Under eye bags and ridges: how can I smooth out and soften the under eye ridges and bags? (Photos)

Question

Is there anything that can be done to smooth out and soften the ender eye ridges and bags that I have. I asked my plastic surgeon and he said there is really nothing that can be done for me is this truly the case?

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Dark under eye circles can make you look tired and older than you are. I would use a combination protocol that includes topical Melarase creams first, followed by a combination of injectable fillers, fractional laser, and RF to blend out the eyelid hollowness and tighten the skin. 
Recommended Creams: Melarase Brightening Kit
MelaClenz
Melarase AM
Melarase PM
Melapads
Replenish Retinoid Cream
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Sam Speron, MD, FACS · Answer

This is a great question.  A mini facelift or midface lift specifically is a great option for many people to correct this. The recovery & downtime is very minimal. There are usually no drains, most people can go out the same day, you can shower the next day, there're no scars behind the ears and you can wear your hair up anytime and most patients take no pain medicine. There are never any guarantees of course with any procedure whether it is surgical or nonsurgical in nature. Surgery is not for everyone. In today's day and age, there are many nonsurgical options to consider although surgery usually gets the most improvement specifically of the molar bags.I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area that is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and performs a lot of mini facelifts and eyelid lifts but also offers all the nonsurgical options such as injectables and laser treatments. Go over your concerns with them and make sure above all, you walk out of there with several options and an idea of the pros and cons to each of them as well as realistic expectations. I hope this helps and wish you all the best in your surgery and event. If it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.

J. Jason Wendel, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question about wrinkles and bags under your eyes.  As we get older, we lose volume and collagen in the skin on our faces.  One solution that would address this concern would be injectable Fillers.  One product that is beneficial for this area, also known as tear trough, would be Voluma, Vollure, Lyft, or Defyne.  They are hyaluronic acid (HA) products that add volume to the cheek area.  By adding volume to this area, it will minimize the shadow that is giving the appearance of dark circles or bags under your eyes.   
To be sure fillers are right for you, see two or more experienced, licensed and board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment. I hope this helps.

Brian Maloney, MD, FACS · Answer

There are a couple of things that can help soften the lower eyelid area. A lower eyelid blepharoplasty can help soften the puffiness. Fillers can help to fill in the hollow area.

Mehryar (Ray) Taban, MD, FACS · Answer

Filler injection under eyes is one option. A better long-term option that treats both the under eye fat bags and hollowness is scarless transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty with repositioning of the fat bags to the hollow area.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

My father, an internist, like to say: "if the butcher tells you the meat is bad, you should listen." I suspect what your plastic surgeon is telling you is that he or she is no good at injecting these issues with hyaluronic acid filler.  Undereye Restylane is what I would use for you and it is a fabulous treatment. The key is that you are being sculpted. Holding a syringe does not make an injector qualified to to these services.  Finding the right injector is challenging.  Don't get grafted fat in this area.  Don't waste your money on PRP. Best.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

A combination approach will give the most improvement. Fillers, lasers, and microneedling/PRP can improve under the eyes. My patients try to get non surgical treatments to avoid surgery. We use PRP and stem cells there often. I suggest consulting with an expert to develop a treatment plan best suited for your short and long term goals. Best, Dr. Emer

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

You have a couple of good options.  The first is to use some HA filler such as Restylane to add some volume to the tear trough area.  This will smooth out the transition from the cheek to the eyelid, and hide the fat pads.  This should last at least 1-2 years. The other option is a lower lid surgery, with a fat reposition.  Through an incision on the inside of the lid, the fat is moved down into the tear trough which will smooth out the eyelid contour.  This would be a more permanent solution.

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Under eye bags and ridges can be permanently corrected with surgery or temporarily camouflaged with fillers (Restylane, Belotero, Volbella).There are great non-surgical options to fill in under eye depressions and hollowness. Using dermal fillers, a liquid eye-lift can be performed. A dermal filler such as Restylane would be placed in the cheek and tear trough to hide the depression or bag underneath your eye.
Surgery would require a fat-repositioning lower lid blepharoplasty. In this surgical procedure, fat from the eye area is moved into the tear trough depression filling the actual depression. 
I hope this helps!

Liliana Manrique, MD · Answer

Thank you for your photo. I can see that you are excellent candidate for RF in combination with PRP. In our office we offer RF Tempsure. Three sessions are scheduled 2 weeks apart. It will increase the production of collagen to tighten the skin. Last session is combined with PRP to boost the results. The treatment results last for about 15-18 months. Dr. LM.

Under eye bags and ridges: how can I smooth out and soften the under eye ridges and bags? (Photos)

Answers (12)

More Eyelid Surgery Questions

Is there a constant risk of infection with infraorbital rim implants, or is the risk period only in the initial few weeks?

Lower eyelid doesn't touch the eye after blepharoplasty? (Photo)

How can I improve the area around my eyes?

My eyes are on a different height. What is causing this? (Photo)

White bumps in scar line after upper bleph. (Photo)

I had very sudden onset fat loss or malar bags in face. What caused this and how do I get rid of this? (Photo)

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS