Caffeine-based products, cucumber, cold compresses - you’ve tried it all, but those dark circles and puffy eyes just won’t budge! So, how do you reduce eye bags?
You might have considered trying a non-invasive treatment to remove them, but how do you know which is right for minimising those dark circles? Let’s have a look at why eye bags happen to good people, as well as some of the best treatments for making your skin look rejuvenated - and more awake.
What causes eye bags?
Tear troughs, known more commonly as eye bags, are depressions in the skin that extend from the nose and right down into a half circle under the eye. They are generally caused or worsened by dehydration, smoking, salty foods, allergies, lack of sleep, allergies, vitamin deficiencies and are sometimes just down to genetics (thanks, Mum!). And they tend to get worse the older we get, when under-eye skin becomes thinner and the fat under the eye begins to bulge and droop.
Non-surgical treament for eye-bags
If you’ve reached the point where you can’t face the extra (eye) baggage when you look in the mirror, you may have considered looking for a non-surgical treatment to minimise it. Here are the most popular treatments out there for reducing eye bags...
Under-eye fillers (tear trough filler)
They’re used for plumping lips and cheeks, as well as reshaping noses and reducing lines. And if you’ve been doing your research, you might have seen that dermal fillers are also a great option for reducing under-eye bags. So, how exactly does the treatment work? Well, there are various different types of fillers but the most popular type nowadays is hyaluronic acid (HA) - a solution that is injected into the skin, just above the orbital bone, to restore volume in the area.
While it may sound intense, it generally isn’t painful - just a bit uncomfortable - and the treatment only takes 10-15 minutes. There’s no downtime either, so you can get on with your day as usual. You might have a bit of redness or swelling though - so maybe don’t organise a first date for the same evening. Dermal fillers for the tear trough area last about 12-18 months, at which point, you might decide you want to maintain the look by repeating the treatment. Popular HA dermal filler brands include Restylane, Juvéderm and Sculptra.
If this treatment sounds good to you, take a look at our article on considerations before having dermal fillers.
Skin tightening
Treatments such as Ultherapy tighten the skin around the under-eye area, reducing the appearance of puffiness, dark circles and sunken-looking eyes.
Ultherapy is a sort of non-invasive ‘face-lift’ that uses focused ultrasound energy. This treatment targets deep into the skin, stimulating natural collagen and elastin production, and immediately tightening skin.
Now, it isn’t the most comfortable of treatments, (you’ll likely feel tingling and a bit sore as the heat penetrates your skin) so you might want to consider taking some pain relief beforehand, but the effects are immediate - and as they say, no pain, no gain. Ultherapy is pretty pricey too. But the effects last around 18 months, meaning great results for a relatively long time.
So, while a great concealer, cucumber and water will help to a certain extent, these great non-invasive treatments can really make a huge difference to under-eye bags.
Want to get rid of eye bags? Find a medically qualified practitioner in your area now.
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