It is also susceptible to breaking down, which means that it is among the first areas to show signs of ageing. These can include lines and wrinkles, eye bags, and dark circles.
If you are noticing signs of ageing around your eyes, temporary and more permanent fixes are available. Here are the at-home and in-office treatments for the most common eye area concerns.
Dark circles
Lack of sleep isn’t the only reason why you have dark undereye circles. While it certainly contributes to the problems, those dark circles can also be due to fluid retention and thinning skin (or constricted blood vessels). Quality eye products and cosmetic treatments, along with healthy lifestyle changes, can improve or reduce their appearance.
Choose eye products with retinol, peptides, or niacinamide. We recommend Dr Sylvia Skin Care Elastifirm Eye Restore with Peptides and Arnica, which can improve puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines. It can also improve blood flow and microcirculation, reducing the accumulation of dilated blood vessels and melanin that contributes to a darkened under eye area.
If you’re looking for a longer-lasting fix, consider dermal fillers. What they do is fill out hollows or tear troughs, which can cast a shadow under the eyes. If the reason for your dark circles is volume loss or hollowness, fillers can reduce or improve their appearance for several months. If these injectables don’t suit your concerns, you can turn to laser treatments or chemical peels.
Eye bags
Puffiness or eye bags can be due to allergies, sleep deprivation, fluid retention, and excessive salt intake. The natural ageing process is also a culprit, as it weakens the muscles and supporting tissues around the eye. Eye bags, moreover, are commonly accompanied by dark undereye circles.
If allergies are to blame for your puffiness, treating the symptoms with an antihistamine or other medication resolves the issue. If it is ageing or loss of skin elasticity, the above-mentioned eye cream is worth considering. It has an anti-inflammatory ingredient that can minimize inflammation that contributes to puffiness.
When it comes to a more permanent solution, dermal fillers can help lift the under-eye area and fill the trough. You can also turn to fillers to improve the appearance of fine lines and dark circles for a more youthful appearance.
At Cutis Medical Laser Clinics, we also have the Plasmage®, a non-surgical procedure for treating the upper and lower eyelid skin. It uses sublimation (dissolving the skin’s top layer) to remove excess skin in the area. Plasmage also promotes collagen production and tightening of the skin fibres to lift and rejuvenate the skin around the eyes.
Crow’s feet
Also referred to as crow’s feet, those fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes can be due to ageing, squinting, smoking, and laughing. Dr Sylvia’s Fibroblast Growth Factor serum can help, as it reactivates collagen activity and targets age-related degradation. The serum also helps improve skin density, texture, and firmness.
Daily sun protection around the eyes can also prevent crow’s feet from getting worse. This means wearing sunscreen with at least SPF 30, sunglasses, and a hat or using an umbrella when going out. You can also consider adding eye masks with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid to your skincare essentials.
Botox is worth considering for a longer-lasting fix, about three to four months. This works by temporarily blocking the signal from a nerve to a muscle to soften or relax the wrinkles or muscle contractions. Small amounts of hyaluronic acid fillers can also smooth or reduce deep lines temporarily (several months).
Droopy eyelids
Ageing or conditions that weaken the eyelid muscles can lead to droopy eyelids or eyebrows. Unfortunately, no product can lift or remove excess skin. Surgery and other non-surgical alternatives can help eliminate droopiness for a more rejuvenated appearance.
Plasmage®, a non-surgical alternative to blepharoplasty or the surgical removal of excess skin, fat, and muscles, can offer a more permanent fix. It involves the use of a pen-like device that emits plasma energy, which creates little dots of trauma on the eyelid skin. Plasmage removes excess skin tissues through sublimation or evaporation. This can then lift droopy brows and tighten the skin around the eye area.
You can also try Ultherapy, which can smooth lines and lift the skin under the brows. It uses micro-focused ultrasound energy that heats the skin’s deeper layers and stimulates collagen production. Botox is another minimally invasive procedure that can raise the brow and the muscles below.
Take better care of your eyes with a proper skin care regimen. Just keep in mind that skincare products can only do so much. If you want noticeable and longer-lasting results, don’t hesitate to consider non- and minimally invasive procedures
Article by Dr Sylvia Ramirez from Cutis Medical Laser Clinics, an award-winning medical aesthetic clinic in Singapore.
Established out of the passion to deliver quality aesthetic services, it is our goal to make a difference in people’s lives and help them feel confident about themselves.
9 Scotts Road Pacific Plaza, Scotts Medical Center #08-07, Singapore 228210