Associate Editor · Editorial staff
Stellan Cho
Specializes in myth-checking common claims about under-eye filler against the published literature.
6 stories by Stellan Cho
Explainer4 min · Stellan Cho
When Under-Eye Filler Makes Bags Worse: The Fluid Problem Most Consultations Skip
Malar edema is the most common reason tear trough filler backfires. Here is the mechanism, who is at risk, and the screening questions that predict trouble before a needle is opened.
August 10, 2026
Explainer5 min · Stellan Cho
Why the Filler Itself Matters Under the Eyes: G Prime, Cohesivity, and Water Uptake in Plain English
Not all hyaluronic acid gels behave the same way in the tear trough. Here is what the rheology labels actually mean, and why the wrong gel in the right hands can still cause puffiness.
August 6, 2026
Explainer5 min · Stellan Cho
Tear Trough or Festoon? Why Filler Fixes One and Worsens the Other
Two under-eye problems look similar in the mirror but behave very differently under a needle. Here is how clinicians tell them apart, and why the distinction matters before anyone opens a syringe.
August 2, 2026
Explainer5 min · Stellan Cho
Why Under-Eye Filler Can Swell Months Later: The Malar Edema Problem Explained
Delayed puffiness after tear trough filler is not random bad luck. It comes down to lymphatic anatomy, the water-loving chemistry of hyaluronic acid, and where the product actually sits. Here is the mechanism, plainly.
July 31, 2026
Explainer5 min · Stellan Cho
Why Your Injector Might Treat Your Cheeks Before Your Tear Troughs
Many patients ask for under-eye filler and leave with midface filler instead. Here is the anatomical reasoning behind that recommendation, and how to tell which structure is actually causing your hollows.
July 30, 2026
Explainer7 min · Stellan Cho
Why Under-Eye Filler Swells: the Hydrophilic Truth About Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is chosen for the under-eye because it binds water, and that exact property is why the same filler can quietly puff and swell weeks later under the thinnest skin on your face.
July 23, 2026