The eyes are the window to the soul—but what if they’re framed by dark circles, bags, or sunken skin? Tired, hollow under eyes can make us look older, more sleep-deprived, or just more worn-out than we want to seem.
At Dermatology Aesthetics of Northern Kentucky, our facial contouring treatments allow us to address under-eye discoloration, laxity, puffiness, and wrinkles with precision and care. Treatments like PRF (platelet-rich fibrin), microneedling, advanced skincare, or dermal fillers for under eyes near Cincinnati can help you enjoy a brighter, more youthful look.
But which treatment fits your needs? Keep reading to learn more about our options for restoring lost volume, smoothing skin tone, and enhancing the area around your eyes.
Under Eyes: What Causes Wrinkles, Dark Circles, and Bags?
The area under our eyes, also known as the tear trough, has thin, delicate skin. As we age, that skin loses its firmness and develops a hollowed or sunken appearance. These groove-like areas may also become puffy from water retention, leading to the infamous “eye bags.”
Here’s a breakdown of what causes these wrinkles, dark circles, and bags:
Collagen & Elastin Loss
The under-eye skin becomes thinner and looser which causes blood vessels and underlying structures to become more visible.
Fat Pads Shift or Bulge
We all have natural fat pads under the eyes that cushion the eye socket. Over time, gravity and weakened support structures cause fat pads to bulge forward creating a hollow “tear trough” that makes bags look worse.
Muscle & Ligament Laxity
The orbicularis oculi muscle (the facial muscle surrounding the eye) that once held everything tight, loosens with age. This causes skin and fat to sag downward. Often, this can look worse in the morning when fluid retention peaks.
Why the Under Eyes Change
But what causes these changes to the under eyes? Multiple factors may work together, but some of the most common causes include aging, genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle factors.
Aging
As we age, the skin under our eyes loosens and thins, making blood vessels more visible to darken the area. We also lose hydration in our skin, leading to more wrinkles and volume loss over time. Fat pads in the mid-face or cheek may also deteriorate and shift, contributing to the sunken eye effect.
Genetics
Genetics give some people a predisposition to under-eye concerns, amplifying their issues. Tissue weakness, bulging fat, thinning skin, and skin pigmentation may all trace back to genetic roots.
Broken Blood Vessels
If you have broken or leaking blood vessels, they can discolor the under-eye area to appear blue, purple, brown, or black, depending on your skin tone.
Sun Exposure
UV light accelerates photoaging, leading to wrinkles and damaged skin. Without proper protection from the sun, the under eyes can also develop wrinkles, dark circles, dryness, redness, and even increased blood vessels around or even in the whites of the eyes (also known as “bloodshot” eyes).
Allergies
Exposure to allergens without proper medication can lead to swelling in the under-eye area. Allergies can also lead you to rub or press on the delicate skin, which makes the concerns worse.
Lifestyle Factors
Smoking, alcohol use, and stress can also lead to under-eye concerns.
Nicotine in cigarettes breaks down collagen and elastin, 2 proteins important for maintaining structure in the skin. The toxins in nicotine can damage cells in the sensitive under eye area.
Alcohol can also dehydrate the skin, leading to fluid build-up and inflammation in the under eyes. Drinking can disrupt sleep as well, delaying the skin’s natural rejuvenation.
With excess stress, under eyes can grow puffy, dark, and more wrinkled. Increased levels of cortisol, reduced circulation, dehydration, and insufficient sleep can all lead to these under eye symptoms.
Medical Conditions
Some medical conditions cause under eye concerns, including dermatitis, dermatomyositis, renal disease, and thyroid eye disease. If you experience under eye changes due to these conditions, you may not be the best fit for treatments like PRF, microneedling, or dermal fillers under the eyes near Cincinnati.
Instead, we can direct you to a medical practice to help address the root cause of your concerns.
Treatment Options for Under Eye Bags, Wrinkles, and More
Under eye bags, wrinkles, and puffiness can be a hit to confidence when you look in the mirror. At Dermatology Aesthetics of Northern Kentucky, we offer several minimally invasive procedures that improve the appearance of your under eyes without surgery and with minimal downtime.
During your personal consultation, we discuss your concerns and examine your under eyes. We also review your health history and conduct any necessary tests to confirm your candidacy for our treatments. Then, we make thoughtful, curated suggestions for your treatment plan to give you bright, smooth under eyes.
We take the time to learn about your specific concerns, what might have caused those concerns, and which treatments would work best for your lifestyle and goals. One size does not fit all at our practice, and we often pair treatments to achieve optimal results for our patients.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are an injectable treatment, but unlike neurotoxins like Botox, Daxxify, or Xeomin, they don’t relax the muscles under the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Instead, dermal fillers contain hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the skin that attracts and retains moisture. This formulation helps plump the skin to smooth wrinkles. Using dermal fillers under the eyes near Cincinnati can help “fill in” and refresh the tear trough area.
But while dermal fillers can restore lost volume and elasticity for a smoother, more youthful complexion—using filler directly in the under eye area doesn’t always achieve the desired results.
That’s why our team of professionals often strategically places filler in the mid-face or cheek area to indirectly freshen the under eyes for more natural results.
Dermal fillers can enhance the under eye area, but when paired with some of our other favorite treatments, they can also refresh your whole look.
Some of our favorite treatments to pair with dermal filler include:
- Hydrafacial: The Hydrafacial device exfoliates and hydrates the skin for an immediate relaxed and refreshed feel. Through painless suction, the device removes oil and debris from your pores, while advanced serums moisturize your skin. Paired with dermal fillers, your skin gets a cleansing and plumping boost at the same time.
- Neurotoxins: Botox, Daxxify, and Xeomin offer reduction for dynamic wrinkles around the eyes, like crows’ feet or “jelly rolls” that occur when you smile. Along with dermal fillers for under eyes near Cincinnati, we can target dynamic and static wrinkles at the same time.
- BBL Heroic: Broadband light addresses skin damage on the face with a specialized form of light pulses, to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and sun damage. Paired with dermal fillers, BBL refreshes the under eye area through the healing power of broadband light.
PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin) Injections
Another great option for under eyes, PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) injections use platelets from your own blood to naturally heal lost volume, wrinkles, and discoloration.
PRF is a growth factor powerhouse. When we inject PRF under the eyes, these growth factors kickstart collagen and elastin production, thickening and strengthening that thin, delicate skin.
Unlike fillers that give instant volume, PRF works gradually by stimulating natural tissue regeneration. It improves texture, tone, and firmness over the course of several weeks.
While PRF isn’t a dermal filler, it can offer a subtle plumping effect by improving skin density and encouraging tissue growth. This can soften hollow tear troughs and make the transition from lower lid to cheek smoother making it a great alternative to filler.
During the procedure, your provider takes a sample of your blood and places it in a centrifuge to separate out the PRF. Next, they inject or use microneedling to apply the PRF into the targeted region. The power of your own platelets supports natural healing and offers gradual but effective rejuvenation for the under eyes.
Profractional Erbium Laser
The profractional erbium laser targets delicate skin safely by creating micro-channels in the skin while leaving surrounding tissue intact. This advanced treatment option also triggers your skin’s natural repair response, helping collagen and elastin rebuild.
With the profractional erbium laser, we can improve texture and fine lines, as well as brighten dark circles under the eyes.
Most patients notice improvement after just one session, with continued collagen remodeling continuing for several months post-treatment.
Skincare Products
A great skincare routine can reverse signs of aging and prevent future concerns. Along with our advanced procedures for treating the under eyes, we also offer medical-grade skincare products you can count on to promote brighter, fresher eyes at home.
Our favorite skincare creams to pair with PRF, microneedling, or dermal fillers for under eyes near Cincinnati contain:
- Retinoids: Vitamin-A based products that stimulate the production of new skin cells.
- Peptides: Building block proteins that support collagen and elastin production and protect the skin from UV damage.
- Vitamin C: A key antioxidant that reduces inflammation and improves skin tone and texture.
Our team loves to help create a personalized skincare routine for each patient, and for under eyes, we often recommend:
- Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment with TriHex Technology®: Visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes with this award-winning anti-aging eye cream.
- C+ Brightening Eye Complex: Perfect for complementing dermal fillers for under eyes near Cincinnati, this brightening treatment helps reduce dark circles and under eye puffiness.
- EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream: A great overnight option for reducing crepiness, dryness, lines, wrinkles, and dark circles under the eyes.
Refresh and Brighten Your Under Eyes With Our Advanced Treatments
When it comes to under-eye bags, wrinkles, and dark circles, no one treatment option can magically whisk it all away. That’s why at Dermatology Aesthetics of Northern Kentucky, we combine cutting-edge treatments to address your specific skin goals better than one treatment can on its own.
Whether you choose dermal fillers for under eyes near Cincinnati, or pick PRF, Profractional laser resurfacing, or simply boost your at-home skincare regimen—we’re here to help.
Give us a call at 859.363.5394 to speak with one of our highly trained staff and book a consultation to learn more.
You can also book a consultation by requesting an appointment directly on our website:
To learn more about how we can refresh other areas of the face, like nasolabial folds or lips, check out our other blogs.
