Tear Troughs: What They Are, Why They Form, and How to Treat Them
As we get older, one of the most noticeable things that can give away our age, or make us appear older than we are, is something called tear troughs.
This is an issue for a lot of people, as most of us don’t like the way it looks, and it’s something that a lot of our clients are concerned about.
In our experience, when it comes to anti-aging treatments, tear troughs are one of the main things people want treated, as they age and attempt to maintain a more youthful look.
But what exactly are tear troughs? How do they form? And what can actually be done to treat them?
Well, luckily there are some very simple answers to these questions, along with myriad methods for treating this pesky problem, and some of them are extraordinarily effective.
That being said, if you’re looking to find anti-aging treatments, interested in treating your tear troughs, or just curious to learn more about this sort of thing, then you should definitely keep reading.
Because in this article, we’re going to explain what tear troughs are, why they form, and discuss some of the most effective treatments for dealing with them.
What Are Tear Troughs and Why do They Form?
The term tear troughs refers to the dark circles and other skin issues that form underneath your lower eyelids, which can make you look older, and also give the appearance that you’re tired.
Truth be told, there’s actually a whole lot more to it than that, and even though it might look that way, more often than not, they don’t just show up because of a lack of sleep.
Typically, they form because your face has lost volume. Either you’ve lost a considerable amount of weight, or it happens as a result of the natural aging process.
You see, when we get older, the process of bone resorption changes the shape of our face, and this can stretch out the skin, making it thinner.
This creates a hollow depression between our eyes and our cheeks, which runs from one corner of our eyelid to the other, along the infraorbital rim, or eye socket, which makes the muscle and fat below the eye more noticeable, giving it that baggy look.
However, people of any age can have tear troughs, and they don’t just form because of old age or weight loss.
For some, tear troughs are an inherited trait, and there are also several other factors that can cause them to form, including things like unhealthy eating, smoking, or sun exposure.
Now, it’s also important to mention that while the terms tear troughs, dark circles, under-eye hollows, and under-eye bags tend to be used interchangeably, they’re not quite the same thing.
Dark circles are genetic and caused by hyperpigmentation, under-eye hollows are the depressions under the eyes that form due to loss of facial volume and thinning of the skin under the eyes, and under-eye bags are the puffy, swollen-looking skin that forms when the space below the eyes gathers fluid or starts to sag as the muscles and/or tissues that support the eyelids weaken.
In an aesthetic context, the term tear troughs can refer to any one of these conditions or a combination of them.
How to Treat Tear Troughs
Up until recently, the only way to treat tear troughs was through some form of invasive surgery.
But today, there are a plethora of potential treatments for this issue, and there’s no longer any need to go under the knife.
Often, one kind of treatment will take care of it, but it’s also possible to use a combination of multiple treatment options, which can produce even more effective results, depending on the situation.
That being said, let’s explore some of the treatments we offer for dealing with tear troughs.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP is an incredibly interesting and innovative option for tackling tear troughs.
The treatment involves creating what’s known as platelet-rich plasma.
This is basically just blood with a higher number of platelets, which are a specific kind of blood cell that plays a vital role in the body’s healing processes.
During the procedure, we’ll take your blood and spin it in a centrifuge to isolate and concentrate the platelets, and then inject it into the area below your eyes using micro-needling techniques.
This harnesses the body’s natural healing power to regenerate aging and damaged cells, making the skin under your eyes look plumper and more refreshed.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers offer another highly effective method for taking care of tear troughs.
This treatment involves injections of hyaluronic acid, which is a gelatinous substance that occurs naturally within your body.
Hyaluronic acid is one of the main components of connective, epithelial, and neural tissues in the body, and it also forms a protective barrier around cells.
During the procedure, hyaluronic acid will be injected into the area below your eyes, reducing the depth of the depression by adding volume beneath your eyelids.
It’s important to mention, however, that this procedure achieves its results not simply by adding volume to the skin below the eyes, but by changing the way the light hits that part of your face.
Skin Care
It’s also possible to treat tear troughs using certain skin care products, particularly eye creams which contain vitamin C.
Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant properties and is known as a skin brightener, as it helps to deal with dark spots and reduce hyperpigmentation by impeding melanin production, which is what’s responsible for hereditary tear troughs.
We recommend Skinbetter Science EYE cream. This anti-aging eye cream is suitable for all skin types, and it contains vitamin C, caffeine, and other powerful ingredients to provide practically instant results.
This cream also comes in an airtight bottle to prevent it from losing its potency, and it’s free of hydroquinone, a potentially harmful bleaching agent commonly found in skin lightening creams, which has been banned for use in cosmetic products across Europe and in several other countries.
These kinds of creams can also be used in combination with other tear trough treatments for even better results.
Are you interested in treating tear troughs, or looking for other anti-aging treatments? Summer is just around the corner, so if you want to ensure you look your best for the coming season, contact us now for more information or to book a free consultation.