Recessed Infras Explained: Causes, Treatment & More

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Learn all about the eye-catching looksmaxxing phenomenon

Co-authored by Austin Wayne and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: June 30, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What are recessed infras?
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• Causes
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• Determining if You Have Them
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• Treatment
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• Embracing Your Recessed Infras
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Looksmaxxing has introduced a whole generation to facial features they would have otherwise been unaware of, such as recessed infras. Recessed infras are when you have a bony lower eye socket that sits far back, and it’s a cause of concern for many young looksmaxxers. Luckily, you don’t have anything to worry about if you’ve landed on this article. Read on to learn more about recessed infras, including what causes them, how to know if you have them, what treatment options look like, and more!

Recessed Infras Explained

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Recessed infras are infraorbital rims (the bony area of your lower eye socket) that sit far back. They’re often accompanied by a hollow, sunken look beneath the eyes and are the result of your bone structure, aging, shadowing, and allergies. They can be corrected with things like fillers, topicals, and laser treatment.

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Section 1 of 5:

What are recessed infras?

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   Recessed infras refer to the sunken bony area below the eyes. When your infraorbital rim (the bony lower part of your eye socket) sits far back, it’s considered recessed. This gives the skin below your eyes a sunken, hollowed-out look that’s often accompanied by deep tear troughs and dark eye bags. While it’s not a medical concern, recessed infras are often a cosmetic issue some may want to get rid of.
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Section 2 of 5:

Causes of Recessed Infras

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   Bone structure Some people are genetically predisposed to having recessed infras due to their bone structure. If you have parents or grandparents with infraorbital rims that naturally sit back, chances are your own infraorbital rim is recessed as well. This isn’t anything to worry about, either, as it’s a sign of your heritage!
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   Allergies Recessed infras are much more common if you have allergies like eczema or allergic contact dermatitis. These conditions already make your skin sensitive, so when it’s exposed to allergens or your rubbing habits irritate it, dark, hyperpigmented circles underneath the eyes can form as a response.
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   Aging As you age, the elasticity of your skin naturally weakens. This results in a host of changes, from wrinkles and thin skin to recessed infras. Your bones and body tissue also begin to weaken and lose their natural structure, which causes parts of your face to sink and shift, including the infraorbital rim.
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   Shadowing Shadowing is when the skin on your face takes on a darker color, often as a result of other bodily changes. In the case of recessed infras, shadowing is often the result of infra-orbital fat herniation. Infra-orbital fat herniation is when the orbital fat underneath your eyes begins to bulge and pop out, leading to the dark color recessed infras are known for.

   • Shadowing can also be the result of tear troughs, which are the grooves below your eyes and above your cheek.
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Know If You Have Recessed Infras

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   Check your side profile to see if your under-eye area sits low. Take a photo of your face from the side and draw a line going from the tip of your nose to your upper cheek. If you notice the under-eye area sitting considerably underneath the line, that may be a sign that you have recessed infras.
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   Look at your eyelids with strong frontal lighting to see if they’re discolored. Stand in front of your mirror and turn on the light so that it’s shining on the front of your face. If you notice dark shadows and persistent hollow spots underneath your eyes even in the light, that may be a sign that your infras are recessed.

   • The same applies to overhead lighting. If you shine a light on your face from above and the under-eye area has shadowing, you may have recessed infras.
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Section 4 of 5:

What to Do About Your Recessed Infras

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   Let yourself age and wait for your face to fill out. If you’re a teenager or young adult with recessed infras, they may naturally solve themselves as you grow. Your cheekbones can grow in, and your youthful bony features can develop into a strong skeletal structure that evens out the recession, so wait until you’ve matured before considering more serious options.
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   Consider using a bleaching or depigmenting topical. Bleaching and depigmenting agents can help lighten the area beneath your eyes. In order for them to be effective, though, they must be applied over a long period of time. When choosing a topical, consider using bleaching agents like hydroquinone and tretinoin and depigmenting agents like albutin.

   • If the skin near your eyes is sensitive, these agents may cause irritation or allergic reactions. Talk to a medical professional to determine what agents work best for your condition.
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   Try laser treatment to minimize the dark circles. Laser treatment resurfaces the skin and helps reduce wrinkles and pigmentation, leading to lighter circles and less noticeable recessed infras. Low-fluence lasers that use less energy typically work well, but it’s best to talk to a licensed medical professional to see what type of laser works best for your condition.
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   Look into getting hyaluronic acid filler implanted. Dark circles can be improved by injecting hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers into the periorbital region. It’s important that you use a low-concentration HA filler with the smallest particles possible to avoid bleeding, pain, and bodily complications. It’s also important that you work with a medical professional to determine the best course of action when installing fillers.
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   Consider getting your infraorbital fat pads removed. Medically known as a transconjunctival infraorbital fat resection and transposition, the procedure to get your infraorbital fat pads removed is useful for treating your recessed infras. It gets rid of the under-eye bags and softens the tear troughs to smooth out the area underneath your eyes.

   • Laser-assisted transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty also repositions the fat underneath the eye, achieving the same results while being considered safe and low risk.
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Section 5 of 5:

How to Embrace Your Recessed Infras

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   Remember that they aren’t anything to be ashamed of. Recessed infras can be a sign of your heritage, a unique personal trait, or something that others are attracted to. They don’t have to be something that you’re upset or ashamed of. Just because your favorite looksmaxxers have stirred up a storm about them doesn’t mean that you need to focus on getting rid of them!
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   Adopt a skincare routine to feel more confident about your skin’s quality. Building a skincare routine can draw attention away from your recessed infras and bring it to the rest of your face, reducing any worry or shame you have about them. So, if you feel bad about having recessed infras, adopt a skincare routine that keeps your skin clean. That way, you don’t have to stress about all of the attention being on your recessed infras.
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   Try makeup if you want to temporarily cover them. If you just can’t handle your recessed infras, look into using makeup to cover them, rather than going with a more permanent solution. Pick a shade that matches the skin on the rest of your face so it blends in seamlessly.
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