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

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
Get dermal fillers to artificially fill out your hollow eyes. 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]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- 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]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lisset Tresvant
  Skincare Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
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
Get microneedling to increase collagen production. 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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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- According to board-certified plastic surgeon Daniel Barrett, MD, microneedling “can thicken the skin so that the appearance of the wrinkles and the underlying blueish color will be less noticeable.” ^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Daniel Barrett, MD
  Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
  
  Expert Interview}
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3

Use chemical peels to enhance the texture underneath your eyes. Chemical peels are non-invasive cosmetic treatments that remove the top layers of the skin. ^{[5]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} 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

Get PRP therapy to promote collagen production. 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]
X
Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} 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]
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Research source}
5

Get Ultherapy to promote collagen and elastin production. 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

Consider laser treatment as another way to promote collagen growth. 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]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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7
Get blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to remove excess skin around the eyes. 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]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- Dr. Pirani says the procedure is a bit more complex around the lower eye, as the protruding fat in the eyelid must be reduced or repositioned. The lower eyelid also occasionally has to be tightened. ^{[10]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Asif Pirani, MD
  Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
  
  Expert Interview}
8

Get a fat transfer or implant in the tear trough area. 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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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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Section 2 of 7:

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Skincare

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1

Apply eye creams to your tear troughs. Board-certified dermatologist Kaveri Karhade, MD, says, “ Caffeine-containing eye creams can help reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.” ^{[12]
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Expert Source

Kaveri Karhade, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist

Expert Interview} This extends to other active ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, as they reduce fluid retention and strengthen blood vessels. ^{[13]
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Research source} Apply the cream to your eyes once every 12 hours.
2

Place tea bags under your eyes to promote blood circulation. 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]
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Research source}
3

Place cucumber slices under your eyes to minimize puffy bags. Doing a cold compress with cucumbers helps reduce swelling and inflammation, mitigating those sunken eyes. ^{[15]
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University of Rochester Medical Center
Leading academic medical center in the U.S. focused on clinical care and research
Go to source} 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

Wear sunscreen every time you leave the house. 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]
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Research source}
5

Develop a skincare routine that involves daily moisturizing. 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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Research source}

Section 3 of 7:

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Lifestyle Changes

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1
Keep a consistent sleep schedule. 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]
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Research source}
- Makeup artist Christin Birckhead says getting your eight hours of sleep a night helps with staving off those dark under-eye circles. ^{[19]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Christin Birckhead
  Makeup Artist
  
  Expert Interview}
2
Eat nutritious foods to promote collagen production. 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]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- Bone broth
- Beef
- Chicken
- Fish
- Eggs
- Beans
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Brussel sprouts
3
Drink enough water and avoid consuming too much caffeine. Caffeine increases urine production, which can remove water from your system quicker than usual. ^{[21]
X
Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} 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]
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Harvard Medical School
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- Excessive amounts of caffeine can also make it harder to sleep at night, which further contributes to sunken eyes.
4

Stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes breaks down the collagen in your skin, which contributes to sagging eyelids and dark, sunken eyes. ^{[23]
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Research source} 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.

Section 4 of 7:

Sunken Eye Symptoms

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Dark, hollow under-eye circles are among the symptoms of sunken eyes. 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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Genetics According to skincare specialist Melissa Jannes, “a lot of the time, [sunken eyes are] hereditary.” ^{[24]
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Expert Source

Melissa Jannes
Skincare Specialist

Expert Interview} 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

Age 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]
X
Expert Source

Lisset Tresvant
Skincare Expert

Expert Interview} The loss of plumpness and fatty tissue is thanks to lower levels of collagen, which naturally decrease with age.
3
Dramatic weight loss 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]
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Research source}
- 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]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Melissa Jannes
  Skincare Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
4
Poor sleeping habits 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]
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Research source} 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]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}
5
Dehydration 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]
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Research source}
- 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

Allergies 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]
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Cleveland Clinic
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7

Smoking 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]
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Research source}
8

Sinus infections 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]
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Mayo Clinic
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9

Sun exposure 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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MedlinePlus
Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine
Go to source}

Section 6 of 7:

Are sunken eyes something to worry about?

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There’s no need to worry unless the circles are only under one eye. 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]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

Section 7 of 7:

How to Embrace Sunken Eyes

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Embrace your look instead of holding yourself to unrealistic beauty standards. 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]
X
Expert Source

Wes Pinkston
Certified Holistic Life Coach

Expert Interview}
- According to clinical psychologist Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS, “Developing a positive body image begins by working on your emotional intelligence. The lack of confidence is directly related to the lack of personal acceptance, approval, and love.” ^{[37]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS
  Clinical Psychologist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Dr. Brown says to “Strive for balance within your emotional intelligence. There are many methods to improve your sense of self. Do not allow room for negative self-talk in conversations.” ^{[38]
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  Expert Source
  
  Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS
  Clinical Psychologist
  
  Expert Interview}

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[1]

Trustworthy Source

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[2]

Lisset Tresvant
Skincare Expert

[3]

[4]

Daniel Barrett, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

Asif Pirani, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

[11]

[12]

Kaveri Karhade, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

Christin Birckhead
Makeup Artist

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

Melissa Jannes
Skincare Specialist

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

Wes Pinkston
Certified Holistic Life Coach

[37]

Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS
Clinical Psychologist

[38]

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

How to Treat Sunken Eyes at Home

Steps

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Cosmetic Procedures

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Skincare

How to Fix Sunken Eyes with Lifestyle Changes

Sunken Eye Symptoms

Sunken Eye Causes

Are sunken eyes something to worry about?

How to Embrace Sunken Eyes

Expert Q&A

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Tips

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