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The face masks we're wearing to protect us from the coronavirus may conceal a jowly jawline or marionette lines around the corners of the mouth, but they also put even more focus on our eyes. Plenty of us don't mind the small wrinkles that come with age, but those who do can find a range of ways to fade lines and tighten skin around the lids, fill in under-eye hollows and hide damage caused by years of sun exposure. It's important to consider cosmetic eye procedures carefully before going forward with one. Some are more painful than others, and all are rather pricey. Here's a rundown of what to expect from each of four common procedures.
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Fillers
Some people choose under-eye filler — injectable hyaluronic acid — “to replace or restore volume in under-eye hollows that give eyes a sunken-in appearance,” says Brian Biesman, M.D., a Nashville-based oculofacial plastic surgeon. Filler can be injected under the eye to fill in that indentation (the tear trough), which may be caused by a fat pad bulging above it. (These dermal fillers have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in cheeks, lips, nasolabial folds and hands; doctors often use them off-label on the eyes.)
There's also blepharoplasty, which is the surgical repositioning of the fat pocket, says New Orleans-based dermatologist Mary Lupo, M.D., though filler may be sufficient if you have only mild to moderate puffiness.
Pain: Pain at the injection site can be lessened by using a topical numbing cream before the procedure, so it shouldn't hurt much. There are two ways to inject the product: with a needle, using a series of injections along the orbital rim of the eye; or with a blunt-tipped cannula, which allows multiple areas to be treated through a single injection, to minimize bruising. “Some people aren't fazed; others think it feels kind of weird,” Biesman says of the latter. “It's not really painful — it's more about pressure.”
Results: “You can see results right away, though it takes a couple of weeks for products to completely settle in,” Biesman explains. It's normal to need a follow-up appointment for tweaking. “Usually, you need one session, but if the doctor is conservative, they may have you come back in two to six weeks and put a little bit more,” Lupo says. “It's easier to add than to subtract."
Recovery: Bounce-back time varies for each patient. “At best you'll walk out of the office and see results,” says Jaimie Glick, M.D., a dermatologist based in New York City. “You'll have no bruising, no swelling. You'll look phenomenal and love your doctor. At worst you'll get a bruise, which could take up to two weeks to heal. If your doctor has lasers in her office, you often can come back and get the bruise lasered to speed up its healing. And because fillers contain hyaluronic acid, which absorbs water, your eyes will swell a little right after the procedure or days following."
Longevity of results: It depends on the type and amount of filler that's used. (Restylane and Juvéderm are popular brands.) When the hollow becomes pronounced again, additional injections are required to maintain the effect. “I tell people, typically, at least a year, but I've seen it last longer,” Biesman says. “If it looks great, leave it alone. If you keep injecting just because it's been X amount of time, it can build up and doesn't look right.”
Cost: Under-eye fillers can run from $600 to $1,500 and up, though, as with each of the following procedures, prices vary by region.
Take note: “When it's done well, filler works beautifully,” Biesman says. “But it's a tricky area to inject and can be fraught with all kinds of complications and problems.” Among the potential problems: bleeding or an infection at the injection site, a buildup of fluid under the skin's surface, a nasty rash or, in rare cases, scarring.
Tip: Don't let anyone who isn't an experienced, board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon inject the area. “Fillers require really good technique and a knowledge of anatomy,” cautions Glick, who often starts the procedure with a cannula, then fine-tunes with a needle. The good news: Should you not like the results, hyaluronic acid can be easily dissolved with hyaluronidase (an enzyme already found in our bodies).
Botox
Years of squinting and frowning leave souvenirs around your eyes, in the form of frown lines and crow's-feet. Injections of small amounts of Botox (a drug made from a botulism toxin) smooth things out. “It works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles under the skin — specifically, the orbicularis oculi muscle, which helps the eyes close and squint — making it harder to make the muscle contraction that creates lines,” Glick explains.
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