I spent £1,500 on three rounds of under-eye skin boosters because my dark, tired-looking under-eyes have always been one of my biggest insecurities.
I’d heard amazing things. I’d seen the before-and-afters. And after spending an embarrassing amount of money over the years on eye creams that did precisely fuck all, I decided to try them.
And initially? I actually thought they’d worked.
My under-eyes looked better for around two weeks after each treatment.
Then the effect seemed to disappear.
So rather than showing you one conveniently timed “after” photo and telling you they transformed my under-eyes, here’s the entire timeline.
THE QUICK VERDICT
What I had: 3 rounds of under-eye skin boosters
What I spent: £1,500 total
Why I tried it: Dark/tired-looking under-eyes
Initial result: Noticeable improvement
Long-term result: Very subtle
Would I pay £1,500 again?Absolutely fucking not.
WHY I WANTED THEM
I don't know exactly when it happened, but over the last few years I've really started noticing how tired I look. All. The. Time.
It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get, how much water I drink or whatever else we're apparently supposed to be doing — my under-eyes still look like someone's given me a black eye. No word of a lie.
So this year, I finally saved enough money to try something I'd been hearing about for ages: under-eye skin boosters.
I was told that one round might not be enough and that I'd probably get the best result from three. I was also told that filler might actually give me a better result, but honestly, the thought of under-eye filler currently scares the shit out of me.
WHAT I ACTUALLY HAD DONE
I had three rounds of polynucleotide injections under my eyes over a three-month period this summer.
The full course cost me £1,500 at Harley Street Injectables in London.
I should probably point out that I chose a Harley Street clinic, so I'm very aware I may have paid a premium for where I had them done. That said, I've spoken to other people who've had similar treatments and paid similar amounts, so apparently injecting things into your face is just... not a cheap hobby.
Each appointment started with around 20 minutes of numbing cream, followed by lots of tiny injections underneath each eye. The actual injecting only took around 10 minutes and, for the most part, I didn't find it particularly painful — although for some reason the third round hurt SO much more than the others. No idea why 😂.
Immediately afterwards, you do look a little bit crazy. I always brought sunglasses with me because I wasn't particularly interested in walking around London looking like I'd just had 400 tiny bee stings under my eyes.
I was actually really lucky and never experienced much swelling afterwards, although I know other people who have, so that was just my experience.
WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE BEFORE:
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER EACH TREATMENT
THE TWO-WEEK PROBLEM
This is the annoying part.
After each treatment there was a point where I looked at my under-eyes and thought, oh my God, maybe this actually was worth the money.
They looked fresher and I genuinely could see a difference.
But then a couple of weeks passed.
And every time, I felt like I was basically back where I'd started.
Photos side-by-side.
BEFORE vs NOW
Same/similar lighting. Large photographs.
And:
Is there a difference?
Maybe.
I could argue that the skin looks slightly smoother. But after spending £1,500, I don't want to have to zoom into a photograph and convince myself that something has changed.
For that amount of money, personally, I needed more.
That's SUCH a good Lydia verdict.
WOULD I RECOMMEND SKIN BOOSTERS?
This is where I'd preserve the nuance from your Reel:
If money is no object and you're looking for an incredibly subtle improvement, your opinion might be completely different to mine.
But based purely on my own experience and what I wanted to achieve, I wouldn't spend £1,500 doing it again.
I've had considerably cheaper treatments where the difference in my skin was much more obvious — and yes, that's another Honesty Hour coming.