You can look in the mirror and see a lighter, less tired under-eye area, with no incision showing on the surface of your skin.
The bags under your eyes are made of fat that normally sits around the eyeball. Over time, this fat can push forward and form small puffy pockets below the lash line, leaving your face looking tired even after a full night's sleep. Transconjunctival lower eyelid fat removal takes away some of this fat through an incision placed inside the lower lid, on the conjunctiva, which is the moist lining on the inner surface of the eyelid. Because of where the incision sits, it leaves no scar on your skin. This is not the right choice for everyone, and an in-person consultation is the only way to know whether it fits you.
Everything begins with an examination and a conversation. Your doctor will listen to what you hope for, examine the amount of under-eye fat, the firmness of your lower-lid skin, and how stable your lid margin is, and ask about your eye history and general health. This is also your moment to raise every question and to agree together on whether the inner approach suits you, or whether another method should be combined with it.
Before the procedure, you will usually be asked to fast for a set time and to complete some routine tests. If you take medicines such as aspirin or a blood thinner, these need to be paused beforehand as your doctor directs. Tell your doctor about every medicine you take so you can receive specific guidance.
The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia, sometimes with light sedation to keep you more comfortable, depending on the case and your doctor's assessment. The plan for your anesthesia will be explained to you beforehand.
Your doctor makes a small incision on the inner surface of the lower lid, on the conjunctival side, reaches the fat pockets, and removes some of the excess fat, shaping the area so the under-eye looks smooth and balanced. Because the incision sits inside the lid, stitches in the skin are usually not needed, or only very few are used, and no scar is left on the surface. The procedure takes place at a licensed medical facility and usually lasts around an hour.
Transconjunctival lower eyelid fat removal targets the excess fat that makes the under-eye area puffy. The result does not appear in full right away, because swelling needs time to settle, and how much changes differs from person to person depending on the amount of fat and the features of your eye area.
Because this procedure is done under local anesthesia, you usually go home the same day. Recovery unfolds in stages and differs from person to person. The milestones below are general reference ranges, not exact figures for you; your doctor will give you specific guidance.
Every procedure carries risk, and transconjunctival lower eyelid fat removal is no different. Serious complications are uncommon, especially when you are examined carefully and treated by a specialist at a licensed medical facility, but no one can rule them out completely. Your doctor will talk through these fully before you decide.
At The Gioi Dep, we start with a careful examination and by listening closely to what you hope for, before we talk about technique. Your doctor assesses the amount of under-eye fat, the firmness of your skin, and how stable your lid margin is, to decide whether the inner approach suits you or whether another method should be combined with it, and speaks plainly about the limits too, because an honest plan is the foundation for a result you can feel good about.
The procedure takes place at a licensed medical facility with anesthesia and safety monitoring in place. Your care does not stop when you leave the procedure room: you are given clear guidance on how to care for your eyes, use cool compresses, and what to avoid, along with follow-up visits so your doctor can watch how you heal and stay alongside you if anything needs adjusting.
During the procedure you do not feel pain, thanks to the anesthesia, sometimes with light sedation as well. Afterward there is often a gritty feeling, a sense of tightness, or mild discomfort for the first few days, most of which is managed with medicine as directed by your doctor.
The incision sits on the inner surface of the lower lid, on the conjunctival side, so it leaves no scar on the skin of your face. This is exactly why many people choose the inner approach when the main concern is excess fat rather than loose skin.
Because it is done under local anesthesia, you usually go home the same day. Many people return to office work after about 1 week, once bruising and swelling have eased, though the eye area may still be a little swollen. This timeline differs from person to person.
The goal is a smoother, lighter under-eye area that looks balanced, not hollow and not obviously worked on. Your doctor adjusts how much fat is removed for each eye, but cannot promise a particular result in advance, because outcomes differ from person to person.
Not entirely. The inner approach addresses the fat that makes the under-eye puffy; dark circles, on the other hand, can come from skin pigment, blood vessels, or a hollow groove. During the examination, your doctor will tell these causes apart and discuss how far this method can help.
The inner approach removes only fat and does not trim away skin. If your lower-lid skin is loose or heavily wrinkled, your doctor may suggest a different method, or add another step, to address the skin too. The consultation will help find the right direction for you.
Age on its own is not a barrier. What matters more is the state of your skin, the amount of fat, how stable your lower lid is, and your general health. A consultation will help determine whether the procedure is safe and suitable for you.
You may notice a change fairly early, but swelling needs time to settle. The under-eye area usually stabilizes gradually over several weeks to several months, and how much it changes depends on your individual body.
The fat that is taken out usually does not grow back on its own, but the area around your eyes keeps changing with age and your individual body, so the result should not be seen as fixed forever. Your doctor will talk through this honestly with you.
Sometimes a small adjustment is needed, for example when some fat is left behind or the two sides are not quite even. If you have concerns about the result, talk them through with your doctor at your follow-up visits so you can find the right way forward together.
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The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.