My concealer routine is taking up too much time in the morning. Do you have any longer-term solutions for under eye circles?
‘Tis the season. We’ve got the double whammy of holiday exhaustion yet wanting to look great for all of the parties and socializing. We wake up these mornings, look in the mirror and wonder if we’ve got enough concealer in the drawer to wipe out the blue. And will it stay on all day or wear off? Or will it creep into the little lines around our eyes? And how the heck can we ever get enough sleep to make a difference?
Interestingly, under eye circles are much more likely to be the result of tissue loss than pigmentation.
As we age we lose fat in many areas of our faces, even under our eyes. The thinner tissue allows our vascular structure to be more visible – thus the appearance of dark circles. Additionally the increasingly concave area creates the appearance of shadow.
That tissue loss happens to be a fixable element and could just banish those blue under eye circles for a long long time.
For my patients of all ages I recommend eye cream to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of crepiness. Dry tissue crinkles a lot more than moist. If concealers do the job, start with an eye cream first…then dab the concealer under the eye into the shadow and press it in (none of this windshield wiper action – press, press!)
If concealer is incapable of getting the job done and there is simply too much hollowing, then the next option is replacing the volume.
For a more powerful effect, dermal fillers, such as Restylane, are a simple long term option for correcting under eye circles. Fillers will add volume to conceal the vascular structure, erase those shadows and even smooth lines.
Additional application under the brows will raise and project this area and make your Botox last twice as long. We now use a cannula in the delicate eye area rather than a needle to reduce the likelihood of bruising and make your downtime as brief as a single day.
Thankfully, you can end your search for that elusive perfect concealer. And with hectic lives, who has the time?
