Dark circles under the eyes are a common concern and we have many ways to treat them.
What causes dark circles under the eyes?
There are a number of different things that can cause dark circles under the eyes. Sun damage over time can change the color of the skin and make it darker. This is why it’s so important to apply sunscreen every day. Wearing sunglasses when outside helps protect this area even more. For some people it’s simply genetic. Maybe your parents have dark circles under their eyes and you inherited it from them. There are also changes that occur in your face naturally over time. We are all born with fat pads in the face. One of them is directly under the eyes. Just below this is another one in the cheeks. Over time these fat pads start moving down. So the support structure for these areas is lost and you see hollowing. As a result of the volume loss the skin can become indented and the shadows make the area look lighter. In the surface layers of the skin you lose collagen over time. Collagen is the protein in the skin that keeps it tight, firm, and youthful in appearance. Sun exposure over time damages the collagen and your body slowly makes less and less collagen as you age. This thins the skin and leads to wrinkles and changes in color.
How can I treat the dark circles under my eyes?
There are a number of things you can do to treat dark circles under your eyes. First, it’s very important to apply sunscreen every day. Dr. Alex recommends a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 such as the Alastin Hydratint Sunscreen. To further protect your skin from the sun Dr. Alex recommends wearing sunglasses when outside. Additionally, for anyone who has concerns with the skin around the eyes, Dr. Alex recommends using a good eye cream such as the A E Skin Green Tea Essentials Enlightening Eye Cream. The A E Skin Green Tea Essentials Enlightening Eye Cream has a number of ingredients such as green tea and retinol to help with fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness around the eyes. Combining this with other treatments such as an Infrared Facial or Ultra Microneedling will give you even better results since these treatments will stimulate your skin to make more collagen.
Restoring lost volume with fillers can make a huge difference in the appearance of your dark circles. Fillers are products injected into the skin that restore lost volume. Under the eyes Dr. Alex recommends Vollure, a filler in the Juvederm family. Vollure is perfect for this area because it is soft, provides a natural look, and is long-lasting. Many other products lead to a lot of swelling in the area and can make it look puffy, which is not what you want under your eyes. The active ingredient in Vollure is called hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar that’s found in your skin. It works by drawing water into the skin and filling the area. You’ll see your results with Vollure right away and most people enjoy their results from Vollure for over a year. Before your Vollure treatment we’ll take baseline pictures of your skin to monitor your progress. Then we’ll apply numbing cream for about 15 minutes. After that the numbing cream is removed and your skin will be cleaned with special products to make sure you don’t get an infection. Dr. Alex gently injects the Vollure in the skin while his assistant holds a vibrating distractor on the skin nearby. The Vollure treatment takes only a few minutes. Swelling is normal after a Vollure treatment. To decrease the swelling after a Vollure treatment Dr. Alex recommends icing the area as much as possible, sleeping on an extra pillow overnight, and avoiding salty foods for a few days. Although bruising is not common, you may see a bruise after your Vollure treatment. But don’t worry, you can have a complimentary laser bruise treatment as early as the next business day after your Vollure treatment. This will make the bruise go away much faster. You’ll see your full results about two weeks after your Vollure treatment after all the swelling goes down. Results like those seen above are common with a Vollure treatment and patients are very happy with their results.
Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.