SapphireOne9

I had it injected by Dr. Lisa Donofrio in New Haven, CT. She's a dermatologist who specializes in injections, and she says the majority of her work now is around the eyes.

The restylane injections were easy because I went to someone experienced who does a lot of them. I told her what I wanted filled in, which eyelid crease I wanted lowered, and then she injected the restylane, and we looked at the result and she put a little more here and there, so she was able to create exactly the amount of tissue fullness that I wanted. Then I iced it for a few minutes and went home. You're a bit swollen for a week after injections, but all swelling and bruising is gone by 10 days - two weeks at the latest. I got a little bruising on one upper lid but it was easy to cover up with eyeshadow. All in all, a very easy procedure with virtually no down time. I went back a few weeks later to get a little more put in. I also had her put some right below the brows on each eyelid to lift the brows a bit. I was scared of it and hesitated for a long time, but once I started using it found it's not a scary procedure at all. I started sometime in 2009 and got it about 3 times since then, and it does not seem to be depleting as quickly now. They say it helps you produce your own collagen to create fullness, so maybe that's what is happening. All in all it's worked very well for me with no negative tradeoffs. The thing I like best about it (although I have never done so) is that you can change your mind and get it dissolved with an enzyme if you don't like it, so, unlike most other procedures, it's reversible.

It sounds like you were injected with a steroid to reduce swelling and not any kind of filler like restylane. I had some steroid injected into a lumpy scar near the eyelid. These injections can cause dents due to thinned skin and temporary fat loss; however, over the long term, this fat will come back and the skin should recover. Often it takes 6-12 months or longer. Hopefully part of your result that you don't like is due to the steroid's side effects. Steroids can be great in the right instances, but personally I think once is enough in the eyelids and I wouldn't repeat it.

I went to a dermatologist who does almost nothing but injections, Dr. Lisa Donofrio. She says much of her work is now in the periorbital area. She used to use fat in the face and upper and lower lids, and may still at times, but switched to restylane because she said the needle is smaller and it does not lump up like fat can do occasionally. Also, the hyaluronics (restylane, Juvaderm, etc.) are the only substances which can be dissolved if you don't like the result, vs. being cut out or just waiting for it to go away.

I used the restylane in my upper lids for about 3 years, and each time more seemed to last permanently. I don't know if I will need more; it's been over a year since my last injections. The ironic thing is that I tried fat years ago by another doctor (Coleman in NYC), which is supposed to be permanent, and it did not last at all. The restylane is supposed to be temporary but seems to have a a buildup effect over time. I have been very happy with it, it can fill in whatever you want; hollows, lower the crease, fill in the upper brow area. And Dr. Donofrio is an excellent doctor with a lot of injection experience. The only side effect was a slight bluish tint to the thin eyelid skin temporarily (the Tindall effect, if you want to google it). It went away, and I covered it up with eyeshadow anyway, so it did not bother me.

Personally I would use nothing other than fat or restylane in my upper lids, and restylane worked better for me. However, I did not try the fat pearls, which may work well for some people but is a bigger procedure, especially if they inject it beneath the orbital septum, which I hear some doctors do. Restylane is injected directly more superficially just below the dermis so is a quick procedure. The cost depends on the amount of the substance used; it could be $500 for a small amount, $1500 for a lot of it.

I also had one hollowed out upper lid from too much fat removal. After several surgeries and investigating all my options, I tried restylane injections in the upper lid area beneath the brow but above the crease, and found they camouflage the hollowness. They need to be repeated once every 9 months or so, but I have heard some people end up retaining long term after several injections. I just started doing this within the past year but intend to keep it up. Good luck!