Pack Your Bags: Let’s Talk Under Eyes!
When a new client comes in for a consult, I ask them to look in the mirror and tell me what bothers them or what their eye is drawn to. Almost everyone mentions the under eye area! From bags to wrinkles, hollowness, discoloration, and thin skin, the under eye area seems to be one of the first areas to show age. Often I hear, “I just look tired”.
I get frequent messages asking what treatment I recommend for the under eyes, so I thought I’d break down the different types of treatments I offer to help improve the eye area. Unfortunately, there is no cookie cutter answer for the “best treatment” but the good news is that I can customize a treatment plan for you. Often, I recommend a combination of multiple of these treatments to get those WOW! Results. Ultimately, the treatments we choose should address the underlying cause of the issue that is bothering you and keep safety as our top priority!
Undereye Treatments
Under Eye PRF
Helps with: darkness/discoloration, hollowness, fine lines and wrinkles, thin skin
Cost: $425/treatment or a bundle of 3 for $850
Downtime: Minimal swelling for 1-3 days although bruising is always possible.
The Details: I’m starting with Under Eye PRF because it is one of my favorite treatments of all time. This treatment is appropriate for nearly everyone and is a very low risk procedure. For under eye PRF, I draw a sample of your blood and spin it to separate out the plasma containing your own growth factors, stem cells, and healing cells. I then use a cannula (like a small straw) to place the PRF under the eye.
Typically I recommend a series of 3 treatments spaced about 1 month apart. The only downside to PRF is that it is a regenerative treatment which means that it takes more time to see results. Full results are typically seen 2-3 months after the treatment. The positive side is that these results are permanent because the tissue has regenerated! Most clients repeat a treatment or series of treatments yearly. If you’d like to learn more about under eye filler, check out this blog.
Microneedling
Helps with: thin skin, fine lines and wrinkles
Cost: $350/treatment or bundle of 3 for $899
Downtime: 3-5 days of mild redness and swelling. Pinpoint bruising is possible.
The details: Microneedling delivers a controlled injury to the skin which stimulates a healing response causing an increase in collagen and elastin. Using very shallow, controlled depth microneedling to the under eye skin can make a dramatic difference in the skin’s texture. If you can splurge on the PRF add on, your results will be next level! I’ve seen some incredible results in clients of all ages with this treatment. Like Under Eye PRF, the result is regenerative meaning it won’t go away. But since you will continue to age, I recommend repeating this treatment biannually or annually.
Cheek Filler
Helps with: baggy/saggy, tired appearance, discoloration, hollowness
Cost: $1100 and up
Downtime: Swelling and bruising possible for a few days, full healing at 2 weeks
The details: I’m not crazy! I know this blog is about under eyes, but cheek filler is really one of my recommendations! Supporting the mid face/cheek area with filler can oftentimes improve the under eye area so much that you don’t need filler directly in the tear trough. It will help reflect the light differently and improve that tired appearance. Supporting this area is so impactful and important that I will rarely consider putting filler into the tear troughs without putting filler in the cheeks/mid face first! Instead of focusing in on one area, I much prefer to strategically spread the filler over different areas of the face to give the most natural appearance possible. This is called the Bevel Up Lift and is my signature treatment! You can read more about the Bevel Up Lift here.
Micro-Tox or Baby Botox
Helps with: fine lines
Cost: $250 and up
Downtime: expect pinpoint bruises for up to 2 weeks
The details: Micro tox involves using teeny tiny doses of Botox or Dysport and placing them just beneath the skin of the under eye. This treatment gives very subtle results, but many clients enjoy the subtle improvement in fine lines. Using the skin boosting powers of Botox or Dysport, I leave tiny little bubbles of tox under your skin which disappear in about an hour. Because this treatment involves injecting directly into the under eye area, you can expect to have tiny little bruises at the injection sites. These are easily covered with make-up and usually resolve within 1-2 weeks. Results from this procedure are usually apparent between 2-4 weeks and last about 3 months. If you have puffy under eyes, you may not be a candidate for micro tox as it can slow down the “muscle pump” of the lymphatic system leading to further puffiness.
Eye Creams
Helps with: discoloration, fine lines
Cost: from $110
Downtime: None!
The details: Topical creams are a necessary part of any under eye treatment plan. If you are going to invest in any sort of procedure for your under eyes, you must be on an excellent skincare regimen which includes a treatment cream made especially for your under eye area! The under eye skin is unique and the thinnest skin on the body. Therefore you cannot place the same types of creams on your under eye as you would on the rest of your face.
While topical creams are a very important building block, they will not be sufficient for many people who need significant correction in this area. If you think of me as your dentist who does amazing cleanings and gives you wow! results, then under eye cream is like brushing your teeth. The daily maintenance is SO important to keeping the area looking great!
At Even Esthetics™, I offer 5 different under eye treatment creams. All of these are medical grade and will fit right in to your daily regimen. I love making custom recommendations and figure out what will work best for you! If you haven’t used EyeMax yet, contact me ASAP because you are missing out! Read more about medical grade skincare here.
Under Eye/Tear Trough Filler
Cost: $800 and up
Helps with: hollowness, discoloration, fine lines and wrinkles
Downtime: Swelling and bruising possible with full results at 2 weeks
The details: I truly consider placing filler in the tear trough/ under eyes a last resort. There are some people that do need this volume added to treat the under eye effectively, but the under eye is a complex and fussy area to treat. The tear troughs should only be treated by and advanced injector with specific training and experience in treating this area. Because the under eye area is so delicate, there is absolutely no room for error. Placing even just the tiniest amount of filler here can lead to chronic issues with swelling and even a worsening of the discoloration. For these reasons, I am incredibly selective in who I will treat with under eye filler. I want to ensure you are a perfect candidate and fully understand the potential downsides to this treatment. I say “no” far more times than I say “yes” to using filler in the tear trough. This is because I am truly invested in ensuring that you have the best possible outcome! All this said, my tear trough filler clients have been very happy with their results and it is truly a great option for a select few clients.
Belpharoplasty
Helps with: fine lines and wrinkles, bags, loose skin
Downtime: varies
Cost: varies
The details: a blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure which involves removing excess skin. This procedure should only be done by a highly experienced surgeon and often will yield the best results among all of the treatments listed above. While I offer plenty of awesome non-surgical options, sometimes a blepharoplasty is the quickest and most effective way to address this area. I will always be honest as to the extent of the results I can provide with non-surgical options, and you may need to consider the surgical option at some point. If you need guidance choosing a surgeon, I’m happy to help!
I hope this was a helpful breakdown of all the treatments that can be used to improve the under eye area. If you are interested in learning more about any of these procedures, contact Even Esthetics™ here! If you are ready to take the plunge, I highly suggest coming in for an in person consult so that we can customize a treatment plan for you. Just choose “complimentary skin care consult” for your appointment type on the online scheduling system here! As always, my priorities and promise to you are safe and natural results.
