How to Fix Sunken Eyes: Surgical and Non-Surgical Options

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Expert tips for improving the appearance of your eye area
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Sunken eyes are eyes that look dark, hollow, and recessed. It can be jarring to look in the mirror and see your eyes looking sunken and hollow, but this is a common condition and there are plenty of ways to fix them. In this article, we dig into the different ways to treat sunken eyes, including cosmetic procedures, skincare options, and lifestyle changes. We also spoke to estheticians, dermatologists, and plastic surgeons for their expert insight into treating this issue. Ready? Let’s dive in.

How to Treat Sunken Eyes at Home

Makeup artist Christin Birckhead says to get your eight hours of sleep a night to stave off those dark under-eye circles. You can also do things like:

  • Eat nutritious, collagen-boosting foods like broccoli, beef, fish, eggs, and chicken.
  • Do a cold compress with chilled cucumber slices.
  • Wear 30 SPF or more sunscreen when you leave the house.
  • Apply eye creams with ingredients like caffeine or hyaluronic acid every 12 hours.
Section 1 of 7:

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Cosmetic Procedures

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  1. Dermal fillers are injections that fill out wrinkles and lines on your face, as well as sunken eyes. This nonsurgical procedure can restore the plump look in your eyes by adding volume to your under-eyelid, especially if they’ve sunken due to collagen loss. Dermal fillers can also last for up to multiple years, so consider going with them if you need a more long-term solution. [1]
    • Collagen is a protein that’s responsible for keeping your skin plump and firm.
    • Skincare expert Lisset Tresvant says the most effective solution is fillers, since age naturally causes you to lose collagen, which is crucial for keeping your skin firm and plump. [2]

    Meet the wikiHow Experts

    Lisset Tresvant is a licensed esthetician and skincare expert with over 8 years of experience. She is also the founder of Glow Esthetics Spa in Hollywood, Florida.

    Melissa Jannes is a licensed esthetician and the owner of Maebee’s Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, PA.

    Christin Birckhead is a makeup artist and founder of Conceptual Beauty, a beauty service in Washington, DC.

    Kaveri Karhade, MD , is a board-certified laser, medical, and cosmetic dermatologist based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Asif Pirani, MD , is a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of the Toronto Plastic Surgery Center in Toronto, Canada.

  2. Microneedling is a cosmetic treatment that involves using tiny needles to make microscopic wounds on the skin. These wounds lead to increased collagen production, which helps get rid of sunken eyes by naturally strengthening your skin. [3]
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  3. Chemical peels are non-invasive cosmetic treatments that remove the top layers of the skin. [5] They are often used to rejuvenate the appearance of the skin, especially underneath the eyes, reducing pigmentation and stimulating collagen production. While they won’t fill the hollowness underneath your eyes, chemical peels can help enhance the texture underneath them and combat the sunken look.
  4. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a regenerative treatment that involves drawing your blood, processing it to concentrate the number of platelets, and injecting it back into your body. [6] It is known to increase dermal collagen levels, making it a useful option for rejuvenating those sunken eyes by promoting firmness and elasticity in the skin. [7]
  5. Ultherapy is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that uses ultrasounds to lift and tighten the skin, briefly heating up your body’s tissues to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Ultherapy allows you to target specific areas, too, so you can make sure you’re stimulating collagen production underneath your eyes and targeting those sunken tear troughs.
  6. Laser treatment, also known as laser skin resurfacing, removes wrinkles and scars, evens out skin coloring, and promotes collagen growth by using heated lasers to vaporize your outer skin layers. This makes it another great option for fixing sunken eyes, as optimal levels of collagen are needed for maintaining your skin’s health and firmness. [8]
  7. According to board-certified plastic surgeon Asif Pirani, MD, a blepharoplasty is a cosmetic eyelid surgery that removes the excess skin that stretches around the eyelids as you age. By removing that excess skin, you can cut sunken eyes off at the source and give yourself a rejuvenated look. [9]
  8. Getting a fat transfer from another part of your body or a silicone implant into your tear troughs is a great way to fill out the sunken eye look and make your skin look more plump and youthful. Fat transfers tend to be less invasive than implants, so if you’re looking for an option that involves less scarring and shorter recovery time, they might be up your alley. [11]
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Section 2 of 7:

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Skincare

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  1. Board-certified dermatologist Kaveri Karhade, MD, says, “ Caffeine-containing eye creams can help reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.” [12] This extends to other active ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, as they reduce fluid retention and strengthen blood vessels. [13] Apply the cream to your eyes once every 12 hours.
  2. Warm tea bags can help bring down puffiness by circulating the blood throughout your blood cells with their antioxidants and flavonoids, making them smaller and removing that darkness from your sunken eyes. Just soak the tea bags in warm water as if you were going to make tea and chill them in the fridge for a few minutes. Then, place them directly onto your eyes for 5 minutes. [14]
  3. Doing a cold compress with cucumbers helps reduce swelling and inflammation, mitigating those sunken eyes. [15] Grab a cold cucumber from the fridge, chop a small piece into two slices, then place them on your eyes for 10-20 minutes. This will help rejuvenate the moisture in your eyes, with the added benefit of lowering irritation.
  4. Sunscreen protects your skin from sun damage, preventing early aging, which can contribute to sunken eyes, as well as protecting against potential skin cancer. To protect your eyes and help prevent them from sinking, apply sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher 30 minutes before going outside. [16]
  5. Wash your face, clean your skin with cleansers, and moisturize daily to maintain the health of the skin under your eyes. By developing a regular skincare routine , you can stave off sunken eyes early by keeping your skin strong, healthy, and moisturized, which can help rejuvenate collagen. [17]
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Section 3 of 7:

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Lifestyle Changes

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  1. Sleep plays a key role in ensuring that the brain, immune system, metabolism, and skin are maintained and that the body is repaired, but when you don’t get a full night of rest, the body can’t repair itself as efficiently. This can result in paler skin and drooping eyelids, so make sure you get a consistent 7-9 hours of sleep per night. [18]
  2. When your skin is producing collagen, that means it will be elastic and strong, staving off wrinkles and sagging skin around the eyes. There are plenty of nutritious foods to incorporate into your diet that boost collagen production and fight off sunken eyes, including: [20]
    • Bone broth
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Fish
    • Eggs
    • Beans
    • Nuts
    • Whole grains
    • Broccoli
    • Kale
    • Brussel sprouts
  3. Caffeine increases urine production, which can remove water from your system quicker than usual. [21] Without water, your skin can become dry and contribute to your sunken eyes. So, drink enough water per day (15.5 cups a day for men, 11.5 cups a day for women) and avoid overdoing it on the caffeine to curb your sunken eyes. [22]
    • Excessive amounts of caffeine can also make it harder to sleep at night, which further contributes to sunken eyes.
  4. Smoking cigarettes breaks down the collagen in your skin, which contributes to sagging eyelids and dark, sunken eyes. [23] So, if you want to get rid of your sunken eyes, cut out your smoking habit so your collagen can recover and your skin can be rejuvenated.
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Section 4 of 7:

Sunken Eye Symptoms

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  1. These tend to be the most telling symptoms of a sunken eye, as they’re chiefly responsible for the tired, exhausted look associated with them. Aside from dark, hollow under-eye circles, other sunken eye symptoms include:
    • Shadowy lower eyelids
    • Deep-set eye sockets
    • Saggy lower eyelids
    • Thin, transparent lower eyelid skin
    • Visible blood vessels under the eyes
    • A tired, fatigued look on your face
Section 5 of 7:

Sunken Eye Causes

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  1. According to skincare specialist Melissa Jannes, “a lot of the time, [sunken eyes are] hereditary.” [24] This means you get them from your parents, who likely got them from their parents, and so on. If you look in the mirror and start to worry about your sunken eyes, take a closer look at your family’s eyes. If they have sunken eyes, too, they’re likely genetic.
    • Sunken eyes from genetics aren’t anything to worry about. That’s just how you look!
  2. Sunken eyes are a natural byproduct of getting older. According to Tresvant, “Sunken eyes happen naturally as we age–we start to lose the plumpness and fatty tissue under the eyes, and they start to look more hollow.” [25] The loss of plumpness and fatty tissue is thanks to lower levels of collagen, which naturally decrease with age.
  3. When you lose a lot of weight, the loss of fat shows in your face, as well as the rest of your body. This can cause the eyes to sink, making any pooled blood vessels in them more noticeable and contributing to that aged sunken eye look. [26]
    • Jannes says when the blood pools in your under-eye area, it can cause the signature darkness that sunken eyes are known for. Cold compresses or caffeine can help stimulate the area and combat the darkness. [27]
  4. When you sleep, your body rejuvenates, slowing bodily and brain functions to heal itself and ensure that you can operate with optimal energy levels the next day. [28] This can make your skin more dull and weak, emphasizing the blood vessels underneath your eyes and giving them that sunken look.
    • Poor sleep can make you look more aged, contributing to that tired, fatigued look. [29]
  5. Dehydration can result in the loss of fluids in the eye. These fluids are responsible for giving your eyes their full, hydrated look, and when they’re gone, they can cause dry, irritated eyes that become sunken. [30]
    • Dehydration symptoms include dry mouth, less frequent urination, and extreme thirst.
    • Children are especially susceptible to dehydration, particularly dehydration caused by bacteria and stomach bugs.
  6. Seasonal allergies (known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever) can cause the skin under your eyes to darken due to your immune system’s response to the allergen, creating sunken eye circles that resemble black eyes. These are known as allergic shiners, and with 15% to 25% of people in the United States getting hay fever annually, they’re unsurprisingly common. So, if you notice sunken eyes around allergy season, you may be dealing with allergic shiners. [31]
  7. Smoking can cause the collagen in your skin to deteriorate, and since that collagen is responsible for giving your skin that firm, plump look, sunken eyes tend to follow as a result. On top of that, smoking can also make your skin seem more aged, further contributing to the sunken eyes look. [32]
  8. Sinus infections can cause the skin around your eyes to appear sunken due to the pressure that inflamed sinuses put on the areas around your eyes. This can cause the blood vessels to be restricted, leading to that dark look (which is sometimes accompanied by swollen eyes). [33]
  9. Exposing your body to the sun leads to melanin production, which causes your skin to darken. When your tear troughs are exposed to the sun, this effect can darken them, especially if you already have dark skin under the eyes due to genetics. [34]
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Section 6 of 7:

Are sunken eyes something to worry about?

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  1. Most of the time, sunken eyes are a natural result of aging or lack of sleep, not a medical problem. But if you notice that only one eye has a dark circle, reach out to a doctor or healthcare provider. When only one eye is affected, it can be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs to be checked out. [35]
Section 7 of 7:

How to Embrace Sunken Eyes

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  1. Certified holistic life coach Wes Pinkston says, “Self-acceptance is one of the most difficult things to realize, but also one of the most liberating.” Rather than holding yourself to cultural beauty standards, look at the beauty you’ve always had. “When you walk through the forest, you don’t compare trees and flowers,” he says. [36]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22667-dermal-fillers
      2. ↑ Lisset Tresvant. Skincare Expert. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23113-microneedling
      4. ↑ Daniel Barrett, MD. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Expert Interview
      5. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemical-peel/about/pac-20393473
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/platelet-rich-plasma-prp-injection
      7. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5125953/
      8. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11015-laser-skin-resurfacing
      9. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/blepharoplasty/about/pac-20385174
      1. ↑ Asif Pirani, MD. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Expert Interview
      2. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24027-fat-transfer
      3. ↑ Kaveri Karhade, MD. Board Certified Dermatologist. Expert Interview
      4. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11175953/
      5. ↑ https://www.webmd.com/beauty/ss/slideshow-tea-bag-uses
      6. ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=85&contentid=p00918
      7. ↑ https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/
      8. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849435/
      9. ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/beauty-sleep
      10. ↑ Christin Birckhead. Makeup Artist. Expert Interview
      11. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-way-you-can-get-more-collagen
      12. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965
      13. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink
      14. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3561332/
      15. ↑ Melissa Jannes. Skincare Specialist. Expert Interview
      16. ↑ Lisset Tresvant. Skincare Expert. Expert Interview
      17. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5889433/
      18. ↑ Melissa Jannes. Skincare Specialist. Expert Interview
      19. ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/what-happens-when-you-sleep
      20. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25266053/
      21. ↑ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-dehydration-affect-your-eyes#symptoms
      22. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/allergic-shiners
      23. ↑ https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/how-smoking-affects-the-way-you-look
      24. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acute-sinusitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351671
      25. ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/anatomyvideos/000125.htm
      26. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23128-dark-circles-under-eyes
      27. ↑ Wes Pinkston. Certified Holistic Life Coach. Expert Interview
      28. ↑ Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview
      29. ↑ Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview

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