[Column] How to Get Rid of Dark Circles: Under-Eye Fat Removal, Under-Eye Fat Repositioning Surgery

Hello. I’m Dr. Jo Hyun-woo of Ibche Plastic Surgery.

Today’s topic is eye surgery, and among eye surgeries, I’d like to talk about under-eye fat repositioning, which can help address dark circles under the eyes.

As shown in the image above, as we age, the septum around the eyes loosens, and the fat surrounding the eyes starts to bulge downward due to gravity. In this case, the face can look dull and the hollow under-eye groove can appear deeper, making you look older.

A good way to improve this is under-eye fat repositioning surgery.

For people whose under-eye area is simply bulging, removing just a small amount of fat can also produce good results, but for those whose under-eye groove has become hollow with age, this can be a very effective surgery.

The surgery is performed by making an incision of about 5 mm on the inside of the eye using a Bovie laser.

You can think of it as flattening the bulging fat and then repositioning it toward the under-eye groove.

There are several methods for under-eye fat repositioning.

A surgical method that has been used for a very long time is external fixation.

This method involves tying the under-eye fat with sutures and bringing the threads out through the skin to secure them.

It is a good method that I also used often in the past, but its drawbacks were that the sutures and tape were visible outside the skin, and patients had to come back to the hospital once more to have the stitches removed.

The internal fixation method is not used very often because the under-eye groove is located quite low, so the incision has to be made larger.

The method I mainly use is under-eye fat repositioning using a special thread called EZ-Tcon.

Because it is fixed internally with specially made sutures, there is no visible sign from the outside of the skin, so patients can return to daily life right away, and quick recovery is a major advantage.

Under-eye fat repositioning needs to be adjusted slightly differently depending on the case.

For people whose under-eye groove is sunken but who do not have bulging fat, the option of filling the hollow with autologous fat grafting should also be considered along with under-eye fat repositioning.

Also, for people whose under-eye fat protrudes too much, repositioning alone may improve the groove, but the bulging may remain, so removing an appropriate amount of fat is also very important.

Under-eye fat repositioning methods according to the amount of under-eye fat

It may seem like a simple procedure, but it is very important to apply different methods according to each patient’s case.

For younger patients who do not need skin removal, satisfaction is usually very high.

Let me show you a real patient case.

The bulging fat is clearly gone, and the under-eye groove has disappeared, making the face look brighter and giving a more youthful effect.

Under-eye fat repositioning can also be very effective for older patients who do not need skin excision.

Even for a man in his 60s, good results can be achieved with under-eye fat repositioning alone, without lower blepharoplasty.

Under-eye fat repositioning is a very simple procedure that takes about 30 minutes, and if there is no bruising, you can think of it as a surgery that allows you to return to daily life right away.

Today, we looked at how to get rid of dark circles and under-eye fat repositioning.

If you have sagging or hollowing of the under-eye fat, or dark circle symptoms, I recommend getting a consultation and looking forward to a brighter, more vibrant face.

Thank you.