How a £450 salmon sperm injection - a beauty ingredient used by Jennifer Aniston - banished my eyebags

Answering nan ­FaceTime call, I caught show of myself connected nan surface and gasped. I'd forgotten to put concealer nether my eyes, and without it I look for illustration I've been up each nighttime astatine best, successful a ­boxing lucifer astatine worst.

Think purple-grey acheronian circles ­giving measurement to hollowness pinch a hint of saggy, crepey tegument and much than my adjacent stock of good lines and ­wrinkles for my 43 years.

I can't moreover blasted my 2 children because these days, aged six and nine, they're some sleeping done nan night. In truth, I put my under-eye baggage down to ne'er rather recovering from nan slumber ­deprivation I suffered erstwhile they were babies.

As a beauty editor, I've tried it each successful a bid to move backmost nan clock, from retinol and caffeine-laced oculus creams to micro-needling facials and ­moisturiser made from snail slime.

But moreover I baulked astatine nan latest caller 'miracle' constituent said to banish tired under-eyes: salmon sperm.

As improbable arsenic it sounds, a revolutionary caller injectable treatment, containing, yes, a salmon sperm derivative, promises to banish acheronian circles, plump good lines and rejuvenate nan under-eye area. Ameela is simply a light, water-based gel and curen costs £450 a session. With results said to past up to a year, it's being touted arsenic a game-changer for those not keen to spell nether nan knife.

I'm not wholly sold connected nan idea, but ageless beauty Jennifer Aniston admits she tried a salmon sperm facial. And if it's bully capable for Jen, it's bully capable for me.

So really does it work? 'Salmon sperm contains a very axenic and lightweight polynucleotide, a constituent that really triggers nan assemblage to regenerate itself,' explains artistic expert and GP Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, who offers nan curen astatine his clinics.

'When Ameela is injected into nan under-eye area, it stimulates cells called fibroblasts to people summation collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acerb production.

'So it doesn't conscionable thief to plump retired hollow under-eyes, which is really tear-trough filler works. Instead, it useful to amended tegument tone, ­thickening it, brightening it and expanding nan humor travel — each of which helps diminish under-eye bags and good lines.'

But why salmon sperm, ­specifically, and really do they, umm, extract it, I ask? He explains that nan sperm is simply a by-product of nan nutrient industry, obtained from farmed salmon. After nan salmon's ­reproductive organs person been removed, nan sperm is extracted, past it's processed and filtered to extract nan DNA.

'Salmon sperm DNA is very akin to our own,' says Dr El Muntasar. 'It has a higher and purer ­concentration of rejuvenating polynucleotides than different fish. So while location are different food sperm treatments available, you mightiness request 5 sessions with, say, cod sperm derivatives, while pinch salmon, you tin spot a important betterment successful nan under-eye area aft conscionable 2 aliases three.'

Until recently, tear-trough filler, which costs thing from £300 to £500 per treatment, has mostly been nan only non-surgical action for under-eye ­rejuvenation, but I've ever shied distant from it.

I cognize it tin beryllium risky; if it's not carried retired by an knowledgeable practitioner, it tin origin ­lumpiness successful nan under-eye area, scarring and, if it's mistakenly injected into an artery aliases humor vessel, moreover blindness.

It tin look ­unnatural, too. If nan filler migrates from nan intended area it tin springiness a puffy appearance. So Ameela appealed because nan curen doesn't simply capable retired hollow under-eyes, but tackles nan purple discolouration and good lines by encouraging caller tegument compartment maturation to combat nan problem. And I'm promised it's overmuch safer arsenic a procedure, too. There tin beryllium side-effects, specified arsenic swelling, symptom and bruising, but these are expected to subside aft a fewer days.

'Tear trough filler, which I besides activity with, only tackles hollowness — truthful if that's your only problem, it mightiness beryllium nan champion option,' explains Dr El ­Muntasar. 'But if you person a operation of a spot of hollowness, acheronian circles and thin, crepey tegument nether your eyes, Ameela is nan amended option.' Yet erstwhile I mentioned I was ­considering nan curen to my husband, he looked horrified.

'Salmon sperm? How connected world tin injecting that into your look beryllium a bully idea?' he exclaimed. When I explained really it each useful — and really nan sperm's extracted — his look was a picture.

Squeamishness aside, I loved nan thought that successful 2 aliases 3 sessions, I'd perchance beryllium waking up bright-eyed and refreshed. So I booked a consultation pinch Dr El Muntasar astatine his Mayfair clinic. After examining my eye-bags nether agleam lights, he offers his verdict: 'The tegument underneath your eyes shows normal signs of ageing for personification successful their early 40s — there's immoderate thinning of nan tegument successful that area, good lines nether eyes, immoderate tegument hollowness that gives a flimsy sunken quality nether nan eyes and nan opening of crow's feet.'

Most group request 2 to 3 treatments to get nan champion results. He suggests I'd request two, 2 weeks apart, costing £900 successful total.

I had my first curen successful ­February. And yes, my first mobility to Dr El Muntasar was: 'Will it hurt?' He explained that alternatively than utilizing a needle to inject nan Ameela gel astir nan eyes, he uses a good cannula that is inserted only erstwhile into nan fleshy tegument successful nan precocious feature to present nan gel to nan under-eye area.

So I'd person 2 injection sites, 1 successful each cheek. He says: 'If Ameela is ­dotted astir nan oculus area pinch a needle, it tin bruise significantly, but pinch nan cannula injection technique, this is little likely.'

Dr El Muntasar told maine to expect immoderate mild discomfort erstwhile nan cannula was inserted and nan gel injected — arsenic good arsenic immoderate mild swelling nether my eyes and tenderness for a fewer days after.

I'd beryllium lying if I said I wasn't nervous. But I hardly felt nan cannula being inserted. As nan Ameela gel was injected done nan cannula, it did sting. But to beryllium honest, I've had eyebrow threading treatments that felt much painful. It was quick, too, astir 5 ­minutes per eye.

My under-eye area looked puffy afterwards but location was only a mini pinprick people successful each feature wherever nan cannula had been.

Over nan adjacent mates of days, nan tegument nether my eyes did look a spot much swollen. But wrong a week it had gone backmost to normal.

Two weeks later, erstwhile it was clip for my 2nd treatment, I could already announcement nan purplish tinge I'd ever had nether my eyes had faded slightly.

My eyes looked moreover puffier aft nan 2nd treatment, and took a week to settee down. But 4 weeks in, I'm delighted.

For nan first clip since my 20s, I look well-rested. The dark, purple circles person almost vanished. The tegument nether my eyes is now a akin colour to nan remainder of my face. I still person immoderate good lines, but nan area looks overmuch plumper. My hubby said he was amazed nan results looked truthful bully — I'll return that arsenic a win.

I've had a fewer compliments, too, from friends who opportunity my tegument looks amazing. I emotion that it's difficult to pinpoint what I've had done. But if anyone asks, I'll ­happily spill nan beans. Come this clip adjacent year, I'll decidedly beryllium booking myself successful for much salmon sperm. In nan meantime, if you want a catch-up, do consciousness free to FaceTime me.