Tear Trough Hollows: Why I Recommend PRP Over Fillers
Want to restore youth to those pesky tear trough hollows? You’ve come to the right place! The truth is, though, that my answer to your dark or sunken under-eye woes may not be what you think. It’s been said that a woman’s eyes “cut deeper than a knife.” Our eyes are certainly avenues of unspoken communication, tools of persuasion, and often one of our face’s most beautiful assets.
If your eyes have always been one of your most powerful features, it’s disappointing to see signs of aging starting to creep up around them. If the skin around your eyes is traitorously showing your age lately, read on to find out why I recommend PRP over dermal fillers when it comes to fixing those sunken tear troughs.
Many Injectors Recommend Fillers for Tear Trough Correction – Here’s Why I Don’t
Sunken-looking areas under the eyes, or “tear trough hollows,” are a condition that naturally develops with age. As we get older, the areas around our eyes lose volume and, since we produce less collagen and elastin as we get older, the result is dark circles, fine lines, and a hollow appearance under the eyes. But fillers aren’t the best treatment option for the eyes, in my opinion. Here’s why.
Dermal Fillers Don’t Correct Every Under-Eye Problem
Dermal fillers certainly work to fill in those hollows under the eyes, which in turn smooths out the skin and corrects wrinkles and some discoloration. However, one common skin issue my patients complain about under their eyes is crepey skin. When your under-eye area looks slightly like wrinkled crepe paper, it usually indicates that the skin is really thin and has lost a lot of volume. In this instance, your skin needs a collagen boost, which not all dermal fillers can provide.
Fillers Don’t Look Good On Everyone
Fillers certainly work wonders on many individuals, but for those with light or fair skin, sometimes that filler treatment results in a bluish appearance in the treated area. Other patients have seen results that look puffy or unnatural. Regardless of what you’ve heard, fillers aren’t ideal for every skin type and every area of the face.
They’re Generally Safe, But There’s No Guarantee
I’m not knocking the safety of dermal fillers. Many FDA-approved and highly tested filler formulas are perfectly safe most of the time. Most formulas are made with Hyaluronic acid, which occurs naturally in the body, along with other synthetic materials. The “other” materials are what could potentially cause an allergic reaction when it comes to dermal fillers. While the majority of patients will not react poorly to fillers, why take the risk if there’s a better, more natural option?
What’s PRP?
Now it’s time to introduce my go-to treatment for tear trough hollows: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP treatments involve drawing the patient’s blood and separating out the platelets, which are then injected back into the patient’s skin. The injection boosts collagen production in the area, which not only creates the appearance of more volume in the area but also improves the texture and tone of the skin.
Why is PRP a better option than fillers for tear trough problems?
So why is PRP better for tear troughs than dermal fillers? Aside from the fact that PRP addresses issues with pigmentation and texture in addition to adding volume to the area under the eyes through collagen production, there are a few more reasons.
PRP Ends Up Looking More Natural
Fillers plump up the area immediately after treatment, so the change is drastic and noticeable. They also sometimes create a too-puffy appearance in some patients, as we discussed earlier. PRP, however, gradually improves the under-eye area by increasing collagen production, making your youthful transformation look less like you’ve had “work” done.
There’s No Risk of Allergic Reaction
Unlike dermal fillers, PRP is all-natural uses zero synthetic materials – just your own blood’s properties. Because your body’s own DNA is used, there are no risks of adverse reactions with PRP, nor issues that could pop up due to allergies.
You Can Never Get Too Many PRP Treatments – But You May Not Need as Many as With Fillers
Ever heard of filler fatigue? This is when your skin stretches and gets weighed down over time after repeated dermal filler injections – which are recommended every 3-6 months or so. With PRP injections, you don’t need to worry about getting too many injections since the treatment is simply boosting your body’s own collagen production. Since you’re getting that boost in collagen,
though, you may actually see that you’ll need PRP injections less often than you would need dermal fillers.
PRP Lasts Longer Than Dermal Fillers
This brings us to the last benefit of PRP over dermal fillers. After initial rounds of treatment, each PRP injection will likely last around a year or more. That’s the power of your blood’s own growth factors! Your collagen boost will continue to work for your under-eyes many months after dermal fillers would wear off. This means that, while dermal fillers are cheaper than PRP when you compare each injection, you may end up spending less over time when you go with PRP injections since repeated treatments are fewer.
The PRP Treatment Plan I Recommend for correcting Sunken Tear Troughs
So, what does my recommended PRP treatment for tear troughs look like? First, you’ll start with your initial treatment, followed by 1-2 additional injections spaced 30 days apart. After the initial round of 1-3 treatments, you’ll only need follow-up treatments once every 12-18 months!
Ready to Correct Your Tear Troughs in Philadelphia, PA?
If you’ve had enough of those tired-looking, sunken tear troughs, I’d love to help! I’m Jennifer Perry, Art of Injection’s own Aesthetic Nurse Injector. Give me a call or book an appointment online to learn more about how PRP or other treatments can help you reach your beauty goals the right way.