REPIC Clinic Gangnam — Dermatology Clinic
Dark circles
Dark circles come in four kinds: vessels showing through thin skin, brown pigment, a hollow that casts a shadow, and a fat bulge that casts one. Concealer hides all four. Treatment does not.
What usually causes it
- 01
Vessels showing through thin skin
The skin under the eye is thin, and the vessels below tint it blue or purple. Nothing is wrong with the vessels. The skin is just too thin to hide them, so the fix is to make it thicker.
How we tell them apart
- Bluish or purple, not brown
- Fades when you press gently on it
- Worse when tired, unwell or after alcohol
What we'd suggest, by cause
Under-Eye Filler
A thin layer to cover the vessels.
Collagen booster (Juvelook Eye · COLLAUM 240)
A collagen booster suited to thin under-eye skin, aimed at thickening the skin itself.
- 02
Brown pigment
Actual melanin in the skin, often genetic or from rubbing and allergies. It does not blanch and does not move with head position.
How we tell them apart
- Brown or gray-brown tone
- Still there when you stretch or press the skin
- Often on the upper lid too, and in family members
What we'd suggest, by cause
Pico Toning (Helios 4) + Hollywood Toning
Pico toning handles the shallow pigment and Hollywood toning handles the deeper pigment.
- 03
Structural hollow (tear trough)
A groove between the lower lid and the cheek casts a shadow. The front of the cheek almost always needs support at the same time, or the fill looks like a bump.
How we tell them apart
- Shadow disappears when you tilt your head back or light comes from below
- A visible groove from the inner corner down toward the cheek
- Worse after losing weight
What we'd suggest, by cause
Under-Eye Filler
Collagen booster (Juvelook Eye · COLLAUM 240)
A collagen booster suited to thin under-eye skin, gradually building density to support the hollow.
3D Design Filler (front cheek)
The front cheek usually gets treated together with the trough.
- 04
Fat bulge (eye bags)
The fat pad under the eye pushes forward, and the shadow under the bulge reads as a dark circle. Filling under a bag makes the bag bigger.
How we tell them apart
- A puffy bulge above the shadow
- Worse in the morning
- Looks bigger when you look up
What we'd suggest, by cause
Ultherapy (under-eye, 3.0 + 1.5 mm)
Tightens the skin over the bulge. Larger bags are a surgical question, and we will say so.
Diagnosis comes first
What we look for first is what happens when you tilt your head back under a light. Shadows from hollows or bags move; pigment and vessels do not. Pressing the skin blanches vessels but not brown pigment. The scan then separates pigment from redness.
At the Gangnam clinic a doctor examines your skin in person first. Then a Mark-Vu/Meta-Vu scan and the RSTI report put numbers on what they saw. The plan is built from both, not from the name of the treatment you came in asking for.
Good to know
- Most people have two of these. Vessels plus a hollow is the classic combination.
- Under the eye is one of the easiest places to overfill. Less, done twice, beats more once.
- Sleep and allergies are real factors. If yours change after a good week of sleep, the vessel type is likely.
Common questions
Is under-eye filler a good idea?
It is a delicate area and the doctor examines it in person first. Where the cause is a hollow, a small amount placed with cheek support is the standard approach. Where the cause is a bag, we do not fill.
Can dark circles be removed for good?
Pigment can be lightened and hollows supported, but thin skin and the way you sleep do not go away. Think of it as managed, with top-ups.
Any downtime?
Filler and boosters: some bruising is possible. Toning: little. Ultherapy: tenderness. Sunglasses cover most of it on the flight home.
Other concerns
Results vary from person to person. A doctor decides on treatment after examining you, and nothing on this page is a promise of outcome.