Wrinkles around the eyes are a common skin concern as we age. These fine lines are sometimes accentuated when wearing makeup as concealers and other formulas tend to settle in them. So what can we do to reduce signs of aging in this very delicate part of our skin? Let’s dive into what causes the fine lines and some effective solutions.
What causes fine lines around the eye
The eye area is particularly prone to premature aging. It is usually where the first signs of aging appear. The skin there is more delicate and is often under strain from environmental factors as well as mechanical stress from rubbing the eyes or sleeping on that side.
In addition, the muscle in that area is constantly contracting as we blink and these repetitive muscle movements can cause dynamic wrinkles. This type of wrinkles are only noticeable when you make certain facial expressions but can become static wrinkles over time.
Finally, just like other wrinkles on our face, wrinkles around the eyes can also form because of a decline in our skin’s collagen content, and as we know collagen is essential for combating wrinkles. With age, our bodies produce less collagen and elastin, two proteins responsible for skin firmness and elasticity. This can affect the jawline, create sagging on the neck and other areas of the face including the eyes.
Types of wrinkles around the eyes
There are two most common types of fine lines we often get around the eye area:
1- Crow’s feet : these appear at the outer corner of our eyes and are the most common types of eye wrinkles. They tend to appear around your 30s or, if you take great care of your skin already, you may not see them until your 40s.
2- Fine lines under the eye: these are the wrinkles right underneath the lower last line, where makeup and creams like to build up often giving us a more mature appearance.
How to reduce crow’s feet wrinkles and fine lines?
The eye area can be a very difficult area to treat due to the delicate skin there. Not all products are eye safe as well so you don’t want to put potentially irritating ingredients right on the eyelid. Here are some of the most effective treatments.
Eye creams
Eye creams containing niacinamide have been proven to help reduce the appearance of some eye wrinkles, particularly crow’s feet. But let’s repeat the number one rule of anti-aging: protect your skin from the sun. Applying SPF on your face and particularly on the eye area where crow’s feet appear is not only a great way to prevent such fine lines but also to treat them.
Retinoids are also among the topical products that can do wonders for the fine lines under eye. Just be sure to apply moisturizer first as a buffer and only place the retinoid product along the orbit so it doesn’t get into the eyes or cause excess irritation and dryness.
Radio frequency therapy
Since loss of collagen and elastin are one of the main causes of wrinkles, including in the eye area, radiofrequency can significantly help. It has become a popular skin tightening method over the years and rightfully so. RF works by using energy waves, known as radio waves. These waves penetrate our skin into its deeper layer – the Dermis – where they help boost the production of collagen to plump the skin. This treatment is non-invasive and painless. When it comes to the eye area, it can be performed in the clinic by a professional.
If you’re interested in trying Radio frequency therapy at home, the technology is also available in a compact device such as the NEWA RF wrinkle reduction device. While it isn’t for the eye area, NEWA has been clinically proven to reduce signs of aging on the cheeks and jawline. According to a clinical study submitted to the FDA with individuals who used NEWA over a period of three months (3 times a week for the first 4 weeks and twice a week for the remaining 8 weeks), the NEWA RF results are clear: 100% of participants showed improvement in overall wrinkle appearance. In addition, 84% showed improvement in skin firmness and 75.6% showed an increase in skin collagen content. In fact, NEWA’s RF wrinkle reduction device was also proven to generate 3.8% collagen production in the skin over 12 weeks. That’s almost four years of natural collagen loss!
And there’s more: most people who participated in the FDA clinical study on NEWA, no less than 89%, reported the RF device made their skin feel and look tighter after just four weeks! No wonder some 300,000 people worldwide have already made it a part of their skincare routine.
Another advantage of NEWA and radio frequency therapy in general is that results are long lasting and appear over time. Collagen formation can come some 4 to 6 weeks after each NEWA treatment. So this means that after a month, you’re going to just start seeing the effects of the very first cycle you did, which means that your results for the eye area will only be more visible as you continue treatments.
Injectables
If you’re comfortable with needles, Botox or soft tissue fillers injected directly onto the crow’s feet can significantly improve the appearance of the eye area. Of course, you should make sure to consult with your dermatologist about these solutions and get them done by experienced professionals, especially since the eye area is so delicate.
Final words
The eye area is highly prone to wrinkles and fine lines. These can appear as early as in our 30s. There are effective treatment options to get rid of crow's feet and other fine lines but it is important to understand that the eye area is the most delicate area of our face and our skin around the eyes is very thin. In other words, you should be careful what you apply around your eyes. One great solution for eye wrinkles is radio frequency therapy as it is non-invasive, painless and long lasting.
Sources used in this article
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov
my.clevelandclinic.org
asds.net
