The tear trough refers to an anatomical depression located between the inner corner of the eye and the upper part of the cheek. When this area deepens, it casts a shadow that gives the eyes a tired, sad, or even prematurely aged appearance. Although it can now be effectively treated with hyaluronic acid injections, many patients wonder: is it possible to prevent the appearance of the tear trough?
It is possible: targeted, progressive, and tailored prevention can significantly slow the formation of this hollow. To achieve this, it is essential to understand the contributing mechanisms, identify personal risk factors, and implement precise, medically validated preventive measures.
The tear trough results from deep morphological changes that do not concern the skin alone. Its formation is based on a combination of processes related to facial aging.
These changes begin subtly as early as the thirties. Their pace depends on genetics, skin phototype, lifestyle habits, and the level of exposure to oxidative stress. The tear trough can thus appear early in some individuals, without indicating advanced aging. This is why a personalized preventive approach is essential.
Some profiles have a higher risk of developing tear troughs early, sometimes as early as the twenties. These factors should be identified during the first consultation, as they guide the prevention strategy.
In these patients, it is essential to act early with gentle preventive measures, adapted to their morphology and skin. The goal is to preserve volumes, support tissues, and maintain good skin density, while respecting the natural appearance of the face.
The quality of the skin and dermal density play a crucial role in the appearance or prevention of hollowing in the tear trough area. Good lifestyle habits and targeted cosmeceutical care are essential.
The lifestyle guidelines are :
The recommended dermocosmetic actives are :
When applied regularly, these treatments strengthen the skin quality around the eyes, delay the first signs of laxity, and optimize the results of complementary medical procedures.
A targeted preventive approach helps slow the appearance of the hollow and preserve the harmony of the eyes.
The first focus is on improving skin quality. Skinboosters injections help densify the dermis in this area where the skin is particularly thin. By providing deep and lasting hydration, they improve skin elasticity and delay the hollowing effect related to tissue fragility.
In addition, hyaluronic acid injections using a medical lifting technique help support the superficial malar fat and prevent its sagging. Anatomically, the tear trough hollow often appears when the superficial fat separates from the deep fat. This is why a medical lifting with hyaluronic acid injections helps maintain volume integrity and prevent the appearance of the tear trough.
Finally, twice a year, a session of mesotherapy combined with a PRX-T33 peel is recommended to stimulate the synthesis of skin components, improve the radiance of the eyes, and strengthen the skin barrier. This protocol effectively complements the injections by providing superficial hydration and stimulating cellular regeneration, without social downtime.
It is perfectly relevant to start gentle management from the age of 28 to 30, especially if :
For medical procedures with an aesthetic purpose, prevention gives the best results when it is gradual. Annual follow-up, based on a precise morphological diagnosis, allows care, techniques, and the pace of interventions to be adapted to the natural evolution of your face.
The distinction between prevention and correction is not always clear, especially when it comes to treating the tear trough. Once a slight hollow begins to appear, certain techniques can be used not to correct the established defect, but to prevent it from worsening. This is called active preventive treatment, aimed at young patients or those simply wishing to preserve the balance of their face.
A light intervention, performed at the right time, helps slow volume loss, stimulate the synthesis of dermal tissues, and maintain a harmonious architecture of the mid-face. This strategy preserves the flexibility of facial expressions and avoids more invasive procedures in the medium term. It is therefore entirely justified to offer early management, as soon as the first signs appear, provided that it is measured, supported by a rigorous diagnosis, and strictly personalized.
Any effective preventive treatment is first based on a comprehensive morphological diagnosis. The tear trough can indeed result from multiple causes: malar sagging, malar fat loss, hypoplasia, or bone resorption … Correcting a hollow without understanding its origin risks unsatisfactory results or worsening the imbalance.
During a specialized consultation, the doctor evaluates several elements :
It is based on this detailed analysis that it is determined whether an intervention is indicated, which types of procedures are possible, and when. This preliminary medical assessment is essential to ensure effective, gradual, and physiologically adapted prevention.
Topical treatments, such as eye contour creams, are useful but their effectiveness is limited. They help maintain skin quality, hydrate the peri-orbital area, and slow the aging of the superficial layers of the skin. However, they do not address the underlying causes of infraorbital hollowing, such as fat loss, bone resorption, or laxity of supporting tissues.
Even the best cosmeceuticals cannot correct volume loss, restore weakened bone structure, or significantly act on ligaments or muscular dynamics.
To be truly effective, these treatments must be combined with medical procedures such as laser photorejuvenation or mesotherapy, which act in depth and stimulate tissue regeneration.
Thus, topical treatments should be seen as a maintenance complement, useful to accompany medical procedures, but insufficient on their own to prevent or correct tear trough hollowing.
The current lifestyle intensely stresses the eye area. Prolonged screen use, exposure to blue light, visual stress, and lack of ocular rest disrupt microcirculation and can promote chronic lymphatic congestion in the peri-orbital area.
This phenomenon of eye overuse favors the appearance of dark circles, morning edema, and progressively weakens the skin. In patients who already have anatomical sensitivity in this area, it can accelerate the formation of the tear trough hollow.
To prevent this progression, a few simple but essential measures can be incorporated into daily life :
These preventive measures, often underestimated, play a key role in preserving the eyes, by improving skin tone and slowing the appearance of the tear trough hollow.
While prevention is beneficial, it should not become a systematic requirement. In young patients without particular risk factors, overzealousness can lead to unnecessary or even inappropriate procedures. The preventive approach must always be proportionate to the actual need, determined by a clinical examination.
Thus, in patients under 25 years old, without a family history, without visible volume loss or evident skin fragility, it is often wiser to focus on the application of appropriate cosmetics, dermatological education (photoprotection, lifestyle habits), and morphological follow-up to assess natural evolution.
Preventive medicine is not simply about intervening early, but about intervening at the right time. It is about respecting the physiological rhythm specific to each patient, without haste or excess.
An intervention is justified only if it meets a real need, identified during the consultation. This measured approach, based on observation and the precision of the procedure, reflects an ethical and high-quality practice, where each intervention makes sense and is part of a long-term plan.
Well-conducted prevention does not aim to transform, but to preserve. It allows aging to be accompanied gradually, without visual disruption, by maintaining volume balance, tissue suppleness, and facial contour harmony.
Over time, this approach offers visible benefits: a fresher-looking eyes, without signs of established fatigue; denser, better-hydrated, and less wrinkled skin; more even aging, without pronounced hollows; stability of results thanks to anticipatory and measured management.
It is a gentle and controlled way to accompany facial evolution, without excess, without overload, fully respecting natural expressiveness.
Article written by Dr Romano Valeria
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