"Dr. Ou, I sleep plenty, so why are my dark circles still so deep?"
No matter how much concealer you use, do tear trough dark circles still make you look tired and drained? Dark circles are not caused only by lack of sleep. They can also come from pigment around the eyes, blood vessels under the skin, tear trough hollowness, or protruding eye bags. (Further reading: Which type of tear trough do I have?)
"Panda injection," which has drawn attention in recent years, is an injection treatment aimed mainly at dark circles, tear troughs and hollowness around the eyes. Sunmax collagen implant is currently the only legally approved panda injection in Taiwan. It is milky white, like concealer placed under the skin, and can cover pigment-type and vascular-type dark circles. Regular top-ups can suppress melanin activity and help lighten dark circles. (Further reading: How to treat the 4 types of dark circles)
What Is Panda Injection? What Are the Main Ingredients?
Panda injection is naturally purified collagen that is highly compatible with the human body. Do not confuse it with collagen stimulators: panda injection itself does not stimulate collagen production. Its main function is to cover pigment, not to fill large hollow areas.
One important role of panda injection is that it can suppress melanin formation. When our skin makes melanin, it needs an enzyme called tyrosinase. It works like a key machine in a factory, converting the raw material tyrosine step by step into brown pigment and eumelanin.
Some of the amino acids produced when the collagen in panda injection breaks down can lower tyrosinase activity. In other words, they make this "melanin factory" run more slowly. In theory this may reduce the formation of new melanin and gradually improve dullness around the eyes.
In simple terms, the process is:
Collagen breakdown products → lower tyrosinase activity → less melanin production → skin tone may look brighter
Which Eye-Area Problems Can Panda Injection Improve?
As I mentioned in earlier articles, dark circles are very hard to cure completely. The vast majority of people actually have mixed-type dark circles, and it is difficult to get rid of them with a single treatment.
Panda injection is only one way to deal with dark circles. If someone has severe allergies and their dark circles cover a wide area, even after panda injection they may only improve by 30–40%. Panda injection also does not last very long, so regular top-ups are usually needed, and only with persistence can the dark circles gradually fade.
In short, treating dark circles is a long-term effort that takes consistency. There is no overnight fix.
So I always set expectations with patients first: please do not treat panda injection as a miracle product, as if your dark circles will simply vanish after one session.
Is Panda Injection Suitable for All 4 Types of Dark Circles?
Pigment-type dark circles
Pigment-type dark circles are usually brown or coffee-colored and may be related to genetics, sun exposure, inflammation around the eyes and long-term eye rubbing.
Panda injection is not a standard substitute for pigment treatment. Even if some collagen treatments are used to improve the overall look of the eye area, when the main problem is melanin deposits, you should first deal with allergies, dermatitis, friction and UV exposure.
Vascular-type dark circles
The main cause of vascular-type dark circles is nasal allergy. Long-term allergy leads to poor blood circulation around the eyes, and the blood vessels show through as bluish-purple dark circles.
Panda injection can improve some vascular-type dark circles, but remember that it is like injecting concealer, and it is not permanent. If you have severe nasal allergies, the most fundamental step is still to see an allergy doctor as early as possible, otherwise you are only treating the symptom, not the cause.
Structural dark circles
Structural dark circles are what is commonly called the "tear trough." The safest materials for tear trough filling are hyaluronic acid or collagen stimulators. Depending on the brand, hyaluronic acid usually lasts 1 to 2 years, and collagen stimulators can last more than 2 years.
When a supportive filler such as hyaluronic acid or a collagen stimulator fills the hollow apple cheeks and the superficial tear trough, the shadow-type dark circle from the tear trough is lightened. Of course, tear trough filling depends heavily on the doctor's skill, and if it fails, it can create tear trough "caterpillars" (lumpy ridges).
Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved, but a failed collagen stimulator cannot, so before deciding to fill the tear trough, be sure to do your homework on the pros and cons of each material. (Further reading: Tear trough improvement: 6 filling materials compared)
Panda injection lacks support, so the more reasonable role for it is as a skin nutrient, used in the superficial layer to smooth and refine. It is less suited to structural dark circles.
Mixed-type dark circles
Because panda injection itself has no support, the best solution for structural dark circles is still tear trough hyaluronic acid.
I usually suggest mixing one syringe of hyaluronic acid with one syringe of panda injection, to improve the structural dark circle and lighten the pigment at the same time. Because hyaluronic acid contains a cross-linker, mixing the two can also help the panda injection last longer, so you get the best of both.
If you also have eye bags in addition to the tear trough (for example, as prominent as in the photo below), I strongly recommend dealing with the eye bags first and only then considering other filling options. Never force panda injection or hyaluronic acid into an eye with eye bags, or it may look more and more puffy the more you fill.
How Is Panda Injection Different from Tear Trough Hyaluronic Acid?
If the clinic's "panda injection" is a collagen implant, it can be compared with hyaluronic acid in the following ways:
| Comparison | Collagen panda injection | Hyaluronic acid |
|---|---|---|
| Main ingredient | Collagen, depending on the product | Hyaluronic acid |
| Main function | Supports and softens hollows and under-eye shadows | Fills hollows and adds soft tissue volume |
| Under-eye appearance | Depends on texture, dose and injection depth | Wrong choice or injection can cause puffiness or a bluish tint |
| Allergy considerations | Animal-derived ingredients need special evaluation | Allergic or inflammatory reactions are still possible |
| Adjustability | Handled according to the product's ingredients and the problem | Some hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with hyaluronidase |
| Longevity | Varies by product and personal metabolism | Varies by product and personal metabolism |
If hyaluronic acid is injected too superficially, light scattering can cause a blue-gray Tyndall effect. Collagen products are not risk-free either, and can still cause nodules, unevenness, allergy or vascular complications.
Choosing a product should not come down to "which lasts longer." You should also consider the degree of eye bags, skin thickness, the extent of the hollowness, and how problems would be handled if they occur.
Who Should Consider Panda Injection?
After evaluation by a doctor, the following situations may be suitable:
- Obvious tear trough hollowness
- Structural dark circles
- Thin or dry under-eye skin
- Slight fine lines around the eyes
- Eye bags that are not severe
Who May Not Be Suitable?
The following groups should be evaluated carefully or postpone treatment:
- Severe eye bags
- Under-eyes that swell easily
- Severe skin laxity
- Mainly pigment-type dark circles
- Infection, dermatitis or wounds around the eyes
- Blood clotting disorders
- Currently taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
How Soon Do Panda Injection Results Appear?
If panda injection has a filling effect, you may first see a change in the hollow contour right after injection. But early in the treatment there may be swelling, bruising or left-right differences, so the look right after the injection should not be treated as the final result.
Generally you need to wait until the under-eye tissue gradually settles, and then evaluate:
- Whether the tear trough has become smooth
- Whether the dark circle shadow has lightened
- Whether the two sides are symmetrical
- Whether any local bumps or nodules appear
- Whether a follow-up visit for adjustment is needed
How quickly results appear and settle depends on the product, dose, injection depth and individual constitution.
How Long Does Panda Injection Last?
Panda injection lasts about half a year.
Panda injection is usually not a permanent treatment, and you should not overfill in pursuit of longer-lasting results.
How Is Panda Injection Priced?
Panda injection costs NT$10,000 to NT$15,000 per 1 cc. Because many clinics inject it together with hyaluronic acid, the price is often a bundled package.
What Is a Failed Panda Injection? Why Do Caterpillars Appear?
On my LINE, patients often message me saying that after panda injection they seem to have eye bags, and ask what to do. If panda injection forms tear trough "caterpillars," it basically cannot be dissolved and you can only wait for it to be metabolized naturally.
Why does this happen? A big difference between panda injection and hyaluronic acid is moldability.
Hyaluronic acid is elastic and clay-like. After injection you can massage and shape it. Panda injection cannot be shaped. It is like cement: once it is exposed to air, it hardens.
With hyaluronic acid, the technique is to inject, then push and reshape it by hand until it sits where you want. That order is perfectly fine for hyaluronic acid because it does not harden on its own.
But most doctors learn hyaluronic acid first and collagen second, so they apply the same routine: inject at several points with a sharp needle, then push it afterward.
The problem is, with collagen, pushing it after injection is already too late.
It dries very quickly. How quickly? Maybe a few seconds, maybe thirty seconds, but almost never more than five minutes. So the correct way to inject panda injection is to push as you inject: the right hand injects while the left hand checks where the product has gone and whether any area has too much, and if so spreads it out immediately, without hesitation.
If any of the following happens, panda injection tear trough caterpillars are very likely:
- Injection depth too shallow
- Too much dose at a single point
- Uneven distribution of the material
To avoid a failed panda injection in the tear trough, I recommend mixing panda injection with hyaluronic acid. This combines the strengths of both and avoids lumps from panda injection that cannot be shaped.
What Are the Side Effects of Panda Injection?
Panda injection is not hyaluronic acid, so injecting it in the tear trough does not carry the risk of blindness from vascular occlusion.
However, panda injection can still cause delayed allergic reactions, so some people may find lumps under the eyes some time after the injection.
Panda Injection FAQ
Can panda injection completely get rid of dark circles?
Not necessarily. Panda injection mainly addresses tear trough hollowness and structural shadows. If dark circles come from melanin, inflammation around the eyes or clearly visible blood vessels, other treatments may be needed.
Can panda injection get rid of eye bags?
No, it cannot remove eye bag fat. Mild eye bags can look better by smoothing the surrounding contrast, but when eye bags are obvious, other treatments or surgery should be considered.
How many sessions of panda injection are needed?
I recommend at least 2–3 sessions.
Will panda injection cause an overfilled, puffy look?
During injection you may feel a pricking sensation, pressure or fullness. Some products contain lidocaine, but that does not mean it is completely painless.
Can I go to work after panda injection?
Most people can carry on with normal daily activities, but bruising, redness or swelling may still occur. If you have a wedding, photo shoot or important event coming up, leave time to recover.
How long is panda injection recovery?
Usually there is only bruising at the needle points.
Can panda injection cause blindness?
Panda injection is collagen, not hyaluronic acid, so hitting a blood vessel does not carry a risk of vascular occlusion.
If panda injection fails, can it be dissolved?
Panda injection is not hyaluronic acid. If it fails, you can only wait for it to be metabolized naturally; it cannot be removed by dissolving.
Conclusion: Panda Injection Is Not the Standard Answer for Every Dark Circle
Panda injection is better suited to improving tear trough hollowness and structural under-eye shadows, but pigment-type dark circles, obvious eye bags and severe skin laxity may need different treatments.
Before treatment, first confirm three things:
- Which type of dark circle you have.
- Which product the clinic actually means by "panda injection."
- The approved use, possible results and risks of that product.
A full evaluation by a qualified doctor, the use of legally approved products and conservative injection volumes are the key principles for balancing a natural look with medical safety.
This article is general medical education and cannot replace a doctor's diagnosis. Results, recovery time and longevity vary from person to person.
