The Sneaky Link Between Lash Serums & Dark Circles, From A Plastic Surgeon

As a beauty editor, a significant part of my job involves testing products—a lot of products. I'm constantly updating my routine so that I'm able to make well-informed recommendations, and I'm more than happy to play guinea pig in the name of beauty journalism. 

But if there's one item that often gives me pause, it's a lash serum. I'll brave a spicy microneedling appointment without batting an eye, but a mere swipe of serum so close to my orbs sends a chill up my spine. See, the eye area is super sensitive—apply the wrong lash serum, and you might wind up with tears, itching, and redness. And for some…deeper dark circles? 

To be clear, not all lash serums exacerbate under-eye woes. It's the ones that contain prostaglandin analogues (PGAs) you might want to steer clear of, Youn shares in a recent TikTok video. 

These ingredients were initially used to treat glaucoma patients1 (with a drug called Bimatoprost) before researchers realized those patients had grown much thicker, fuller lashes. They discovered that the actives could actually extend the growth phase of hair; as a result, PGAs became the hero ingredients in more than a few clinical lash serums on the market. 

But here's the issue with those PGAs: They have also been associated with periorbital volume loss, or as Youn puts it, "melting" the fat around your eyes. "There was a recent study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal that found that this is true," he shares. 

"The good news is that evidence shows this effect may be reversible if you stop using the treatment," Youn adds. It may take some patience, and it might not work for everyone, but perhaps stop using the serum if you think a PGA-infused formula might be the culprit for that fat loss.