With age comes hormonal changes and collagen depletion. These cause skin to dry out and lose much of its firmness and makes you much more vulnerable to sagging skin. The area around the eye is especially susceptible to wrinkling and many turn to surgical procedures like blepharoplasty or eye lift. Now, there is a non-surgical option that uses injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers.

Discussed today on The Dr. Oz Show, these injections are a popular choice for patients who would rather have a temporary improvement than undergo the pain and downtime of surgery. HA is a material commonly found in many facial fillers like Juvederm and Restylane. It's naturally found in skin and maintains volume and pliability. The unique property of this acid is its ability to bind with water molecules up to 1000 times its original size, making it an excellent choice for a filler. Because it can bind with water, it is extremely safe when eliminated with regular body waste over time.

The injections are placed under the eye after a topical numbing solution has been allowed to take effect. Before injection, medicines that thin the blood and contribute to bleeding should be stopped to reduce any risk of excess bleeding. Results are apparent immediately and will continue to improve over time. Though not as dramatic as the results of surgery, many patient's are willing to trade those for the lack of risk and downtime, as well as reduced cost of the injections. Following the injections, some redness and bruising is common and patients will need to return in a few months time for follow up treatment.

Results of Hyaluronic Acid Injections Immediately Following Procedure
Image Courtesy of www.doctoroz.com