Is There a Nonsurgical Way to Remove Bags from Under my Eyes?

The amount of fat herniation (size of the bags) will determine if there are any options other than surgery. For less prominent bags, a filler can be injected beneath the fat in order to level & blend the bag into the cheek. This should conceal the bag for about 9 months. Surgery may ultimately be required if you want a more permanent solution or if your bags are substantial. Consultation with an Oculoplastic Surgeon in person will better help to inform you of your options & treatment choice.All the best.

Eye bags, dark circles and loose, wrinkly, or crepey skin under the eyes are really common issues talked about in consultation, as everybody gets some aspect of these as they age. There are numerous nonsurgical and surgical options for this, from a lower lid blepharoplasty to fillers and skin tightening via devices like laser resurfacing.
What is going to be the best option for you will be dependent on your individual goals, needs an anatomy. With an examination and conversation, the best options for you will become quite clear!To ensure you are receiving the highest level of care, seek out a modernly trained, new-school dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these “core four” cosmetic specialties. Membership in organizations like the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery help to identify a highly trained surgeon.
Cameron Chesnut
#realself500 Physician

Yes for sure there are a handful of ways to treat bags without the scalpel. The biggest bang for your buck in my hands is fat transfer to the periorbital area. The reason I like this is because it is your own tissue. We are also finding that we are transferring stem cells which makes a different in the skin quality and texture. The price varies with the amount injected but we charge $900 per 1 mL.  It is a good deal. If you get more locations we are able to work out specific pricing. I do have to admit that the results of a lower lid blepharoplasty with fat tranposition is probably the best and most successful treatment for this issue. Best of luck. DrC

Yes, there are excellent nonsurgical treatment options for eye bags. I would suggest lasers, microneedling/PRP, and fillers. I suggest you see an expert for  treatment options.  Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your questions. Eye bags are caused by structural deformity of the fat around the orbit. When fat herniates through the membrane of the orbit, it creates unsightly eyebags. By far, the best treatment is surgery. Dermal fillers can help if the deformity is mild, but these dont last and the deformities come back. If cost is a problem, I would recommend doing nothing until you save the funds for surgery. As with most things, the cheapest method is not often the best. Best of luck to you! Dr. Pacella

There is no non surgical way to permanently remove bags from under the eyes that is reliable and safe. As physicians we are always looking for the least invasive, safest way to treat our patients, no matter the problem. Typically as we age we lose elasticity and gain fat. That leads to facial features that we don't want. You need to treat the problem that is causing the bulges (remove fat and tighten sagging lids). Dr. JA. Dean Jabs M.D., Ph.D.Board Certified Plastic SurgeonBethesda MD/McLean VA

I am not aware of any way to actually remove the fat from the eyelid without surgery.  However, the eyelid bag can be camouflaged by using a filler and filling the area around the bag to lessen the shadow which makes it so apparent.  Sometimes, resurfacing the skin, which allows the skin to tighten, can help lessen the eyelid but this does have some downtime.

Thank you for the great question. As others have said, there are numerous reasons why the lower eyelid area can make you look tired. Among the most common, however, is shadow and effect caused by an indentation between the lower eyelid and cheek.  This is caused by descent of the cheek fat pad as we age, and also by subtle protrusion of the fat bags under the eye. In terms of non-surgical options, fillers (e.g., Restylane) can be a great way to temporarily camouflage the area.  For appropriate surgical candidates, I recommend an extended lower eyelid lift with fat transposition -- using your own eyelid fat bags to fill in the hollow area and then removing extra crepey skin. Best of luck moving forward!

It is difficult to tell what you would be a candidate for without examining you or at least looking at some photos. Many patients are scared of surgery and are looking for non-surgical treatments. Restylane injections can help camoflage puffiness and reduce hollowing along the tear trough, which can sometimes dramatically improve the appearance of the under eye area. For the right person this is a great treatment, but it is definitely not for everyone. It works best for patients with relatively mild amounts of excess fat and good skin texture and thickness. The main downside is bruising. Make sure you find someone who is experienced with under eye injections.

In my opinion, the best way to address lower eyelid bags is with surgery.  Injections for the lower eyelid are not optimal as the skin is very thin and the slightest irregularity from filler injections will be seen through the thin skin.  Filler injections can also cause prolonged swelling in the area.  Lower eyelid surgery has a very quick recovery and can be done in my office under local anesthesia with consistently excellent results.