Everyone has to deal with dark circles under the eyes occasionally, whether they're caused by illness or lack of sleep. However, you may have dark circles and puffiness under your eyes all the time. There are several causes for this chronic condition, and a cosmetic surgeon can often help. Here's what can cause you to have dark circles and bags under your eyes and some treatments that might be recommended by your doctor.

What Causes Chronic Dark Eye Circles

You might have a genetic predisposition for dark circles, have thin skin, or have capillaries close to the surface of your skin that gives the effect of darkening the skin. The cause might also be the way you store fat on your face, which gives you a puffy look in the lower lids. Sometimes, aging causes the skin to thin and make dark circles more noticeable. The darkness may come from skin discoloration or it might just be shadows from sunken areas in the tear trough. The first step in correcting dark circles and eye bags is to determine the cause so the right treatment can be given. In some cases, skin lightening might help, but other times a cosmetic procedure might be necessary.

Cosmetic Surgery For The Lower Lids

There are two approaches to under eye treatments. One is to add volume and the other is to reduce fat. Adding volume might involve using a dermal filler in the tear trough to plump up the area so shadows don't create dark circles. If you have a lot of volume loss, your cosmetic surgeon might suggest a fat graft, otherwise, a filler such as hyaluronic acid might be used. Getting a dermal filler is a quick procedure that's easy to endure. The filler is injected with a small needle, but the area is numbed first so the treatment isn't painful. The effects gradually wear off and you need to have the procedure repeated.

When your dark circles and puffiness are caused by too much fat in the lower eyelids, your surgeon may suggest removing the fat through surgery. It might also be necessary to remove excess skin to tighten the area under your eyes. If eye bags are your only concern, this surgery is done alone. However, the surgery is often combined with other types of cosmetic surgery, such as an upper eyelid lift or brow lift. While you can usually resume your usual activities right away after getting a dermal filler, lower eyelid surgery requires a recovery period of several days, and you'll need to plan time off from work.

By filling in sunken areas or removing puffy areas, cosmetic surgery can make you happier with the appearance of your eyes. Sometimes these procedures are combined to get the best results.