Dark circles refer to dark patches in a roughly semi-circular shape on the lower eyelids, or a noticeably darkening of the lower eyelid skin pigments. Unlike bags under the eyes, dark circles are not caused by the forward protrusion of orbital fat that is an inevitable result of aging, and the primary cause is a congenital problem in the lower eyelid structure. As a result, because dark circles often occur in relatively young age groups and give the appearance of tiredness and poor health even in young and healthy individuals, they often produce a significant psychological complex in the persons who have them. It was previously thought impossible to correct dark circles by surgical procedures, and the primary methods of treatment include skin care (application of whitening agents or laser exposure), massages to improve blood flow, and nutritional supplements.
However, none of these treatments produce dramatic results, and dark circles have been a source of concern for many persons as a problem that cannot be corrected. Dr. Takayuki Kubo, Director of CUVO, has applied the latest surgical techniques acquired in the United States to develop a new treatment method which can correct the problem in the lower eyelid structure. In the same way as treatment for bags under the eyes, this method does not involve cutting the skin and enters from behind the eye (conjunctiva). Because it completely eliminates the risk of scars or other aftereffects, it can be used to confidently treat younger persons who are concerned about such risks. The time to recovery (down time) is short, and most swelling disappears within approximately 2 - 3 days. The dark circles which existed prior to treatment are expected to almost completely disappear within approximately 1 month after the treatment.
General procedure time
30-minute procedure
(This is a no downtime procedure)
Effective procedure in combination with the following
There is a very delicate structure around the eyelids that responds to the fine movements of the eyes. The eyeball support tissue is also delicate, and the relaxing of this support tissue with aging causes the lower eyelid fat tissue to project forward. Asians have a lot of lower eyelid fat tissue and the bags under the eyes with aging becomes very pronounced.
For this reason, treating the very delicate lower eyelid structure requires specialized skill acquired through much experience. From the time Ginza CUVO opened until today (as of October 2011), Dr. Kubo has handled over 6,000 cases by conducting all of the counseling, procedures, and follow-up himself. The result of this extensive treatment experience is Dr. Kubo being one of the few physicians that can safely and surely perform lower eyelid surgery, which is said to be one of the most difficult procedures in the field of aesthetic plastic surgery. This is one of the major distinguishing features of the Ginza CUVO. Following are some typical cases of treatment for bags under the eyes from when the clinic first opened in 2005. Some of the clients had received counseling for bags under their eyes from other clinics.
Case Study
Ms. Y.K. of Shibuya Ward
For many years I was bothered by the dark circles under my eyes and lost my confidence every time I looked in the mirror. Several years ago I went to a dermatologist and was told that I had atopic dermatitis and that the symptoms could not be treated until my constitution improved. The beauty salon told me my blood circulation was poor, and so I received the recommended massages, but there was no improvement. I thought maybe the symptom was caused by pigmentation collecting under my eyes and so tried applying a whitener and receiving dye laser treatment at an aesthetic dermatology clinic, but there was no improvement. I had figured there was nothing that could bedone and was about to give up when I found CUVO while net surfing and went there to receive counseling. When talking to the doctor he told me that there was a 70 to 80 percent of chance the dark circles under my eyes could beimproved by surgical treatment, so I decided to receive the surgery. Thanks to the doctor the dark circles are gone and I'm so glad I received the treatment.
Ms. Y.M. of Koto Ward
I think the bags or dark circles under my eyes had been bothering me for about 7 years, but I didn't know what they were. At one point I couldn't stand it any longer and visited an aesthetic plastic surgeon. I was told that they could be removed by cutting away some of the skin from under the eyes and decided to receive the surgery. After the swelling went away I was astonished to see that the same symptom as before was still there. In the end, except for the scars under my eyes, nothing had changed and I was sorry I received the treatment. I thought this symptom couldn't be treated, but it still bothered me. A friend told me about the Ginza CUVO Clinic, so I visited for a consultation. I was told the symptom was not bags under my eyes but dark circles. The problem was caused by the shape under the eyes and that fixing that would solve the problem. I decided to trust the doctor. In truth I was worried and wondered if it would really get better, but I decided to go ahead with the treatment. I don't know if this was because it was the second time I had been treated, but the swelling was really bad for a week after the surgery. But after the swelling went away, the dark circles were really gone. Dr. Kubo, thank you so much!
Ms. U.S. of Setagaya Ward
I'm a system engineer and for my work I spend long hours looking at a computer screen every day. Lately people at work have been saying, "The dark circles under your eyes are really bad" and asking me, "Are you OK?" or "Are you getting enough sleep?" And when I ask them why they say, "Because you have dark circles under your eyes." Since before this I had begun worrying about the sagging of my face when I looked at my reflection in the train windows, so when I looked carefully at the area under my eyes in the mirror, I could see the dark shadows, which was depressing. I learned about this clinic while net surfing and was told that the fat under the eyes emphasizes the dark circles. Since it would be good to treat both the bags and dark circles under my eyes, I decided to get both treatments. It has been one month since the treatments and the results are as I hoped and I'm very satisfied.
