Everything you need to know about aesthetic eye rejuvenation

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul.  Is it any wonder then that we pay such close attention to the aesthetic beauty of the eyes? 

The eyes are a very delicate area of the face and age-related changes are often first noticeable there. Aesthetic physicians frequently encounter eye-related concerns from patients.

Common complaints include fine lines and wrinkles, hooding of the eyelids, skin pigmentation changes, skin tags or other lesions, eye bags, puffiness, a feeling of brow heaviness or droopiness and undereye dark circles and hollows.

Many of these issues can be addressed with modern non-surgical aesthetic treatments.  

Fine lines, wrinkles, ‘crow’s feet’

Horizontal lines are related to movement as we smile and squint. 

These can be easily treated with muscle relaxing neurotoxins such as Botox or Xeomin while deeply etched lines or vertical sleep-related lines may require a laser resurfacing procedure or microneedling to remodel the skin. 

Hooding, drooping and lid heaviness

Skin thins and loses elasticity as we age resulting in eyelid droop and hooding. If severe, hooding can impinge vision.  For mild to moderate skin laxity radiofrequency eye treatment (such as Thermage) can tighten lid skin significantly.  Pharmaceutical level products formulated for safe use in the eye area can stimulate collagen and elastin production as well.  High frequency ultrasound (such as Sofwave) can be used to tighten the skin of the forehead up to 5mm providing lift to the forehead and brows.  There is no downtime with these procedures.

If droop is severe or vision is impacted, it’s probably time to visit a plastic surgeon or ophthalmologist to consider blepharoplasty. This surgical procedure involves removing excess skin on the lids or under the eyes to improve vision and appearance.

Skin damage, discolouration

Sun exposure leads to pigment changes and redness in the skin.  Intense pulse light therapy (IPL, BBL) can treatment brown spots and redness in many people.  Shields are worn tight to the eye allowing treatment all around the eye area. 

IPL or BBL also stimulate collagen production in the skin. Eyelids, however, cannot be treated.

Skin tags, lesions around the eyes

It is very common for people to develop skin irregularities in the eye area.  Skin tags can easily be treated with electro-surgery.  Larger lesions like xanthelasma (light coloured cholesterol deposits under the skin) can be addressed by a surgeon (plastic surgeon or ophthalmologist).  

Lesions close to the lash line or lid margin should be treated by an eye specialist or plastic surgeon as well.  Any lesion that is remotely suspicious should be screened for skin cancer.

Eye bags

Some individuals are prone to an outpouching under the eye often referred to as eye bags.  This tendency is genetically driven ie. some people are prone to it and others not.  Eye bags are often related to a fat pad under the eye which has shifted with age. This issue typically requires a surgical solution and is best treated by an ophthalmologist or plastic surgeon.  

Puffiness

Excess fluid accumulation around the eyes typically leads to puffiness.  It can be worse in the mornings. 

Puffiness can be related to poor lymphatic drainage, excess weakening of eye muscles by neurotoxins, excess use of dermal fillers under the eye.  It’s best to consult an aesthetic physician to determine the underlying cause of your puffiness in order to treat it appropriately.  

Dark circles and hollows

Dark circles can be genetic (pigment or deep hollows) or due to thinning of skin such that deeper structures are seen, and light is poorly reflected.  

Dark circles due to hollowing or thin skin are tricky to treat.  For many years dermal fillers were used to treat these hollows and lift the skin.  But dermal fillers draw water to them and often lead to puffiness around the eye and are prone to migration away from the treatment area.  Some topical lightening products may marginally improve genetic pigmentation.

To improve thin skin related to aging, a combination of pharmaceutical grade topical eye cream and injected PRP (platelet rich plasma) is a great option.  Alternatively, microneedling plus topical exosomes – a growth factor rich product derived from stem cells is also quite effective.

Prevention

It’s important to protect the eye area from the chief cause of age-related changes – the sun.  Wear UVA/UVB protecting sunglasses and a hat whenever you are exposed to the sun.  Sunblock is also important – a thick mineral sunblock stick is best what applying near the eyes as it will not migrate into the eyes.  Pharmaceutical skin care products formulated to be safely used in the eye area can be a game changer as well.  

When considering any treatments or products for the eye area, always visit trusted medical aesthetic professionals.  Your eyes are precious, and you want the best and safest care.