One of the most common complaints that people tell me is that they hate their “dark circles” or “eye bags” – it makes them look more tired and older than they feel.

So what causes these “dark circles” or “under eye bags”?

Anatomically, this can be caused mainly by 3 reasons:
1. Pigmented skin around the eyes – mainly due to genetics. One way to test this is stretch the skin and if the dark circles does not improve, it’s more due to a pigmentary problem.

2. Thin skin around the eyes due to age and environmental damage (e.g. smoking and sun damage). The highly vascular muscle underneath is then “seen” through like a piece of thin tracing paper over a dark wooden floor.

3. Loss of volume around the eye with age, illness and severe weight loss. The support underneath the eyes comprise of bone, ligaments, fat pads, muscles and skin. As we age, the bone flattens and widens and the fat pad recedes and move downwards, creating a hollow area underneath the eyes and the appearance of heaviness in the lower face. For some people, the ligaments that hold the fat back weakens and the fat pad protrudes outwards, creating this heavy, goldfish-like eye bags.

Internally, dark circles and “under eye bags” can also be caused by internal inflammation and hormonal imbalances. It’s worth checking your hormone levels to make sure nothing is amiss for example low thyroid often results in puffiness of the eyes and face.

Types of Treatment

The severity of the dark circles will determine the type of treatment.

At home you can help putting in place effective sleeping patterns and regulating your diet to reduce internal inflammation and excess oestrogen (the diva hormone) which can cause water retention and puffiness around the eyes.

Dark circles due to pigments can be helped with lasers, skin peels and lightening creams.

Thin skin can be improved with retinol, skin tightening treatments and skin boosters. It’s important to use SPF whenever possible to prevent any further sun damage. I prefer using an eye serum or an eye gel as I find eye creams too rich unless they are formulated very specifically light for the eyes. There has been reports creams causing more eye bags due to the absorption of the lipid particles in the fatty tissue.

You can try DIY concoctions e.g. potato slices, tea bags, egg whites, lemon juice and baking soda which all helps to lighten and tighten the eye area but often than not, if volume is lost, replacement and correction of the volume deficit is required. This is often evident when the expensive eye creams you buy no longer work as well as previously.

To correct the volume loss, we can use either dermal fillers, fat or what I like to use now is the EyeRegen treatment which I recently launched at The Anti-Ageing Show in Olympia, London.

I used to use dermal fillers (only one I use is the Juvaderm range) as it helps to restore the volume loss that contributes to the dark circles under the eyes. These make use of Hyaluronic acid (similar structure to synthetic sugar) to promote volume, and collagen stimulators to encourage collagen regeneration to improve elasticity and strength of the skin in the eye area. You have hyaluronic acid naturally in your skin, eye balls and joints.

However, it’s not without it’s possible complications….. hence the reason why I started offering the EyeRegen treatment – a new way to treat dark circles and restore the volume all in one.

Incorporating the new RegenLab’s Cellular Matrix unique approach to skin rejuvenation, Eye Regen treatment is a combination of PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) with HA (Hyaluronic Acid) in one device.

The EyeRegen treatment offers the regenerative properties of PRP – rich in growth factors to improve circulation, restructure the dermis, thicken the epidermis and act as a “project manager” pulling in all the necessary cells to create collagen and elastin. This then creates an instant volume correction under the eyes, reducing the appearance of dark circles and eye bags as well as adding volume to flatten areas. If lines and creases are particularly prominent, we can also add in Mesotherapy (Microneedling and PRP liquid) to further improve the area.

By combining your own platelets and Hyaluronic Acid, a natural scaffold is created to support facial structures and tissues that may have lost volume or elasticity due to normal or accelerated ageing while preventing for the future. It’s safer, more natural and more preventative.

Eye rejuvenation is one of my favourite advanced treatments and I’m glad to include the Eye Regen treatment as part of my armoury.

Eyes are the central expressive focus of the face. It shows emotions, health and beauty. What would you want your eyes to say?

Hope to see you soon!

PS: The treatment takes about 30-45 minutes and one session costs £650.

For more information or to find out if you’re suitable for this treatment, please email us on [email protected] or book a consultation with me on 0207 1278108.