How to Treat & Prevent Under-Eye Wrinkles
Under-eye wrinkles are something everyone will have to encounter in their lifetime. Whether it bothers you or not there are some ways to combat them and we have found 4 ways to share with you. These options vary in price points and level of pain so it really boils down to what your plans are for treating and preventing under-eye wrinkles.
Why do I have under-eye wrinkles?
The skin around our eyes is up to 30% thinner than the rest of the face meaning it is usually the first areas to show any signs of ageing. Our eyes encounter a lot of movement and interference throughout the day, from laughing, rubbing, applying makeup and even removing it at night contribute to any fine lines and wrinkles.
Environmental aggressors like pollution and UV rays are also something to consider as the skin-damaging free radicals can make easy work of the thin skin in the eye area. Ensuring you are keeping the eyes hydrated and moisturised should be as important in your routine as daily SPF. There are many options and it can be overwhelming trying to decide on the best one that works for you, in the next section we will break down the different treatments to make it an easier decision for you and your peepers.
How to treat under-eye wrinkles
Before we dive into the good stuff, the first point that needs to be addressed is early prevention is the most successful way at delaying and reducing the appearance of under-eye wrinkles. Even if it feels silly to be concerned with ageing in your mid-20s by using anti-age products you will keep any wrinkles at bay for as long as possible, you are never too young to have a well-established skincare routine. If you are past the age of 25 DO NOT panic, as you can still treat under-eye wrinkles and prevent any more from developing.
1. Topical products for under-eye wrinkles
Fast Facts:
Keep a lookout for ingredients such as vitamin C, retinol and hyaluronic acid in any serum or moisturiser you are wanting to apply under your eyes. Topical products are the most affordable option and can help provide long term results.
Key Ingredients to Look for In Eye Creams
Hyaluronic acid is extremely hydrating for the skin, its formula works similar to a sponge and is able to soak up the smallest amount of water from the surrounding air. You will find any fine lines around the eye area are ironed out leaving the skin looking plumped and rejuvenated almost immediately. Bear in mind that the results aren’t permanent and you will have to reapply daily to see results.
Retinol
This ingredient is very powerful, but it does come with some warnings due to the strength and effect it can have on the skin. If you haven’t used retinol before opt for the lowest percentage and introduce it slowly into your routine as it can cause some skin irritation. It is advised to start using it once a week, then gradually building up until you can use it every evening. Once you have established which level will work for your skin, use the product consistently for 3 months you will see how much of impact retinol has to the complexion.
Its genius make-up makes the cell and collagen production work faster ironing out any signs of wrinkles and fine lines. As powerful as this ingredient may be, it does not like the sun’s UV rays and if used during the day will have no effect on the skin but can cause some skin sensitivity so be sure to apply a daily SPF to stop any irritation.
Vitamin C works wonders for the face by bringing luminosity back to the skin and gives a great anti-ageing boost to your skincare routine. The reason it is beneficial for treating under eye wrinkles is due to its ability to prevent more fine lines and smooth out existing ones as it stimulates collagen production. The downside is seeing results of vitamin c take quite a few months to appear so you must be prepared to be patient.
2. Botox
Fast Facts
Botox injections are able to completely erase any wrinkles and fine lines in the under-eye area, these results last around 3-4 months.
For those of you who are unsure what botox is, it is a series of injections that temporarily paralyze the muscles and movement around your eyes, for example, squinting, which causes a large number of lines and wrinkles. Once you have had the injections you will find results of flawless, wrinkle-free eye area after 3-4 days.
As impressive as the results are of botox, there are a few downsides:
- You must take your time to find a fully qualified and experienced dermatologist to perform the procedure, especially for a delicate eye area. You will also find that the results you get from a certified professional will look more natural and you won’t have that tell-tale frozen face look.
- The results are only temporary, you will have about 3-4 months of wrinkle-free under eyes before the botox wears off.
- The cost of botox can vary a lot, but you will usually find it cost well over £300 which is not ideal for everyone.
3. Microneedling
Fast Facts
Also called dermarolling, this procedure smooths out any wrinkles with a small amount of pain. You can expect to see results in a few months if you perform weekly procedures.
Though microneedling may sound a little scary it is quite unique and clever in the way it helps the skin on the face and under-eye area become more youthful. By rolling the microneedling tool over the area of concern you are puncturing small holes in the skin tricking it into thinking it has been damaged and so starts producing collagen. The results are hugely impressive and the procedure is fast and only slightly uncomfortable, the downside is it takes 4-6 weeks to see the full results.
There are a lot of at-home tools available to perform microneedling, however, due to the nature of the tool, it is best not to use it anywhere near the eyes yourself. If microneedling is something you would like to try than seek help from a professional. For those of you with sensitive skin and who suffer from rosacea, eczema and psoriasis its best to find another treatment as microneedling can be too harsh on the skin.
4. Laser
Fast Facts
The most effective treatment for under-eye wrinkles, but definitely the most painful.
There’s no point in sugar-coating this, laser treatment, which is named Fraxel, is painful. Very painful. The procedure is done by resurfacing the skin using red, hot lasers that are blasted onto the skin to create a faux-trauma reaction to boost collagen production. Yes, it does feel odd to damage the skin to make it look it's best but to see the results many swear by using Fraxel. People have seen an incredible difference with laser treatment but there are some side effects. Your skin will have a rough texture to it for a week or two after the treatment and will feel badly sunburnt so ensure you protect the skin from UV rays and other environmental aggressors. Once these side effects have cleared your face and eye area will look 10 years younger!
So, there you have some more information on everything you need to know about treating and preventing under-eye wrinkles. It is really down to you and your budget on which option you go for, but some things to remember is to remove makeup every night (preferably not using make-up wipes) wear an SPF every day, even when it’s raining and finally embrace the wrinkles as much as you can, after all, they are the result of laughing and smiling which you can never do too much of in life.
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