Tear Trough Treatments Explained: Get Brighter-Looking Eyes

Still struggling with tear troughs? Not knowing the right method is a small problem; using the wrong one is a much bigger one! Some people spend a lot of money trying to improve their tear troughs, only to see no improvement or even the opposite result!? If that sounds familiar, you may well be confusing “tear troughs” with “eye bags.” How much do you know about what causes each? Can hyaluronic acid filler really improve tear troughs? This article collects the questions we are asked most often and the predicaments patients commonly run into, and breaks them down in one essential guide. Let's get started and give you brighter eyes.

Quiz Time! Do You Really Know What Causes Tear Troughs and Eye Bags?

Let's start with a simple question:

Q: Which of the following is NOT a cause of tear troughs or eye bags?

1. Your eye cream isn't high-end enough

2. The eye sockets get larger with age

3. Loose skin around the eyes

4. Long-term allergic rhinitis

A: (1)

The grade of eye cream does not affect whether tear troughs or eye bags form, so there is no need to chase after pricier skin care products; just choose one that suits you.

(2) The shape of the orbital bone changes with age, which makes tear troughs or eye bags more likely to form.

(3) Loose skin around the eyes causes collagen loss, which leads to hollows.

(4) In people with allergic rhinitis, blood circulation in the affected area is relatively poor, so blood tends to pool in the same spot and metabolism slows. On top of that, rubbing the eyes is a habit common among people with allergies. Combined with declining lymphatic drainage and blood circulation, the area ages prematurely, forming dark circles, tear troughs, lines, and more.

Do Whitening Eye Creams Only Mask Dark Circles Without Fixing the Cause? How to Rescue Panda Eyes

Allergic Kids Struggling with Dark Circles? Causes and Solutions

Do You Know What Causes Tear Troughs and Eye Bags?

Tear troughs form because, as mentioned above, the orbital bone changes with age. In older adults the eye socket is larger in diameter, and its shape also changes. When the shape of the eye socket starts to change, the eyebrows droop with it, and when collagen around the socket is lost, the lower rim becomes larger and eye bags gradually emerge.

Q: Is the structure of eye bags already there when you are young?

A: Yes. When you are young, though, the collagen around the eyes is still enough to support the eye socket and the surrounding tissue, so eye bags are not visible.

Q: What other things cause eye bags?

A: Besides the causes above, advancing age, aging, and fatigue all cause collagen loss, which loosens the muscles around the skin, makes them lose elasticity, and forms eye bags.

Q: How Do You Tell Aegyo Sal Apart from Eye Bags?

A: Aegyo sal (the “eye smile” bulge) is the part of the lower eyelid just below the lower lashes, and it is muscle; eye bags are unrelated to the eyelid and sit a bit lower.

Rescuing Tear Troughs: Pros and Cons of Hyaluronic Acid

First, we need to be clear that the goal of injecting hyaluronic acid into the tear trough is to increase “support,” not simply to fill, so it needs to be injected into a deeper layer, at the supporting site!

How Do Hyaluronic Acid Molecule Sizes Differ? Recommended cc Amounts for Popular Areas

Q: Bruising won't fade after filler. Did it fail?

A: In the first week after the procedure, we recommend icing often to help the swelling go down. Many patients say that a bluish tint shows up after injection and ask whether it is bruising that won't fade. It is actually the color of the hyaluronic acid itself!

This confuses some people: isn't hyaluronic acid clear? Why does it look blue after injection? This kind of light-scattering reaction is called the “Tyndall effect,” which appears when hyaluronic acid is injected too superficially.

What Is Hyaluronidase? Can It Remove Hyaluronic Acid? Mechanism and Q&A Guide

So hyaluronic acid injection also really tests the doctor's skill and experience. Although hyaluronic acid injection is already very common and a relatively low-risk aesthetic medicine treatment, the doctor's skill remains the key!

Fairy Hyaluronic Acid Filler, the Same One Used by Famous Actress Son Ye-jin

Restylane Hyaluronic Acid Filler | Europe's Leading Brand, OBT Dynamic Hyaluronic Acid

Haide Misi Hyaluronic Acid Filler | Made in Taiwan (MIT), a Top Pick for Budget-Conscious Patients

Juvéderm Hyaluronic Acid Filler | Long-Lasting Hyaluronic Acid

Liquid Facelift Options and Material Comparison

In the past, hyaluronic acid injection was the only way to treat tear troughs, dark circles, and similar concerns. As aesthetic medicine technology has advanced, more treatments are now available that target the root problem more precisely, such as the liquid facelift.

What worries people most is an aged-looking face, with problems such as loose skin, fine lines, dullness, and spots. As we age, the face loses collagen and the bony framework that supports the skin shrinks, so the skin naturally sags. Tear troughs form the same way, so certain treatments can help pull your skin back to where it was and give long-lasting, youthful results!

First, what materials are used in liquid facelifts?

Filling Tear Troughs with Hyaluronic Acid? Keep These 5 Points in Mind to Shake Off Tired-Looking Under-Eyes

Fix Dark Circles and Tear Troughs in One Go: Injectables Make It Easy!

If you want to treat tear troughs, doctors generally recommend a collagen stimulator. What are the differences between the Sculptra and Ellansé mentioned in the table above?

Which collagen stimulator is right for you depends on the result you want. If the hollows are pronounced and you want an immediate filling effect, you can choose Ellansé; if you want a natural, plump look, you can choose Sculptra; and if you want a combined effect, you can choose AestheFill.

A Miracle of Gradual Beauty! The Must-Read Guide Before Discovering the Secrets of Sculptra

Fix Facial Hollows with Sculptra! A Guide to Collagen Stimulators

The Best Value! Sculptra, Ellansé, and AestheFill Compared on Price, Pros, and Cons

How to Treat Tear Troughs: Injection Site Is the Key

Although the tear trough has a clear location, the injection site, angle, and depth all need special attention. For example, along the U-shaped curve of the tear trough, the dose needs to be distributed: the bottom usually receives the largest amount (to support the skin), the end toward the outer side of the eye receives less, and the hollow near the nose side receives the least.

The main reason the dose is distributed this way is that at the inner corner of the eye, the skin is thin, bone lies directly underneath, and there is little soft tissue. If too much is injected, it forms lumps and the result will be poor.

It's Not That Simple! Key Approaches to Tear Trough Dark Circles