The Phenomenon of Malar Bags

Malar Bags Behave Like a Chameleon

Malar bags are among the findings that our patients often find difficult to describe. On some days they immediately see the swelling on the cheekbone in the mirror. On other days, almost nothing is visible. Often the same area feels heavier in the evening than in the morning. Or after a warm night compared to a cool day.

We know this pattern. Malar bags change constantly. Sleep, temperature, alcohol, salt, sauna, fluid intake, hormonal fluctuations, an injection that was done years ago, sluggish lymphatic drainage, metabolism and water retention in the tissue all influence their appearance.

Malar Bags Are..

Soft to firmer protrusions on the upper cheekbone. They sit below the lower eyelid, at the transition between the lower eyelid and cheekbone. Malar bags are often mistakenly confused with tear bags or used synonymously.

Several factors usually contribute to the cause: age-related tissue weakness, altered fat pads, decreasing elasticity, lymphatic congestion and fluid accumulation. In some people, malar bags are simply genetic. In others, the condition is mainly dynamic and fluctuates significantly. Malar bags affect all age groups.

Malar bags react sensitively to fluid shifts. Cooling, movement or a different daily routine can also have an effect.

Artificial Malar Bags: When Swelling is Caused by Hyaluronic Acid

An often overlooked aspect: malar bags are not always naturally occurring. They can also develop or be intensified as a result of inappropriate injections in the eye area.

At artethic®, we expressly point out that artificial malar bags are possible after tear trough or lower eyelid treatments with unsuitable hyaluronic acid preparations. Filler residues can accumulate in the fat pads on the cheekbone even years later and intensify swelling there.

Hyaluronic acid is controversial in the eye area. The substance binds water and can slightly change position. Depending on its proximity to the eye, this can affect lymphatic flow.

Laser is Also Not the Method of Choice

We also view the use of laser for malar bags critically. It may seem tempting in the short term, but often does not improve the swelling sustainably. In the worst case, it becomes more pronounced.

These are just some of the reasons why malar bags so often cause frustration on the patient's side: the area reacts very individually and "doing something" does not automatically mean "improving something".

Patience is Important

The desire for an immediate effect is understandable. With malar bags, this rarely works. The change in tissue is a biological process and it takes some time.

The treatment is successful when malar bags can be reduced by at least 50 percent. If this is the case, the overall appearance looks significantly more even. Most of those affected no longer feel burdened in everyday life from this point on.

What is Important After Treatment

After successful treatment, you should avoid everything that could stimulate the sensitive area again. Or reduce it to a minimum. For example, sauna and solarium, alcohol and anything that increases water retention in the tissue. We will give you specific guidance on this.

Bear in mind: your own angle of view also plays a role. Someone who checks in the same mirror from a short distance every morning perceives even the smallest changes more strongly than other people. A small test for at home: the 8-angle observation. You look in the mirror frontally, then from the side, then at an angle, under different lighting conditions and with more or less distance.