Are your eyes betraying your age? Are you spending too much money on useless eye creams and too much time with under-eye concealers to hide those dark, under-eye circles? At aFresh® Med Spa & Plastic Surgery in Glenview, IL, we offer aesthetic services that can achieve a more youthful appearance by eliminating those dark under-eye circles for you using an FDA-approved treatment called Belotero Balance.
Most people believe that dark circles are caused by too much stress or lack of sleep. There are a number of factors that can cause dark circles under the eyes, many of which we simply have no control over. Below are some of the more common causes:
Of course, there is also the fact that the skin around the eye area is much thinner than the rest of the face — ten times thinner, to be exact. The eyes tend to age faster than the rest of the face or body for this reason alone. In addition, the eyes get a full-time workout from blinking, at a rate of 10,000 times per day. That’s a lot of eye movement per day!
Smiling and squinting can also play a role to induce wrinkles, along with smoking and a poor diet. As if the eyes don’t get enough daily abuse, the surrounding eye tissue lacks sufficient oil glands for producing adequate moisture, when compared to the skin on the rest of the body.
Under-eye puffiness can also lead to the appearance of dark circles, which can be attributed to many causes. Allergies can be one of the main culprits, causing constant rubbing of the eye due to itching and burning. Puffiness can also be caused by excessive salty foods, bodily dehydration, excessive crying, and smoke or chemical irritants.
In addition to causing puffiness, excessive rubbing of the eyes breaks down the elasticity of the skin surrounding the eye area. Think of repeatedly stretching a rubber band and how it loses its elasticity from overuse. This same concept can be applied to the constant rubbing of the eyes. Stop and think of all the different ways and reasons you pull or rub your eyes and how often you do this daily:
As you can see, our eyes get a daily dose of abuse. Let’s take a deeper look into the anatomy of the eye tissue, to better understand how our treatment can eliminate your dark under-eye circles.
The skin surrounding the eye is medically referred to as the adnexa. It is quite unique and different from the skin on the remaining facial area and body. There are three layers of skin. The bottom layer is called the subcutaneous layer; a very thin layer consisting mostly of fascia sitting atop the orbicularis muscle. The middle layer is called the dermis, also referred to as the support layer, made up of elastin, collagen, proteins, fibroblasts, nerves, and vessels.
Lastly, the top layer is called the epidermis, consisting of basal cells, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and keratinocytes. Included in the epidermis is the very top layer called the “dead cell” layer, where we find corneocytes. This layer is medically referred to as the stratum corneum. This is the layer we are most concerned with, as this is where we run into the aging, problem skin appearance.
The basal cells reproduce new cells every few days in a process referred to as desquamation. During this process, the basal cells migrate to the top layer, becoming drier and flatter as they move upward. Once they reach the top dead cell layer, they are then referred to as corneocytes, also known as dead skin cells. This process takes about two weeks for young people but requires more than double this time for adults over the age of fifty.
As mentioned above, the build-up of dead skin cells (corneocytes) reduces the skin’s ability to retain moisture, which gives a calloused and dry look to the skin, making it feel and look rough. The older we get, the slower this process becomes. In addition to losing collagen and elasticity with age, this build-up of dead skin cells quickly gives us an aged appearance.
Because the skin around the eye is thinner, the collagen and elasticity decrease with age around the eye faster than anywhere else on the face or body. Fine lines and wrinkles begin to appear first. As collagen production continues to decrease with age, the veins and vessels become more prominent, giving the appearance of dark circles underneath the eye. Thin skin also fills more easily with fluid, causing the puffiness that we mentioned earlier. So, how can we fix this?
Belotero Balance is an FDA-approved prescription injectable product, that has been in use since 2011 for thousands of injections. It was created using the proprietary Cohesive Polydensified Matrix (CPM) process. It is a natural building block and lightweight filler that is a safe and effective treatment for sensitive areas of the face.
This dermal gel filler has a unique ability to blend in with your own skin’s existing collagen, due to a substance called hyaluronic acid (HA). Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in your body. It binds with water in your body to increase moisture for a more plump and youthful appearance. It is even used to lubricate the joints for optimal performance.
The following areas respond very well to this treatment:
As we age, our skin begins to lose fat content, collagen, and hyaluronic acid over time. This can cause wrinkles, sagging, and a hollow look to areas of the face, particularly under the eye area where the skin is naturally thinner. The dermal gel filler hydrates under the eye area for a more plump and youthful appearance. It completely integrates into the skin tissue, with a natural look and feel to it.
By injecting the filler into the tear-trough and surrounding area, the dark circles, hollowness, puffiness, and wrinkles can be diminished, erasing years away from your appearance. It does not inhibit facial movement, such as with botox, and is eventually absorbed naturally by the body over time. It is also considered a non-permanent filler. If a client decides later that they are unhappy with the results, it can be easily reversed using hyaluronidase, without complications.
Both men and women in good healthy condition, showing early signs of aging, are good candidates for this treatment. It works best for mild-to-moderate wrinkles around the mouth, nose, and eye areas. It has been found safe to use for all skin types and ethnic groups.
Most clients report that the injections feel like a pinprick, causing minimal pain. However, if you are concerned about any pain or discomfort, a local, topical anesthetic can be used to make your session as comfortable as possible.
Clients usually sit or recline back in a comfortable chair, while the dermal gel filler is being injected under the skin. Most treatment sessions are completed within 30-45 minutes, though this depends on the amount of filler and areas chosen for treatment. Clients experience minimal downtime following the treatment and most return to their normal daily routine after leaving the clinic.
Clients are thrilled to discover immediate results directly following their treatment. These results continue to improve over the next 24-48 hours and can last for six months to over a year, depending on the number of injections, age of the client, and additional outside factors.
As mentioned above, this will depend on many factors, including age, the area being treated, the depth of wrinkles/skin damage, and any environmental factors affecting the skin, such as sun exposure or smoking. Some areas treated are more active than others, such as the mouth and eye areas, due to eating, talking, smiling, blinking, etc. The more active the area, the faster the results could diminish.
It should be noted that this type of dermal gel filler lasts longer than others, however. It also stimulates the natural production of collagen, enhancing the over-all long-term effect. Most clients are quite pleased with the results, in addition to the convenience, price, and minimal downtime and maintenance.
Boletero Balance has a proven record of helping most all clients. Because it is so lightweight, it is the ideal dermal gel filler for thin-skinned areas such as the eye. It is injected underneath the top layer of skin where it works best for smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, reducing puffiness, and filling in hollow areas. However, as with everything, what works for one may not work as well for others.
Many clients choose to use multiple types of dermal fillers for optimal results, as they can often enhance each other because of their different properties. Belotero can safely be combined with other treatments on the very same day, depending on the client’s personal choice.
For the money, this dermal gel filler is the most convenient, natural, and longest-lasting dermal gel filler on the market today. We usually find that we must pay more for convenience, but not in this case. You can be in and out in less than an hour and right back to work or your daily routine the same day, with no advance prep or downtime.
The result will be a look and feel so natural that you will have a hard time convincing people that you’ve just left your aesthetician’s clinic. You will soon forget that you’ve had any work done, as you will have no maintenance to attend to, until about a year later. This is a fill-it-and-forget-it type of treatment. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a safer, non-invasive treatment with immediate results than Belotero Balance.
If you are interested in dermal gel filler treatments to diminish your dark circles and aging eyes, don’t hesitate to call us. Contact the professional experts at aFresh® Medspa & Plastic Surgery in Glenview, IL to schedule your initial consultation today! We are happy to help you achieve the youthful appearance and self-confidence that you deserve.
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