Whatever You Do, Don't Even Think About Getting Botox Under Your Eyes

If you're looking into filler and Botox, nothing will make you run the other way faster than seeing someone in real life who went overboard and looks like they're a statue of themselves: zero facial expressions, overly puffy, or lumpy cheeks and chins. Many talented doctors and nurses who administer these services are trying to fight that stigma, especially because there is an art to creating a natural-looking face with filler.

Hollywood is filled (puns, ha) with gorgeous faces who never seem to age, and it's not just because they have a great photo editor. Some of them might have invested in plastic surgery, but chance are, most of the mugs you see have been touched by needles.

Fillers and Botox can help smooth out a few intense lines, shape your jawline, or plump up hollow areas. And it's meant to be a natural and easy option for those who want to look as well-rested as they feel. Injectables can be a great supplement to your beauty routine, as long as you go to the right injector and as long as you know exactly what you're in for.

One of the biggest issues we experience once we hit 30 is ageing around the eyes. We see lines underneath and perhaps even hollowness there, as well. We spoke to Dr. Guy Massry, a top LA-based Oculoplastic board-certified surgeon, about how to make hollowness and lines appear less severe.

"The hollows under the eyes are the first facial appearance change that's new," said Dr. Massry. "If a woman felt that she wanted to have a larger breast, she probably knew earlier on, but didn't do it until a certain age. But in terms of a true change (to the face), an architectural, physiologic change, hollows under the eyes are very common."

Dr. Massry explains that a lot of factors can contribute to these hollows: changes in the bony skeleton and soft tissue of the face, for starters. "What happens is the middle face, the cheek, is a heavy part of the face, and the eyelids are a light part. So the heavier part stretches down, and the lighter part covers the bone under the eye, rather than the thick cheek tissue."

Hollowness under the eye can make it look like you're not well-rested, even if you've gotten all the sleep in the world, which is why Dr. Massry suggests the use of fillers to help add volume. "The best way to address it, if you can't camouflage it with makeup, is the use of fillers," he said. "There are all kinds, but the golden rule is always do something that's reversible."

Hyaluronic acid fillers are the go-tos, such as Juvaderm and Restylane. He said that rarely in the US do they use anything that isn't reversible, but it's important to be careful and do your research on who you see, or else you could make a mistake of epic proportions. Think: Botched on E!

Speaking of botched, it's also important that when it comes to Botox, you avoid the under-eye lines. "Filler is an agent that expands and fills. Botox is a muscle weakening agent. It's a paralysing agent," said Dr. Massry. "It comes from botulism, which is obviously very dangerous. It's a millionth of the dose of botulism, which cannot hurt you systemically. But when you inject under the eyes, you weaken the muscle that creates those wrinkles, which is OK, but there is a particular subgroup of patients that have predisposing issues that if you weaken it, it can lead to a few things, which are all temporary."

Side effects include tearing of the eye, and this can create a droop of the lower lid. The lids can also look more puffy, because those muscles contract and pull fat back, but if you weaken the muscles, the fat can push forward.

"I would say out of all the people who want Botox under their eyes, I treat one out of five, because if anyone is in that high risk category, I wouldn't do it," said Dr. Massry. "Again, you have to be an eyelid expert to do this kind of stuff."

The good news, though, is there aren't a ton of complications with Botox. Sure, you can look frozen, but it will go away. "As long as you buy Botox in the United States from the companies who make it, you're safe," he added.

If you are serious about getting Botox in that area, always make sure you find a seasoned professional. Massry suggests an Oculoplastic surgeon, but there are plenty of cosmetic dermatologists and registered nurses who have valuable experience as well. Just make sure they're familiar with the eye area.