Tear trough filler at a glance
- Session15 to 45 min
- AnaesthesiaCream and ice, or local
- Social downtimeNone
- Final result3 to 4 days
- Duration of effect1 to 3 years
- Price€350 to €550
Hyaluronic acid filler fills the hollow of the tear trough and the tear trough valley, the groove between the lower eyelid and the cheek, for a less tired look. It is carried out at the practice in Cannes, most often with a cannula, after an anaesthetic cream combined with ice or local anaesthesia, with no social downtime. It softens the shadow cast by the hollow but has little effect on the actual colour of the dark circle. The result is final in 3 to 4 days and lasts 1 to 3 years.
Price: €350 to €550; the consultation before the injection is free.
What is a tear trough?
The tear trough is the inner part of the groove between the lower eyelid and the cheek: a sunken area, often darker, that gives a tired look. By extension, surgeons call this whole groove the tear trough (dark circle), as far as the outer corner of the eye; its inner part is also called the tear trough valley.
What causes dark circles and hollows?
Three components, often combined, determine the treatment:
- The hollow tear trough: the groove is deepened by a deep ligament that attaches the skin to the rim of the eye socket (orbital retaining ligament, “ORL”). It is treated by filling: injection, or redistribution of the fat pads during a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).
- The pigmented dark circle: the very thin skin shows the dark colour of the underlying muscle, or it is genuinely hyperpigmented, often for ethnic reasons.
- Under-eye bags: they accentuate the hollow of the groove. They are either true fat bags, treated by blepharoplasty, or false bags due to a cheekbone that lacks projection, treated by cheek augmentation (hyaluronic acid injection, fat injection or an implant).
All components
Three components, often combined, and the role of the cheekbone. Tap a component to show it on its own.
Injection, fat transfer or surgery?
| Hyaluronic acid | Micro-lipostructure | Lower blepharoplasty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it treats | Hollow tear trough, tear trough valley | Hollow tear trough, tear trough valley; other facial volumes | True fat bags, excess skin; tear trough filled by redistributing the fat from the bags (Hamra technique) |
| Setting | Practice | Operating theatre (Clinique Oxford) | Operating theatre (Clinique Oxford) |
| Social downtime | None | 0 to 7 days | 7 to 10 days |
| Duration of result | 1 to 3 years | Long-lasting once the graft has taken | More than 10 years |
| Price | €350 to €550 | €1,500 to €4,000 (facial fat grafting) | €3,000 to €7,500 |
The techniques are often combined: blepharoplasty and tear trough fat transfer, or an injection after a blepharoplasty. When the cheek has descended, a midface lift raises it, treats the bags and releases the pull of the ligament on the skin of the tear trough.
What about the colour of dark circles?
A hollow tear trough or thin skin creates a shadow that darkens the area: filling softens it through a light-reflecting effect. A true hyperpigmentation of the skin, however, does not respond to injection; certain lasers or chemical peels sometimes improve it, but most often only make-up conceals it.
Which products are used?
CE-marked hyaluronic acids, Restylane (Galderma) or Juvéderm (Allergan), with a consistency suited to the very thin skin of the eyelid.
Needle or cannula?
The injection is most often given with a blunt-tipped cannula: a single entry point on the cheek, and the gel is placed deep, against the bone, which limits bruising and the risk of injecting into a blood vessel. The usual quantity is 0.5 to 1 cc per tear trough. See needle or cannula on the hyaluronic acid page.
Before: hollow and shadow under the eye.
Is tear trough filler painful?
No, it is only very slightly painful: an anaesthetic cream is combined with ice, or a local anaesthetic is given at the entry point. A slight bruise may appear; it is easily hidden with make-up.
How does a tear trough filler treatment work?
- ConsultationFree before the injection, at the practice, 101 rue d’Antibes in Cannes: analysis of the tear trough (hollow, bags, colour), choice of technique; if a blepharoplasty or fat transfer would be more suitable, Dr Médard de Chardon will tell you.
- SessionAt the practice, in 15 to 45 minutes, after the anaesthetic cream and ice or local anaesthesia; deep injection, most often with a cannula.
- Touch-upIf needed within the following month, free if there is an imperfection.
What is the recovery like?
- Slight swelling for 3 to 4 days.
- Bruising, not systematic, for a few days, easy to hide.
- Social life: no social downtime; patients are immediately presentable.
- Final result in 3 to 4 days.
- Duration of effect: 1 to 3 years; the duration is excellent in this area, which moves little.
Where will you be?
14 days after the session
What are the risks?
The most common side effects are temporary bruising and swelling. More rarely: small irregularities or nodules, prolonged swelling of the eyelid, a bluish tinge if the gel is too superficial (Tyndall effect), an inflammatory reaction or infection. In exceptional cases, the product can block a blood vessel; this is an emergency, treated by injecting hyaluronidase, which dissolves hyaluronic acid and can also be used to correct a result you are not happy with.
Contraindications: pregnancy and breastfeeding, an active skin infection in the area, certain autoimmune diseases.
Choosing a qualified, experienced and reputable surgeon reduces these risks, and can even eliminate some of them.
Dr Médard de Chardon’s experience
- Qualified plastic surgeon in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery; university diploma (DU) in injection and filler techniques (Paris VIII University).
- Practising in Cannes since 2011; member of SOFCEP (French Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), SOFCPRE (French Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) and ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).
- More than 12,000 filler injections; as an eyelid surgeon, he also offers blepharoplasty and fat transfer when an injection is not enough.
Before and after photos
Injection of hollow, dark tear troughs
Hyaluronic acid injection (Restylane), 1 cc into each tear trough
Hollow under-eyes and tear troughs
Hyaluronic acid injection to the tear troughs
Eyelid surgery for under-eye bags + hollow, pigmented dark circles
Transconjunctival blepharoplasty and tear trough fat transfer. Result at 6 months
See all the hyaluronic acid filler before and after photos
How much does tear trough filler cost in Cannes?
€350 to €550
Depending on the amount of product. The consultation before the injection is free; the touch-up is free if there is an imperfection. Cosmetic injections are not reimbursed by French national health insurance (Assurance Maladie). Other areas and their prices: hyaluronic acid fillers.
Book an appointment: +33 (0)4 93 68 86 68 or Doctolib.
Frequently asked questions about tear trough filler
How long does tear trough filler last?
1 to 3 years: the duration is excellent in this area, which moves little. The product is gradually absorbed; a new session maintains the result.
Does tear trough filler get rid of dark circles?
It fills the hollow and softens the shadow that darkens the area. It has almost no effect on a true pigmentation of the skin, which only certain lasers or chemical peels sometimes improve.
Filler or blepharoplasty for tear troughs?
Filler fills a hollow tear trough, with no social downtime. Blepharoplasty permanently removes true bags and excess skin, which an injection cannot do; the two are often combined.
Is tear trough filler painful?
Very little: an anaesthetic cream combined with ice, or a local anaesthetic, makes the session very bearable.
Can I return to my activities straight after tear trough filler?
Yes, there is no social downtime. Slight swelling lasts 3 to 4 days and any bruise can be hidden with make-up.
Can the result of tear trough filler be corrected?
Yes. A touch-up is possible within the following month, free if there is an imperfection. A result you are not happy with can also be dissolved with hyaluronidase.
How much does tear trough filler cost in Cannes?
€350 to €550 depending on the amount of product. The consultation before the injection is free.