Under-Eye Fine Lines, Hollows or Tear Troughs? How Each Is Treated Differently

Under-eye fine lines are a skin-quality problem, while hollows and tear troughs are a volume problem, so each needs a different treatment. Fine lines and crepey texture live in the skin itself. Hollows and tear troughs come from volume lost beneath the skin. ^[1]

Many international patients ask us for "Juvelook under the eyes." At our clinic, that can mean two different treatments. This page helps you find which one fits.

• Fine lines and crepey texture. The skin looks thin, dry and crinkled, like tissue paper. Eyelid skin is the thinnest on the face, ^[2] so it shows fine lines and texture changes early.
• Under-eye hollows. A curved, U-shaped dip under the eye that makes you look tired. ^[1]
• Tear trough. A deeper groove that starts at the inner corner of the eye and runs about 2 cm down and outward. ^[1] It is part of the same area of volume loss.

Layers follow the manufacturer's brochure. ^[5] Products, tools, areas and plans reflect our clinic's practice.

Juvelook has small particles for the skin layer and improves texture and fine lines; Juvelook Volume works in deeper layers to restore lost volume. Both are made in Korea by Vaim and combine PDLLA (poly-D,L-lactic acid) particles with hyaluronic acid. ^[4][5] Both encourage your own collagen over the following months, rather than filling like a gel. With Juvelook Volume, in principle, your own collagen starts to form from about one month after treatment and keeps building over the second and third months and beyond. For the full comparison, read Juvelook vs Juvelook Volume.

Stand in front of a mirror in even, natural light and check:

• Do fine lines appear when you smile or gently press the skin? → Likely a skin-quality concern.
• Is there a dip or shadow between your lower eyelid and cheek? → Likely a hollow.
• Is there a groove running down from the inner corner of your eye? → Likely a tear trough.
• Does your cheek below the eye look flat? → Hollows often continue into the mid-cheek. ^[1]

Many people have more than one. Your dermatologist makes the final decision at your consultation, after looking at your skin thickness and anatomy.

These are different problems.

• Puffy bags from protruding fat. People with prominent under-eye fat are not ideal candidates for injectables and may benefit from eyelid surgery instead. ^[1]
• Dark circles from pigment. Dark circles have several causes, including pigment, visible vessels under thin skin, shadows from a tear trough and fluid swelling. ^[3] A shadow from a hollow can improve with volume treatment, but pigment needs a different approach.

• Fine lines: GLT™ Collagen Healer with Juvelook. At our clinic, we place 0.5 cc of Juvelook in the shallowest skin layer, under the eyes only. Because the target is so shallow, we use a Hycoox 9-needle injector rather than hand injection, to spread tiny amounts evenly (how we choose a delivery method). Numbing cream is essential for this treatment, and we apply it for at least 30 minutes before we start. The aim is smoother, glowing "glass skin" texture. It can be added to a full-face session on the same day or done on its own.
• Hollows and tear troughs: GLT™ Collagen Volume Lifting with Juvelook Volume. At our clinic, we use a blunt cannula, which is designed to reduce discomfort. The local anesthetic injection at the cannula entry point stings only briefly, for about a second, and in our clinic's experience most patients describe Volume Lifting as having little discomfort. Research also notes that cannulas may be preferred in this area to minimize bruising, bleeding and vascular complications. ^[1] We usually treat the under-eye and mid-cheek together, because mid-face volume restoration can improve how the under-eye looks. ^[1] Read why we treat under-eye hollows together with the mid-cheek.
• Fine lines and hollows on the same day. If you have both, both treatments can be done in one visit, because they go into different layers. The order doesn't matter medically. The Healer, with its 9-needle injector at the skin surface, can feel more uncomfortable than Volume Lifting, so our clinic usually does the Healer first, putting your comfort first.
• GLT™ (Gentle Layered Treatment), developed by Dr. Judy (Hong Jin Joo), spreads product in thin layers rather than in one spot.
• Numbing cream, no sedation. In our clinic's experience, most patients rate GLT™ treatments at about 1 to 3 out of 10 (comfort and pain control).
• Board-certified dermatologists (Dr. Judy, Dr. Max, Dr. Sunny or Dr. Sophie) perform every treatment in a private room.

Downtime. In our clinic's experience with GLT™, most patients can wear makeup right after treatment and go back to work the same day. This applies to both treatments, including under-eye Volume Lifting with a cannula. The Healer doesn't cause swelling, because the product is placed very close to the skin surface; the Hycoox injector has 9 fine needles, so you may see small red marks for 1–3 days (up to 1–7 days if you have sensitive skin). After Volume Lifting, some people get swelling or, less often, bruising (see side effects below), so leave some time before important events or photos.

Sessions. Even one session can give results, which suits international patients who visit once or twice a year. Collagen stimulation is like exercise: one workout stimulates the muscle, but visible growth needs regular sessions. To build on results, the manufacturer recommends repeat sessions. ^[5][6] At our clinic, that means 1 to 3 months apart for Juvelook and usually 3 sessions, 6 to 12 weeks apart, for Juvelook Volume (plan your visits).

For under-eye pricing, see our Juvelook prices page.

• After Juvelook Volume: right after treatment, a nurse trained by our dermatologists shows you how to massage the area firmly for 1–2 minutes, as Vaim's UK partner recommends, ^[6] and your dermatologist checks once more that you're doing it correctly. After skin-layer Juvelook, massage is optional. There is no daily home massage routine (massage after Juvelook).
• Avoid facial massage at other salons or spas for at least 2 weeks. Pressure and friction can temporarily disrupt the skin barrier.

Juvelook and Juvelook Volume aren't suitable if you are pregnant, have an active infection or inflammation in the area, or have a permanent filler in the same area. ^[7] Breastfeeding and autoimmune conditions call for extra caution. ^[7] At our clinic, GLT™ Collagen Volume Lifting with Juvelook Volume isn't the right treatment for people who have had an autoimmune disease since childhood, such as Behçet's disease, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Tell your dermatologist about any past reactions to hyaluronic acid or polylactic acid products.

Swelling and bruising can occur after injections for under-eye hollows and usually settle on their own. ^[1] Under-eye fine-line treatment with the Healer is different: in our clinic's experience it doesn't cause swelling, because the product is placed very close to the skin surface, though small red marks from the Hycoox injector's 9 fine needles can last 1–3 days (up to 1–7 days with sensitive skin). After under-eye Volume Lifting with Juvelook Volume, swelling lasts 3–7 days on average; in some people it can last 10–14 days. In our clinic's experience this is part of the normal response as your skin starts building collagen. Bruising is uncommon; if it happens, it usually clears within about 2 weeks. Thin under-eye skin also makes unevenness easier to see. ^[1]

Nodules are uncommon, but they have been reported after PDLLA treatment of the tear trough. ^[8] An expert consensus notes they are mainly caused by injection technique that lets product build up in one spot. ^[7] The manufacturer (Vaim) describes how they can usually be softened and spread. ^[5] At our clinic, if a nodule is suspected, our dermatologists treat it with sterile saline, RF microneedling to soften the particles, and firm, controlled massage. See Juvelook lumps and nodules.

Message us on WhatsApp or Instagram DM (@glassyskinclinic_global), or use our booking form. Please book at least one day ahead.

Related: Under-eye hollows and the mid-cheek · Juvelook vs Juvelook Volume · What is Juvelook? · Fine lines · Volume loss