Do you feel like your eyes have lost their natural fullness and depth, leaving you with a sunken or hollow appearance?
Sunken eyes can be caused by a variety of factors, including aging, genetics, lifestyle habits, and certain medical conditions. Fortunately, there are natural remedies and medical treatments that can help improve the appearance of sunken eyes. In this article, we’ll explore how to get rid of sunken eyes for a rejuvenated and fresh complexion.
What are sunken eyes?
Sunken eyes, also known as tear trough deformity or tear trough hollows, occur when the thin skin and tissues around the eyes lose volume and elasticity. This can create a tired or aged appearance with dark circles under eyes, even if you’re feeling rested and healthy.
What are the symptoms of a tear trough deformity?
The exact appearance of skin under the eyes can differ between people, based on skin tone, facial ageing and genetics. The symptoms of sunken eyes can be:
- Hollowing to the area and skin under your eyes.
- A dark shadow that extends over your lower eyelid, creating dark circles and darkened eyes.
- Thin and fragile-looking skin under your eyes.
- A prematurely aged facial appearance.
- Tired, fatigued appearance.
- Puffiness of your lower eyelids
While sunken eyes may not be a serious medical condition, they can have a significant impact on a person’s self-esteem and overall appearance. For many people it may affect their confidence and emotional wellbeing.
Sunken eyes can make people feel self-conscious of their appearance, impacting their confidence and emotional well-being.
Causes of sunken eyes
In order to find the best treatment options for sunken eyes, you need to know what is causing them. There can be caused by several factors, such as:
- Aging: As we age, due to decreased collagen production the tissues and muscles around our eyes begin to weaken and lose volume and elasticity. This causes your under eye skin to sink in and appear hollow.
- Genetics: Some people are genetically predisposed to having sunken eyes, due to their bone structure and facial features.
- Lifestyle factors: Habits like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a poor diet can contribute to the loss of collagen and elastin in the skin around the eyes, as well as dehydration and poor quality sleep. This contributes to the sunken appearance of your eyes, sagging skin and dark circles.
- Dramatic weight loss: when you lose fat in large amounts, including from your face, the blood vessels surrounding your eyes become more visible and the skin transparent.
- Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as thyroid problems, severe dehydration, sinus infection, trauma and allergies, can also contribute to sunken eyes.
When to see a doctor
If you’re experiencing sunken eyes, it’s generally not a cause for alarm as most of the time they are not associated with life-threatening conditions. However, if you’re concerned about the appearance of your eyes or if you’re experiencing other symptoms in addition to sunken eyes, it may be a good idea to see a doctor.
If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms they may indicate an underlying health condition that requires medical attention:
- Itchy, dry, red or painful eyes.
- Vision changes.
- Nasal congestion.
- Headaches.
- Dry skin.
- Fatigue.
- Nausea.
- Unexplained or sudden weight loss.
Ultimately, if you have any concerns about your eyes or overall health, it’s always best to speak with a doctor about your medical history and current symptoms to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Home remedies for sunken eyes
There are several home remedies and lifestyle changes that can help improve the appearance of sunken eyes.
There are many simple remedies you can use to decrease the appearance of sunken, dark eyes from sun protection from UV rays, to cucumber on your eyes and healthy dietary intake.
Getting enough sleep
How much sleep you get directly contributes to dark, puffy eyes. Aim for at least 7-8 hours of “beauty” sleep per night to help reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes that contributes to premature facial aging.
Eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated
A healthy, well-balanced diet is one of the best (and easiest) ways to improve your complexion. Eat foods rich in Vitamins A, C and E, fatty acids and antioxidants helps to encourage more collagen production that will nourish and protect your skin, especially the delicate skin around your eyes.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated and plump. Ideally, you should aim for between 8 and 10 glasses (or 2 litres) of water per day.
Natural remedies
There are plenty of natural remedies you can incorporate into your skin care routine to help restore a fresh, younger appearance:
- Almond oil, olive oil, Avocado oil, castor oil or Vitamin E oil all offer nutrient-dense treatment and relief to your eye area.
- Raw potatoes applied to your eyes. The Vitamin C, enzymes and starch nourish your skin whilst the coolness of cut, raw potato can reduce inflammation of the blood vessels.
- Tea bags steeped and then cooled, applied to your eyes provide antioxidants that promote and improve blood circulation and nourish your skin.
- Cucumber slices placed under your eyes reduces inflammation, swelling and skin discolouration.
- Fish oil has anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
- Adequate sun protection to protect the fragile skin of your face.
Avoid these things
There are certain lifestyle and risk factors that contribute to hollowed out eyes and dark shadows under eye area. If possible, you should avoid smoking and alcohol use, poor diet and sun exposure.
Medical and surgical treatments for sunken eyes
If natural remedies don’t provide the desired results, there are several medical treatments or cutaneous and aesthetic surgery options that can help fix sunken eyes.
Sometimes the simple remedies aren’t effective and you may need medical or surgical intervention, such as under eye dermal fillers, to improve the appearance of your eye area.
- Dermal fillers: Injecting hyaluronic acid (a naturally occurring substance) or other fillers under the skin can help boost lost volume and reduce the appearance of sunken eyes. You can get tear trough and under eye fillers, or even a cheek filler can help restore lost volume, plump and firm skin and reduce the appearance of hollow eyes.
- Fat grafting: This procedure involves removing fat from another part of your body and injecting it into the area around the eyes to restore volume.
- Surgery: In severe cases, a surgical procedure may be necessary to correct the underlying causes of sunken eyes, such as removing excess skin or repositioning the fat and muscle around the eyes. You can discuss these with a cosmetic or plastic surgeon, who may recommend a brow lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) or a facelift.
It’s important to note that these treatments should only be performed by a licensed and experienced professional.
Find your fresh, rejuvenated appearance today!
Hollow, dark eyes can be a frustrating and difficult problem to deal with, but there are several natural remedies and medical or surgical options for treating sunken eyes that can help improve their appearance. Whether you choose to use the simple natural remedies above, medical treatments, or a combination of both, you can regain a fresh, energised appearance once more.
If you have more questions or concerns about your sunken eyes, please don’t hesitate to contact the friendly professionals at Lumière Clinic.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are after more information, here are some FAQs about sunken eyes:
Can sunken eyes be reversed?
Sunken eyes that are caused by a medical issue, like a sinus infection, can be reversed with medications such as antibiotics. Those that are caused by an allergy can be treated with eye drops and antihistamines. You can also try lifestyle changes and home remedies such as almond oil and ensure you are getting enough sleep. Otherwise, there is cosmetic surgery or procedures such as dermal fillers as an option.
How can I regain fat under my eyes?
To regain fat under your eyes you can choose a fat graft procedure, dermal fillers or other cosmetic surgeries. Come and chat with one of the experts at Lumière Clinic for further advice and we can help tailor a treatment plan to your unique needs and skin condition.
Can sunken eyes cause complications or other medical conditions?
No, having sunken eyes generally does not cause complications or other medical conditions. You may experience a lack of self-confidence and poor self-esteem due to your appearance, which is what leads to many people deciding to fix sunken eyes.
Should you go to the doctor if you have sunken eyes?
If you are concerned about your sunken eyes combined with other symptoms due to an illness, you should go to the doctor. Sinus infections, thyroid issues and allergies can worsen the hollowing and dark shadows of your eye socket and surrounding area.
