Under-eye filler,

if you put in just anything

it turns blue

Hello.

Hongdae Beautystone Clinic,

this is Wi Young-jin.

💡 Before you read

please check this first

Q. Isn’t under-eye filler just about

adding volume?

A. The under-eye skin is only about 0.5 mm thin,

so if the product choice and injection depth are wrong,

the filler can show through the skin in blue,

causing the 'Tyndall effect'.

Q. What filler is safe to use?

A. A fine-particle soft filler should be

injected precisely into the deep layer above the periosteum

to achieve natural correction without show-through.

"Because the under-eye skin is very thin,

the filler may show through in blue if you are not careful,

so a fine-particle filler must be placed deep."

— Dr. Wi Young-jin (Hongdae Beautystone Clinic)

Why does under-eye filler need a

different approach from other areas?

This is a part many people misunderstand,

because fillers all look pretty similar,

so they think you can just put them into any hollow area

and that’s enough.

But the under-eye area is a little different.

First, we need to talk about skin thickness.

The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the face.

The cheeks or nasolabial fold area

have skin thickness of about 2 to 3 mm,

but the under-eye area is only about 0.5 mm.

You may not really feel how thin that is,

but think of it as the thickness of a sheet of paper.

The tricky part is that you need to fill something

under that thin skin.

This is where two things become extremely important.

First is the particle size of the filler,

and second is the depth of injection.

The cause of the blue

'Tyndall effect'

Filler is hyaluronic acid gel,

and the particle size and elasticity of the gel vary by product.

A filler with larger particles and firmer texture is suitable for areas like the cheeks or jaw,

where the skin is thicker.

What happens if you put that under the under-eye area?

As light scatters, the filler can

show through the skin in blue.

This is called the Tyndall effect.

Simply put, it is the same principle as

cloudiness when coarse particles float in clear water.

That is why the under-eye area needs a very fine-particle,

soft filler.

It is not just about finding a 'good filler'.

No matter how fine the filler is,

if it is injected into a shallow layer, it will still show through.

Only when it is placed accurately in the deep layer above the periosteum,

right above the under-eye bone,

can volume be restored naturally

without showing through the skin.

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Wi Young-jin’s key summary

Because the under-eye skin is very thin, if a filler with coarse particles

or strong elasticity is injected shallowly,

the Tyndall effect can cause it to show through the skin in blue.

To prevent this, a fine-particle soft filler must be

injected precisely into the deep layer above the periosteum.

Only when both the product choice and injection depth are right

can a natural result be achieved.

Under-eye hollowness requires

different approaches by type

Just because the under-eye area looks hollow

doesn’t mean the cause is the same.

It can be broadly divided into three types.

① Volume loss type

This is when aging causes under-eye fat to decrease

and bone resorption to create hollowness.

In this case, filler works quite well.

The key is to restore volume to the hollowed area.

② Under-eye fat protrusion type

This is not a case of fat loss,

but rather of fat bulging outward.

If filler is injected here,

it may make the area look even more swollen.

For these people, the right approach is surgery for fat repositioning.

③ Skin pigmentation/shadow type

This is not about volume, but about dark circles,

meaning pigmentation or visible blood vessels.

Filler cannot solve this.

This type needs a laser or skincare approach.

Most of the people who come in for consultations

do not know which type they are.

That is why, during consultations, I always check the under-eye area

by pressing and pulling it under the light.

We have to first determine whether it is fat, volume loss, or a skin issue

before we can talk about the next step.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What should I do if I get bruising or

swelling after under-eye filler?

A. The under-eye area has many blood vessels and thin skin,

so bruising and swelling tend to occur

a bit more easily after the procedure.

In most cases, it settles naturally within 3 to 7 days.

If bruising lasts more than a week, or

if one side becomes especially swollen,

be sure to contact the clinic where you had the procedure.

Q2. If the under-eye area turns blue as a filler side effect,

can it be reversed?

A. Yes, hyaluronic acid filler

can be dissolved with an enzyme injection called

hyaluronidase.

If the Tyndall effect occurs, rather than waiting too long,

it is better to dissolve it quickly

and then decide whether re-treatment is needed.

Q3. From what age can under-eye filler be considered?

A. The criterion is not age, but whether there is volume loss.

Even people in their 20s who naturally have insufficient under-eye volume

can be good candidates.

Rather than age, it is more important to first identify

the type of cause.

That was Wi Young-jin.

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