Bags under eyes
and other eye questions

Q. Good morning. I am a very young 58 except for these tremendous bags under my eyes. My mother had the same thing.

Is there a non surgical treatment that can help so I do not look so haggard/sad all the time? Thanks for your time. Janie

A. Sorry. The only thing that truly treats bags under the eyes is surgery. So don't waste your time on expensive creams that will not work.

Q. I am a Black woman with dark circles around my eyes. What treatment/product would you recommend to even the tone of the skin around my eyes?

A. Unfortunately, there isn't anything that really works on under eye dark circles. The reason being that this darkness is created by translucency in the skin which allows you to see the vascular plexus (blood vessels) underneath; this is what causes the darkness.

So, bleaching creams are not helpful. New creams are on the market but these blood vessels have not shown much improvement.

Q. What is your recommended nonsurgical approach to eyelid lifting/firming? Are there any effective creams and exercises available?

A. Yes, your dermatologist can recommend several different topicals - both prescription and OTC which can really help this area as opposed to wasting your money with an expensive cream from the cosmetic counter.