Can Fat Grafting Improve Undereye Hollows?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have very hollow tear troughs and I am pale enough that the darkness is noticeable. I’ve done regular fillers in them in the past but was looking for a more long term option to fat graft to them. I am mostly interested in seeing if it is possible.

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your picture. While injection fat grafting to the lower eyelids/undereye hollows is an appropriate treatment for them, it is a procedure in my experience with a high rate of irregularities in the unforgiving thin tissues of the lower eyelids for which revision is very difficult to remove and/or eradicate them. Thus it is not a procedure that I am comfortable doing any longer knowing that most patients will end up with the need for a revision. I only treat under eye hollows today with either standard or ustom undereye implants where the issues of irregularities and asymmetries are minimized.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana