A tear trough filler treatment is designed to reduce the appearance of bags, dark circles and sunken-in, shadowy areas under the eyes, helping to relieve a look that some people associate with tiredness, ageing, or an inherited trait.
To get around this, a tear trough treatment reduces the depth of the trough itself, typically by using highly targeted dermal fillers made from hyaluronic acid to restore the skin’s natural levels of hydration, helping you look more refreshed, awake and alert.
How does it work? What options are available? And what should you know before you start?
How Do Tear Trough Treatments Work?
A tear trough is a non-surgical aesthetic treatment where an injectable formula is applied underneath the eyes to add fullness, much in the same way fillers add volume to the cheeks and lips.
With tear troughs, however, it has a remarkably potent effect because the skin under the eyes tends to be thinner and thus more susceptible to wrinkles, bags and shadows.
It is a relatively quick procedure, with effects that start to appear almost immediately with no downtime, and last between six and 18 months, although it varies from person to person.
What Alternatives Are Available?
The only main alternative to tear trough fillers is lower eyelid surgery, a highly invasive process where a surgeon will remove excess skin and fat before applying a skin tuck, which helps to tighten the skin and reduce puffiness.
Alternatively, a surgeon may also inject or graft fat to fill hollow areas under the eyes to provide a similar effect to tear trough filler, albeit with a more invasive procedure and significantly longer aftercare.
Generally, tear troughs surgery will only be recommended in fairly extreme cases where filler is not effective, or in situations where the lower eyelids are treated alongside other parts of the face as part of more comprehensive plastic surgery.