I like to refer to myself as a baby beauty editor. This means that while I enjoy testing a lot of topical products like makeup and skin care, when it comes to the more invasive procedures, I quiver in my boots. I’m scared, OK? There, I said it. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, this job has introduced me to some lesser-known but more intensive treatments like AviClear, stem-cell facials, and various “tweakments” like “lip-gloss filler” and PRP injections. As a result, I’ve become increasingly interested in small procedures that make a world of difference with just a few pricks of a well-placed syringe.
For the longest time, I’ve been extremely insecure about my undereyes. I was pretty much born without volume there (seriously, I looked at a pre-K picture of myself, and I looked like I’d just come in from a 24-hour work shift). I thought that I would be relegated to a life of trying to cover the hollowness with concealer until I learned about a type of undereye filler called Restylane Eyelight.
What Is Restylane Eyelight?
Restylane Eyelight is a clear, injectable gel made of hyaluronic acid (HA), which is a natural substance that already exists in the body. Not only is it the only FDA-approved dermal filler for use under the eyes, but it also uses Nasha technology, which means it has a firm gel texture that is resistant to water absorption, therefore producing a more pronounced lift. This is opposed to something like Restylane Kysse, which is a bit more pliable and made to move with your lips.
My Restylane Eyelight Experience
My fear of invasive procedures likely comes from hearing horror stories about people’s botched results. To mitigate this, I went to one of the top dermatologists in New York City with a demonstrated portfolio of successful undereye filler treatments: Michelle Henry, MD, FAAD.
When I got situated in her office, she first used a lidocaine cream to numb me for about 40 minutes before starting. “The goal of Eyelight is for your results to look subtle and natural, so we can always build upon it later,” Dr. Henry says. A good rule of thumb for any injector is to be more conservative than overzealous with injections. It is much easier to add more filler than it is to take it away.
After an initial injection to puncture the skin, Dr. Henry went in with a cannula, which is essentially just a longer needle tip, and started filling the area. She used what can best be described as a “fanning” technique, injecting the filler toward the inner corner of my eye, then toward the middle and out until she reached the other side of my eye. The entire time, she would stop periodically to assess her work and press the filler down with her finger to make sure it was looking as natural as possible. The actual injecting process looked pretty graphic, but I promise I didn’t feel a single thing.
Restylane Eyelight Results
I had no downtime with this procedure and walked right out of my appointment to get on the train home. Dr. Henry’s office provided me with some ice packs and 20 milligrams of Prednisone, which is a corticosteroid that helps reduce swelling.
Following my injections, I had no swelling under my eyes. “The really good thing about Restylane Eyelight, in general, is that it’s not very immunoreactive,” Dr. Henry says. “You don’t see many individuals’ immune systems react to it, and we don’t see as many nodules.” This turned out to be the case for me, because I didn’t react to the injections at all.
Now that it’s been a few months, my results still look as natural as they did on day one. I can still see some of the markings from where the more prominent hollows under my eye were, but this leads me to believe that one more round of filler would make them disappear completely. Still, I think it makes the area look more natural, so I may just do a consultation with Dr. Henry before deciding.
In all, my Restylane Eyelight experience was flawless. Though other fillers have been used as off-label treatments for undereye hollowing, knowing that there’s one that is FDA-approved specifically makes me a big fan of this product. Eyelight will be the filler that I stick with moving forward.
