Under-eye treatments, compared honestly.
We offer exactly one of the treatments on this page — and it still isn't right for every under-eye concern. That should tell you how this guide is written.
Match the treatment to the cause.
Dark circles and tired-looking eyes have several distinct causes — pigmentation, hollowing, visible vessels, skin quality, lifestyle — and each responds to different things. Start with the causes guide if you haven't identified yours.
PRP (what we offer)
Best evidence for skin quality and some pigmentation-related darkness. Not the answer for hollows. Course-based, uses your own blood, no implanted product. Our page on it says the same thing this guide does.
Tear trough filler
The established option where the cause is a hollow — restoring volume with hyaluronic acid filler. Technically demanding, practitioner choice matters enormously. We don't offer it; where a hollow is your issue, we'll say so and you can seek an experienced medical practitioner for it.
Polynucleotides
The fastest-growing option in this category, and the one you'll see advertised most. Polynucleotides are injectable preparations derived from purified DNA fragments (commonly salmon or trout), aimed at skin quality rather than volume — so they're aimed at broadly the same concerns as under-eye PRP.
We don't offer them, so treat this as an outsider's summary: the marketing is well ahead of the published evidence, the courses are typically three sessions a few weeks apart, and prices generally sit above PRP. Several clinics near Stoke and Crewe have moved toward polynucleotides recently, which tells you where the category is heading commercially — not necessarily where the evidence is.
If someone recommends them to you, the questions are the same ones you should ask us: what exactly is being injected, what does the evidence actually show for your concern, and what happens if it doesn't work?
Skincare and retinoids
Consistent, well-chosen skincare genuinely helps skin-quality-related darkness over months — the cheapest sensible starting point, and a pharmacist can advise without any injectable involved.
Sleep, allergies, screens and salt
Unfashionable and real: allergy management, sleep position and habits visibly affect the under-eye area for many people. Free, and worth honest attention before any needle.
Not sure which cause is yours?
That's the assessment. If PRP fits, we'll explain why. If it doesn't, we'll point you at what does.
Book a free consultation