The tear trough deformity is characterised by a sunken appearance of the eye and a resultant dark shadow cast in the lower eyelid region. It is not exclusively a result of facial ageing and a mild tear trough may be seen in younger patients. It is the deepening of the trough and changes to the surrounding soft tissue architecture that occur with age, which leads to the characteristic features of the tear trough deformity.8
Patients who request correction of the tear trough deformity often present complaining of dark circles, a fatigued appearance, or aged or an un-aesthetically pleasing groove around the eye. Traditional techniques to address this cosmetic issue previously relied on chemical peels or surgical excision of skin, muscle and fat.17 More recently the need to restore volume to the orbit as part of an overall rejuvenation strategy has been appreciated, with treatment of the…
