Non-surgical Treatment for Undereye Bags?

The safest non-surgical treatment of under eye bags, dark circles and hollows are Hyaluronic Acid Gel fillers. This class of fillers includes Restylane, Belotero, Juvederm, Perlane, Voluma and others. They are all the same product, just made up of different consistencies (ie. density, thickness, flow, etc). Injecting these fillers should not be done indiscriminately without a true understanding of how they work or the differences in their biochemical makeup. It is this knowledge of the filler products that makes all the difference in outcome. Upon examination, I take a customized approach when treating patients, determining the best filler treatment plan based on their anatomical needs and personal aesthetic goals. Please make sure you find a board certified injector, as this is a very delicate area and needs to be treated by someone with a lot of expertise to give you safe and effective results.

Depending on your skin type, I would consider a CO2 fractional laser treatment to the lower eye.  Certainly the results can vary widely from giving zero improvement to giving moderate improvement in the bagginess of the eye.  Especially if there is a component of lower eyelid wrinkle, and if you are of a lighter skin type (so you can be treated strong) a CO2 treatment may be for you.  Obviously true heavy lower eyelid bags must be removed surgically, but if the bagginess is only minimal you may want to try the above suggestion.  The worst case scenario is that your skin tone is better along with your fine lines and wrinkles.

A transconjunctival Lower eye lid surgery or blepharoplasty is permanent way of removing the bags without any scarring.  It costs around $2500.  Fillers such as Restylane can be used to "hide" the bags depending on overall presentation.  This could cost around $450

Non-surgical options can be used to treat eye bags.  Oftentimes a dermal filler can be injected to smooth the contour of the lower eyelid or tear-trough region.  In addition, chemical peels or laser can also be used to smooth the texture of skin.  The issue is that these results are often not permanent, and over time repeated treatments can be costly.  Factoring in the cost of a peel and filler every 6 to 8 mos, in about 2 years, you would have paid for the cost of a permanent fix.  Surgery is really the gold standard for fixing eye bags.  With minimal invasive techniques (such as a trans-conjunctival blepharoplasty), swelling is short-lived and downtime can be minimized.  This is certainly worth a discussion with your board-certified plastic surgeon who is experinced in eye bags treatment.  Bets of luck to you!  Dr. Pacella

There are non-surgical treatments to help improve the lower eyelids if the bags are slight. If the bags are more pronounced, however, none of these non-surgical treatments address the cause and permanently resolve the issue the way that blepharoplasty surgery does. Undereye bags most commonly are caused by herniation of the lower-eyelid fat pads which protrude through the muscles under the eyes. The nonsurgical options are not as effective or long lasting, but can help in cases that are not too severe. Someone with mild undereye bags might benefit from having filler injected below the bag to fill in the step-off created by the herniated fat. Another option is to tighten the loose skin with treatments that stimulate collagen formation, such as microneedling with RF (radiofrequency). These procedures are performed in a treatment room and require only minimal downtime. In some cases, the “bags” are actually darker skin caused by pigmentation, in which case, peels or lasers could help to diminish the pigmentation. I recommend consulting in person with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and goals and see which treatment or combination of treatments would be right for you.

A combination approach will give the most improvement with undereye bags. For my patients who wish to avoid surgery, we use fillers, lasers, microneedling/PRP and stem cells to improve under the eyes. I suggest consulting with an expert to develop a treatment plan best suited for your short and long term goals. Best, Dr. Emer

This is a good question! There are several options but the one our office likes to utilize is ablative fracitonal CO2 resurfacing to tighten the collagen (and skin).  This is a good option with little downtime (3-5 days).  However, it is hard to say what is exactly needed without a consultation with a board certified dermatologist who has cosmetic training.  The gold standard for under eye bags is an under eye blepharoplasty but as other posters have mentioned under eye bags can be minimized with fillers in the tear trough decreasing that demarcation from eye to cheek.  I wish you all the best!

There are often two changes that can occur in the lower eyelid area due to the aging process. One is the puffiness. This component does require surgery to remove. The second feature is a deep groove that can form between the lower eyelid and cheek. Fillers can help to smooth this area out, helping to soften the aging eye look-buying time before one considers surgery. 

The peri orbital area can be complex as the concern can usually be related to either excess skin, muscle and ligament laxity, bulging forward of orbital fat and/or lack or bone structural support beneath the eye. Medical conditions like allergies, thyroid and inflammatory conditions can also can contribute. Any medical conditions should be treated first.   Depending on the situation, mild skin tightening can be accomplished with chemical peels, lasers and micro needling and other non surgical devices. Hydration and volumization to add support of the tissues can be accomplished with good skin care, PRP injections and fillers.  Fillers must be carefully selected and performed  in this area though.  In more advanced cases, a  variety of surgical procedures can help. Be sure to consult with a qualified physician who is experienced and takes a comprehensive approach.

Thank you for your question about non-surgical treatment of under-eye bags.
There are many ways to tackle under-eye puffiness, lines, and/or dark circles.  There are some skin care products you can use.  Some laser treatments such as ErYag lasers can tighten skin under the eyes and help reduce fine lines.  Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) microneedling can also tighten the skin and help promote collagen production.  Finally, you can camouflage under eye bags by placing fillers such as Juvederm Vollure or Voluma, or Restylane Defyne in the area.   


To be sure, 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.

This depends on the type of bags or under circles you have.  Some patients are great candidates for filler, while others need to have surgery.  You need to have an in person consultation with an oculoplastic or plastic surgeon that is experienced in this matter.
Good luck.