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

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