Restylane fillers in tear trough. Should I be worried that my eyes are drier than usual?

Thank you for your question. Restylane and Belotero are the two products with good track records under the eye. But, you need a good injector. Have an evaluation with your injector and determine if this is an issue of concern. There may be a little inflammation, so get evaluated. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. If you are experiencing dry eyes attempt to cure with natural tears for the first few weeks while your eyes are adjusting to the fillers. After the 2 weeks if your eyes remain dry, schedule an appointment with your injector to be assessed in person. Best, 

Injecting Restylane
into the tear trough areas are one of the more common injections that we are
doing more and more of. You need to make sure that you are going to a skilled
injector, in the offices of a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon.
Dry eyes as a result of these injections should not occur and if the situation
does not resolve on its own, I would return to your injector and be evaluated
to see if something else is going on or in fact, something has been compressed
in the area to be causing your concern.

This is very unlikely to be a result of an injection of restylane to the tear troughs. If a procedure actually changes the position of the lid against the eyeball then dry eye symptoms may develop. This rarely occurs with fillers. I suspect your eyes are drier due to environmental changes. If your symptoms persist I would recommend seeing an ophthalmologist. Good luck.

Dear Sam,

Restylane® injections in the tear trough and undereye are
very common. Although there are some
very serious complications that can ensue, such as intra arterial injection,
retinal embolization, blindness, skin sloughing and necrosis, these are
exceedingly rare, especially in this era of small micro-cannula deployment.

There is some possibility that injection of the extreme
aspect of the medial canthus may have caused some subtle pressure above the
bone and below the small structure that drains the inner aspect of the eye,
called the canaliculus, and this
pressure may result in a small and temporary impedance of flow of your tear
film through the canaliculus, but in general, this should cause more tearing
and epiphora than dry eye symptomatologies. I suspect that there are other causes for your dry eyes and it is not
related to the Restylane® injection, but seeking the expert opinion of a functional
ophthalmologist with experience treating dry eyes would be a very important
aspect of your ongoing care if this were to persist. Prior to seeking the expertise of the
ophthalmologist, you should seek the physician that injected the product under
your eye. They may seek a referral for
you or may prescribe the use of Natural Tears prior to a consultation.

In general, if your results and aesthetic contours are
excellent, it is likely that these dry symptomatologies are temporary and
should resolve over the next few days.
If this does not occur, definitely seek the opinion of your injection
physician or expert and the advice of an ophthalmologist with dry eye syndrome
expertise.

I have been injecting soft tissue fillers, such as
Restylane®, in the face for 20 years and the results are normally excellent and
functional impairment very, very rare.

For more information, please review the link below.

I hope this information has been of some assistance and best
of luck.

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto

A blood vessel or vein puncture would be very, very, very unlikely especially given you have no bruising or swelling. I don't want to say impossible, but darned near it. I don't think you have a thing to worry about. But you can and should always follow up with your injector with any concerns. "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and
cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."