Addressing Dark Undereye Circles: A Plastic Surgeon's Perspective

Dark circles under the eyes can be due to two different issues: pigmentation or a depression of the skin. Each one is treatable, but the approaches are entirely distinct from one another. I’ll go over both here.

Dark Circles Due to Pigmentation

With pigmentation, lightening the skin in the dark area to match the surrounding skin is the main objective. One way to do this is to use a bleaching cream that contains hydroquinone, a skin-whitening ingredient that’s found in many creams on the market. If you choose this route, look for creams that say they’re 2 percent hydroquinone—that’s about the strongest amount you can use without causing skin irritation (something you obviously want to avoid, especially around the eyes!).

Laser treatments

Both IPL FotoFacial treatments and Fraxel laser resurfacing can also lighten dark circles caused by increased pigmentation under the eyes. These kinds of treatments are clearly more of an investment than a cream would be, but their results are also far longer-lasting.

Dark Circles Due to Depression of the Skin

If the dark circles under your eyes are not caused by pigmentation but rather by a depression of the skin that gives an impression of hollowness and shadowing, fillers with hyaluronic acid—Restylane, Juvederm, or Belotero, for example, all three of which I offer as options at my own practice, are your best option. Hyaluronic acid fillers are gels that are injected to provide volume to the skin, lifting up wrinkles and folds—which make them perfect candidates for eliminating the hollowness that may be causing you to look as if you have dark rings around your eyes.

Dark circles can make you look tired and old beyond your years—but luckily, as you can see here, there is no lack of options for those of you out there who have them and want to get rid of them. With the help of a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, you can identify the right course of treatment for your own dark circles and start down the road to a more refreshed, youthful-looking you in no time.