Injectable treatments around the eyes, by an ophthalmologist

Treating the area around the eye is not the same task as treating the lower face. At Skin & Vision Clinic these treatments are performed by a BIG-registered ophthalmologist who operates on this anatomy every week. Consultations in English.

Injectable treatments around the eyes

The area around the eye is dense with fine muscle — principally the orbicularis oculi, the ring of muscle that closes the lid — layered over the structures that protect the eye and drain its tears. Injectable muscle-relaxing treatment in this region is not the same task as treating the lower face, and the consequences of getting it wrong are not cosmetic.

At Skin & Vision Clinic these treatments are carried out by Dr. Kloos, a BIG-registered ophthalmologist with oculoplastic specialisation. BIG registration is the Dutch government register of qualified healthcare professionals, and confirms a verified, regulated medical qualification.

How it works

A purified muscle-relaxing protein is injected in very small quantities into specific muscles. It temporarily reduces the signal from nerve to muscle, so the muscle relaxes and the lines it creates soften. The effect develops over roughly two weeks, lasts about three to four months, and is fully reversible — as the effect wears off, the muscle returns to normal.

Why an ophthalmologist for this area

An inexperienced injector working near the eye risks a drooping eyelid, incomplete lid closure, dry eye, or asymmetry — because the muscle that was relaxed was not the one intended, or the product diffused into the levator.

Dr. Kloos works with this anatomy in surgery every week. That is a different basis for judgement from a general aesthetic practice: knowing where the levator sits relative to the orbicularis, how the tear film behaves when blink strength changes, and when a patient's eyelid position makes treatment inadvisable in the first place.

Cosmetic treatment areas

• Frown lines between the brows (glabella)
• Forehead lines
• Crow's feet at the outer corner of the eye
• Brow lift, by selectively relaxing the muscles that pull the brow down
• Bunny lines across the bridge of the nose
• Chin dimpling
• Masseter, for jaw clenching and teeth grinding

Medical indications

This is where an ophthalmologist's involvement matters most, and these are genuine medical conditions rather than aesthetic concerns:

• Blepharospasm — involuntary, forceful closure of the eyelids, which in severe cases leaves people functionally unable to see.
• Hemifacial spasm — involuntary twitching affecting one side of the face.
• Epiphora — excessive watering of the eye, where injectable treatment can reduce tear production.

What a treatment involves

1. 1.Consultation. Your goals, medical history, current medication and eyelid position are assessed, and you are told plainly what is and is not achievable.
2. 2.Treatment. The injections take 15 to 30 minutes. A fine needle is used; most people describe brief pinpricks rather than pain. You can return to normal activities the same day.
3. 3.Follow-up after two weeks. The effect is assessed once fully developed, and fine adjustments made if needed.

Avoid rubbing the treated area, strenuous exercise and lying flat for the rest of the day. Some small bruising at injection sites is normal.

When this is not appropriate

Treatment is not carried out during pregnancy or breastfeeding, in certain neuromuscular conditions, or where there is active infection at the injection site. Where your eyelid already sits low, relaxing the brow muscles can make that more noticeable — a reason we assess eyelid position before treating, and occasionally advise against it.

What this costs

Prices are published and quoted per area treated. You receive a personal quote at your consultation, after your treatment plan has been agreed. Medical indications such as blepharospasm may qualify for reimbursement from Dutch health insurance where a medical need is established; your insurer assesses this individually.

Consultations in English, in Amsterdam

Skin & Vision Clinic is at Louwesweg 6k in Amsterdam. Consultations are held in English, and you do not need to speak Dutch. A referral is not required for a cosmetic consultation, though one from your GP is the usual route where a medical indication is involved.