Sunken eyes make you look tired all the time. For many, sunken eyes are an annoying feature made worse by dark shadows and a hollow eye socket. Sunken eyes can also make sensitive skin worse.
With all these issues surrounding sunken eyes, many people ask if they can be fixed.
In this article, I will talk about sunken eyes and their causes. I will also discuss whether they can be fixed or not. On top of that, I will show you pictures of my patients with sunken eyes so you can make an informed decision about treatment options at my clinic.
What Causes Sunken Eyes?
Here are the common causes of sunken eyes:
Ageing
As we age, we lose bone density and body fat all over, including on our faces. The underlying frameworks that hold everything together are also deteriorating.
Moreover, the skin thins and becomes more translucent as it loses collagen. Part of the ageing process involves the appearance of sunken eyes or hollow eyes.
Dramatic Weight Loss
When you shed a lot of pounds, you lose fat from all parts of your body, including your face. If you lose weight and your collagen production goes down, the hollow looking space under your eyes becomes more noticeable.
Additionally, a significant loss of facial fat can make the blood vessels more transparent and visible.
Genetics
Your genetics also play a role in how your tear trough hollows appear. Tear trough deformity can also be passed on.
Consequently, you will likely have sunken eyes if other members of your family have them.
Not Enough Sleep
Inadequate and poor quality sleep is another common factor that can worsen the appearance of sunken eyes. However, the effects of inadequate sleep are temporary. The appearance of your eyes will get back to normal once you get 8 hours (or more) of sleep.
Dehydration
Sunken eyes can also result from inadequate hydration.
Consult a doctor if you have sunken eyes, diarrhea, or vomiting. This could indicate severe dehydration.
Sun Exposure
Sun exposure can make the thin skin under your eyes appear darker. Dark circles under your eyes that resemble shadows can also get worse due to sun exposure.
Allergies
Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, can also result in the development of under-eye puffiness, leading to a sunken appearance.
People with allergies may also rub or scratch the skin around their eyes, causing irritation. Therefore, your sunken eyes become more noticeable.
Smoking
Smoking damages collagen and reduces the elasticity of your skin. This may cause your facial skin to sag and result in the appearance of sunken eyes. Thinning of the skin also gives rise to more fine lines and wrinkles particularly seen when smiling!
How Do You Fix Sunken Eyes?
You can fix sunken eyes through lower eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty. In particular, the procedure can fix dark circles and sunken eyes. It can also smooth out the thin crepy skin and crow’s feet around the eyes.
Before eyelid surgery, you must consult with a cosmetic surgery expert like me, Dr. Julian De Silva, to see if it’s the best option for you. During the consultation, we will discuss your medical history and goals.
Once you agree to everything we discussed, you can then schedule an appointment for your treatment.
With the right doctor, eyelid surgery rejuvenates your facial appearance, making you look youthful and less tired. The eyelid anatomy is complex, so choosing the right eyelid surgeon for blepharoplasty is a must.
At my clinic, the procedure involves reshaping excess skin, muscle, and prolapsing fat. I also use advanced techniques during this cutaneous and aesthetic surgery.
What Are Sunken Eyes?
Sunken eyes refer to the hollows under the eyes. A hollow is left behind by the delicate skin that appears to slide inward under the eyes.
Typically, the hollow appears darker than the surrounding skin. While sunken eyes may not cause issues with your eyesight, they mess up your appearance. Fortunately, sunken eyes can be treated through surgical and non-surgical methods like dermal fillers with hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the body.
The results of surgery are permanent. On the other hand, dermal fillers offer temporary results. At the end of the day, the best treatment depends on whether you are a good candidate for eyelid surgery or dermal fillers.
Pictures of Sunken Eyes and Dark Circles
Here are some pictures of my patients with sunken eyes before and after treatment:
Before and After Blepharoplasty: Patient 1
This patient reported sagging skin that appears sunken under her eyes. As a result, she became bothered by her fatigued appearance.
She aimed for a completely natural appearance and didn’t want her friends to suspect she had surgery. She underwent transconjunctival blepharoplasty, a procedure with the lower lid incision hidden. The treatment also removed fat, tightened her tendon (canthopexy), and restored her sun-damaged skin (CO2 laser resurfacing).
I also performed upper blepharoplasty to correct the fullness of her upper eyelid and the disappearance of the eyelid crease. She was pleased with the outcomes of the surgery. As you can see in the picture, it provided her with a more youthful appearance and enhanced her green eyes and eyelid shape.
Before and After Blepharoplasty: Patient 2
The 61-year-old CEO thought that his ageing eyelids made him appear furious and exhausted even though he wasn’t. Morevoer, they had gotten worse over time.
He started looking into plastic surgery in London to see which procedure would be best for him. He wanted to soften his looks and make his eyes appear more attentive. After giving it some thought, he chose to arrange an appointment with me, Dr. Julian De Silva.
The pictures of this patient show that after blepharoplasty, his eyes appeared kinder and more alert. He was also thrilled with the outcome and was relieved that he was no longer concerned about coming off as angry.
Before and After Blepharoplasty: Patient 3
This 45-year-old working woman was starting to see the symptoms of ageing and wanted to look younger. She was particularly dissatisfied with the bags and puffiness under her eyes. She scheduled a consultation with me, Dr. Julian De Silva to go through her alternatives.
I carefully listened as she discussed wanting to look younger and more refreshed on the day of her visit. She said she wanted her skin to look tighter and smoother because the bags under her lower eyelids made her eyes appear fatigued. I recommended lower eyelid surgery to get rid of the extra fat that was creating her eye bags. The procedure would enhance her face contours and give her the refreshed appearance she desired.
Her post-operation pictures show that the procedure was successful as her sunken look was gone. She now looks rested and renewed. Her hazelnut brown eyes also look more noticeable. The blepharoplasty helped to smooth the creases and tighten the skin around her eyes.
Before and After Blepharoplasty: Patient 4
This 63-year-old woman was brought to me by a friend who thought her puffy lower lids and drooping brows were hiding her brown eyes. She sought to make her eyes appear bolder and more awake by getting eyelid surgery. However, she wanted subtle and natural-looking results.
The “after” photo was taken roughly six months following the operation. They show a reduction in the drooping above the eyes, giving her eyes a bigger, more attentive appearance than in the “before” photos.
She was delighted with her new look because her huge, gorgeous brown eyes received many praises. They also stand out now, rather than hide in plain sight. This also gave her more confidence to face the world.
What Are the Symptoms of Sunken Eyes?
Here are the symptoms of sunken eyes, though the precise appearance may vary from person to person:
Hollowing Under Your Eyes
Because of their depth and location in the face, hollows beneath your eyes, also known as tear troughs, are a condition caused by a lack of volume in the under-eye area. Similar to puffy under-eye bags, it can make people appear exhausted, older, and less energised.
A Dark Shadow Over Your Lower Eyelid
This has a number of causes, including hyperpigmentation and changes to your blood vessels and surrounding skin.
Additionally, congenital disorders and eye traumas may cause dark eyelids. It’s possible to have both black eyelids and under-eye circles at once. Additionally, one can exist without the other.
Thin and Delicate Skin Under Your Eyes
Your skin ages with you and becomes drier and thinner as you get older. Collagen is a substance found in the dermis, the middle layer of your skin, and accounts for the majority of the thickness of your skin. As you become older, your body creates less collagen.
Research reveals that persons with darker complexions likely have thicker skin than those with lighter skin. It’s because some people are born with skin that is inherently a little bit thicker than others.
Purple Blood Vessels Under Your Eyes
The skin under your eyes is thinner than in other locations. Therefore it’s possible that these veins will become noticeable. Your periorbital veins are present naturally around your eyes, although not everyone has noticeable ones. My clinic might be able to assist you if your periorbital veins are bothering you.
Moreover, the skin surrounding your eyes may become more transparent and pale as you age. The veins beneath may become more noticeable and pronounced as a result.
Tired or Fatigued Look On Your Face
The most frequent cause of fatigued skin is sleep deprivation. Staying up late, whether it be to use social media, play games, watch movies, or engage in any other activities that cause you to lose track of time, can cause it.
As a result, your sunken eyes will begin to show themselves. In addition, lack of sleep causes our bodies to produce more of the hormone cortisol. This causes inflammation and dull skin. If you continue to sleep less than the recommended 7 to 9 hours, your sunken eyes will become worse.
Can Sunken Eyes Cause Other Conditions?
Sunken eyes caused by ageing or genetics are not usually harmful. They also do not cause other conditions.
However, unfavourable changes to someone’s appearance might cause emotional responses. Depression or anxiety may eventually result from low self-esteem and lack of confidence.
Visit Dr. Julian De Silva
Are you looking for a doctor with over 20 years of experience in cosmetic surgery? Do you want to get rid of your sunken eyes and other symptoms that make you look older than you really are? Are you looking into minor surgical treatments that will make your look younger?
Let me help you. Contact us and book a consultation with me now! As an alternative, you can visit my Harley Street Clinic at 23 Harley Street, London W1G 9QN, United Kingdom.
