Eye Concerns: Bags, Circles, Hollows and Bumps

Most eye concerns fall into a few groups: bags from fat or fluid, hollows at the tear trough, dark circles from pigment, vessels or shadow, small bumps such as syringoma, milia or xanthelasma, and changes above or beside the eye such as droopy lids and crow’s feet. Each is assessed separately, then treated with the matching approach.

Which eye concern do you have?

Start with what you see in the mirror in good, even light, then follow the link that matches. Many people have more than one, and Dr Sin Yong assesses them together.

Eye bags, hollows and dark circles

Eye bags. A bulge below the eye can be fat that has moved forward as the supporting membrane weakens, fluid that is worse in the morning, or loose skin. Our eye bag page explains how these are told apart and when a surgical opinion is more appropriate; the eye bag cost guide covers what affects price.

Hollows. A tear trough groove casts a shadow that reads as a dark circle. Carefully placed filler can soften it in suitable people; see tear trough refinement, the under-eye filler guide, the cost guide and under-eye filler vs Rejuran Eye. If filler placed before has made the area puffy, filler correction comes first.

Dark circles. Brown pigment, bluish vessels visible through thin skin, and shadow from a hollow each need a different approach, and many people have a mix. The dark circles guide and under-eye hollows explain how to tell them apart; pigment-led circles may suit carefully set pico laser.

Syringoma, milia and xanthelasma

Three kinds of small growth cluster around the eyes, and they look alike at a glance. Syringomas are firm, flat-topped, skin-coloured bumps from sweat ducts, treated with carefully planned CO2 laser; see syringoma removal and the syringoma condition guide. Milia are tiny white keratin cysts that can be released through a small opening; see milia removal, the milia guide and the milia article.

Xanthelasma are soft yellow plaques of cholesterol-laden cells on the eyelids, sometimes linked to raised blood lipids, so a blood test is usually suggested alongside treatment; see xanthelasma removal. Other growths are collected in our skin growths hub, with removal options on skin tag, wart and milia removal.

Droopy eyelids, hooding and crow’s feet

A heavy upper lid may be excess skin, a descended brow, or true ptosis, where the muscle that lifts the lid has weakened. The first two may suit energy-based tightening or the FSX Laser; true ptosis needs a specialist eye opinion. Our droopy eyelid page explains the difference.

Lines at the outer corners are covered on crow’s feet, with anti-wrinkle injections for movement lines and boosters or laser for etched lines. Crepey skin around the whole eye is described in fine lines and crepe.

When an eye concern needs a different doctor

Some changes around the eye are medical rather than aesthetic. Sudden swelling of one eye, a lid that droops over days, double vision, a growth that bleeds, crusts or changes quickly, or any change in vision should be seen by a GP or eye specialist promptly. Puffiness on both sides that is new and persistent may need a general medical check. Dr Sin Yong will tell you plainly when a concern belongs elsewhere.