Off-label use of facial fillers could help under-eye darkness

You might be surprised what you can do to fight cancer with what you do and what you eat.

Ask just about any plastic surgeon about how much of their business is due to people’s beach time and sun time and they’ll tell you it’s a good amount.

“A lot of our business comes from photoaging or sun damage over the years,” said Dr. Jon Mendelsohn.

It’s one of the reasons that Dr. Jon Mendelsohn, a facial plastic surgeon suggests you take steps to protect yourself.

“Wear your sunscreen, wear your hat, and sunglasses, stay hydrated,” said Dr. Jon Mendelsohn.

Even with all that, the sun’s powerful rays can raise skin cancer risk.

There’s a couple things to know about sunlight on a cloudy day: You can still have it pass through to your skin, so there’s no substitute for sunblock or sunscreen but there are a few things you might be able to do to sort of protect your skin from the inside out.

It’s all because a recent summary report in eating well found a few foods in your diet might work to place a natural sunscreen in your body.

Many are turning to an off-label use for a facial filler to give the under eyes a bit of a boost.

Karen Whitney, a physician assistant at the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center in Norwood, uses a tiny needle to inject what’s called hyaluronic acid underneath the eye area. That’s a natural substance that holds moisture and is re-absorbed by the body. This is considered an off-label use for it.

The product Whitney prefers is called Vollure.

“Vollure is FDA-approved for soft improvements, softening [and] lifting, of facial lines — expression lines, especially around the mouth. However it’s a very nice product if someone needs a little bit of lift in the tear trough area to help replace volume that’s been lost with aging,” Whitney said.

Vollure is FDA-approved to last about a year-and-a-half, and Whitney says they’ve seen good results with this product in terms of longevity.

The main risks for Vollure are bruising. It’s not suggested you do this within a week or two of a major event in case you do have that under your eyes.

These products range in cost depending on area. Vollure costs around $700 dollars for the under-eye area. It’s not covered by medical insurance plans.