Sudden under eye bags! From my ill health or bad luck? Are fillers viable for minor bags? (Photo)

Question

33 yr old. Was healthy. No family history of bags. 5 viruses this year left me with colitis, and now petrositis. Was anemic, now have low iron. Bags came on quickly in May while on birth control. Stopped bc but still had bags. On prednisone 2wks in June and bags went away! But came back after stopping meds. Does this mean they are not fat? but rather fluid or inflammation? Could petrositis indirectly cause this? Anemia? Are fillers a viable option until surgery can be afforded?

Thomas Trevisani, MD · Answer

You're a good candidate for a filler like Restylane or Juvederm -- those work really good for this area. It is a very delicate area and requires an experienced injector to perform it.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

You have had your health issues and they do take a toll.Your thinking is very good.  A filler service should be just the thing for this.  Make sure you do your homework to find the right injector.  Restylane is the best product for this area.  It is a fussy but worthwhile service.  Make sure you find a physician injector with a great deal of experience injecting the under eye area.

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

I’m a cosmetic oculofacial plastic surgeon specializing in
this area for almost over 20 years and I can tell you that many people come to
me with different variations of a story like yours. Bags under the eyes
represent lower eyelid fat prolapse which means that the fat that is normally
around the eyes pushes forward. Most of the time, even with a clinical history
of sinus issues, allergies, sinus surgery or other factors that can cause
facial swelling, there is still often a hereditary factor. When people first
notice under eye bags in the absence of a history like yours, they always
mention that they have some good days and some not good days. As time goes on,
they tend to have puffiness that is always present.

Given your current medical situation that’s still
evolving, especially with the anemia being a factor, I think that it is reasonable
to consider a non-surgical option such as the use of a hyaluronic acid filler.
In our practice, for under eye pockets that are very early and minimal, we do
perform the application of hyaluronic acid such as Restylane and place it into
the tear trough area. This is to soften the transition between the puffy bags
and the valley underneath the eyes which make the puffy bags look puffy. Often,
some doctors will be a little overzealous and try to fill in the area and then
the results look terrible. You should also be mindful that hyaluronic acid fillers
can also cause swelling so the approach should be relatively conservative if
you are going to try that first.

In our practice, we commonly combine hyaluronic
acid fillers with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Platelet-rich plasma is derived
from your own blood and it is the concentration of the healing and growth
factors necessary for wound healing. It helps improve the skin quality and acts
very well in synergy with hyaluronic acid.

Again, with the issue of your medical history
still influx, I think a conservative measure is probably best explored rather
than moving forward directly with surgery.  At the same time, it is probably your benefit
to not do any kind of intervention and observe whether or not the fat pockets
are consistently there for weeks at a time. This will give you a sense of the
constant nature of the fat pockets being present. I hope that was helpful, I
wish you the best of luck, and thank you for question.

This personalized
video answer to your question is posted on RealSelf and on YouTube. To provide
you with a personal and expert response, we use the image(s) you submitted on
RealSelf in the video, but with respect to your privacy, we only show the body
feature in question so you are not personally identifiable. If you prefer not
to have your video question visible on YouTube, please contact us.

Sudden under eye bags! From my ill health or bad luck? Are fillers viable for minor bags? (Photo)

Answers (3)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Eyelid Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Sudden under eye bags! From my ill health or bad luck? Are fillers viable for minor bags? (Photo)

Answers (3)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Eyelid Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.