Dr. Hong Addresses Complexities of Under-Eye Filler Treatments
News related to:Cliff Clinic · 2 min read
Under-eye filler treatments have long been a popular cosmetic procedure, but Dr. Gunwoo Hong of Cliff Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, has identified the need for more nuanced understanding of the issues surrounding these treatments. On August 26, Dr. Hong addressed these complexities at the 7th Aesthetic Medicine Innovation Forum, hosted by the Young Aesthetic Physicians Medical Society at BTQ Clinic.
Dr. Hong began his lecture by separating what patients commonly refer to as a dark circle into three distinct components: a depression along the under-eye grooves, a loss of skin elasticity, and actual dark pigment in the skin. In many patients, these components overlap, and each requires a different approach. Treating a hollow as if it were pigment, or pigment as if it were a hollow, is where results often go wrong.
Dr. Hong explained that when performing lower eyelid fat repositioning or under-eye filler, adding volume without first identifying the cause tends to fill areas that never needed it. This approach can result in unnatural-looking outcomes and the onset of side effects. He emphasized that an anatomical diagnosis must come before any treatment decision.
The lecture then focused on the depression component, which Dr. Hong described as made up of three grooves: the tear trough, the palpebromalar groove, and the midcheek groove. Each groove sits at different depths over different tissue, necessitating the use of different injection planes, instruments, and filler properties for each. Dr. Hong demonstrated how he applied two Galderma products according to this principle. Restylane Original, with its high cohesivity, was placed in deeper planes where firm structural support and localized volume were required. Restylane Defyne, with greater tissue adaptability, was used in more superficial areas where the filler needed to spread evenly and move with facial expression.
In his clinical case presentations, Dr. Hong presented site-specific injection strategies intended to reduce complications from under-eye filler while producing a natural lifting effect. He named three habits that decide patient satisfaction: assessing the result immediately after injection, molding the product carefully with a cotton swab, and stopping short of overcorrection.
Dr. Hong's lecture provided a practical framework for planning treatment structure by structure, giving aesthetic physicians a more nuanced understanding of under-eye issues. The lecture's insights have the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications associated with under-eye filler treatments.
The Young Aesthetic Physicians Medical Society, a community of younger physicians in aesthetic plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine, hosted the forum. The society's representative noted that dark circles and under-eye hollowness cannot be explained by a single cause, and Dr. Hong's lecture gave members a practical approach to addressing these complex issues.