin and “laughing lines” around his mouth injected with filler. If darkness is caused by an emptying of the bone (which only comes with age), fillers can fill that part again.
In that case, your best bet is to try a retinol cream which can potentially help with dark circles and fine lines that form in the area under the eyes. However, if darkness is caused by skin laxity from aging or genetics, then a filler can help by adding volume and uniformity to fill the hole of the dark circles without adding puffiness. Often patients have eyebrows too high or lips too full after receiving dermal filler treatments; however these effects are temporary as over time their appearance will return to normal. If you don't like the appearance of your filler after it has been injected, it may not be necessary to inject anything to break it down as it is likely already partially decomposing.
