How to safely add under-eye fillers to your skin care regimen
Less is more.
Photos of Kylie Jenner’s puffy profile last month left the internet with questions about the use of facial fillers among the young — the common practice among older women has become something of a craze among image-conscious Gen Zers.
Jenner, 26, is just one in a wave of fresh-faced twentysomethings indulging in injectable cosmetic treatments in recent years, leaving critics cautioning against excessive aesthetic procedures that could wind up accelerate the appearance of aging.
“In recent years people have gone crazy with filler, especially starting at a young age so it only makes sense that the pendulum is now swinging in the opposite direction,” NYC board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss told The Post.
![A close-up of Dr. Shereene Idriss, a board-certified dermatologist, talking about under-eye filler on a New York Post x Under-Eye Filler video.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/pillowtalkderm-series-instagram-new-york-76510810.jpg?w=1024)
“The trend on social media is now leaning towards ‘filler is the devil and we should all be running away from it,” she said.
That’s overkill, Idriss insisted.
“The reality is when using a little bit of filler less frequently it shouldn’t be a concern. Using a lot too frequently is where the issues arise,” she explained.
In addition to lip or cheek filler, tear trough or under-eye filler has become a hot button topic online.
While it seems daunting — injecting a substance near your eye is likely a terrifying prospect — Idriss believes that, with the right facial structure, it can transform someone’s face for the better, saying that even “subtle changes can be dramatic.”
Typically, the Idriss Dermatology founder explained, under-eye filler — which commonly utilizes hyaluronic acid and costs approximately $1,500 to $2,000 — is used to reduce the appearance of fine lines, under-eye bags or dark circles, but not everyone is an ideal candidate.
“The under-eyes are a tricky area and it comes down to your bone structure,” Idriss said.
Of course, no cosmetic procedure comes without risk. Potential complications from under-eye filler include blindness or malar edema, the accumulation of lymphatic fluid just above the cheekbones that occurs with too much filler or improperly injected filler.
![A dermatologist, Dr. Shereene Idriss, in a video discussing common concerns related to using filler for under-eye treatment.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/pillowtalkderm-series-instagram-new-york-76510805.jpg?w=819)
“When you are addressing the under-eyes you want to make sure you’re looking at the face as a whole. It’s about making sure that you have the right bone structure and right support to take a little bit of filler in your under eyes,” Idriss said.
“And what all of that comes down to is going to the right injector, someone who is board certified and takes all your features and factors at play into account when injecting your face.”
Oftentimes, Idriss will combine the filler with other treatments like biostimulators that are injected into the deep layer of the skin, or the dermis, to activate new tissue growth.
When it comes to treating the under-eyes, it’s not about just injecting filler into the under eye area.
“If and when done right, it involves a combination of things including but not limited to bio-stimulatories,” Idriss said.