New Eye Lift Treatment on the Market

Dec. 20, 2005 — -- Dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo developed a new technique to eliminate wrinkles and folds around the eyes -- the bane of many women's existence.

Ciraldo's injectable eye-filling technique was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003. Restylene, the active ingredient in the injections, expands like a sponge and holds 1,000 times its weight in water. The treatment lasts six to 12 months. Each treatment costs $600 to $800.

One patient came to Ciraldo, who is a professor at the University of Miami, hoping to perk up her droopy eyes. She was bothered by the fact that her upper eyelid was no longer visible.

"I inserted filler directly under the eyebrow, in a series of small injections, until I had successfully raised the brow to the point where the upper eyelid was visible," Ciraldo said.

The treatments can also help reduce bags underneath the eyes, Ciraldo said.

"I injected the groove that is created directly under the bag," she said. "When we fill out the groove, it essentially eliminates the bag by smoothing it out with the rest of the face."

Ciraldo says she is one of the first people to use Restylene around the eyes. Before, it had been used to lift the folds in the lower face and around mouth.

The procedure is nonsurgical and virtually painless. It causes minimal bruising but can result in some lumpiness.