Face it, our eyes could always look better, referring to men and women of almost all ages…
We’ve all been there…even under the age of 30, well hydrated and with enough sleep…we look in the mirror in the morning and see the eyes of an OLD, TIRED person looking back!
CAUSES of TIRED-LOOKING, AGING EYES:
Genetics = #1 reason.
If you inherit fair or thin skin under the eyes, it’s more obvious when blood pools there (especially with slower circulation from lack of sleep).
This accumulation causes fragile capillaries to stretch and leak.
If you inherit darker skin (East Indian or Middle Eastern genetics) the actual structure of the orbital socket often causes restricted circulation around the eyes leading to blood pooling under the eyes and the appearance of dark circles.
Age is another factor. Over time, skin loses collagen and elasticity becoming thinner, so veins show through more prominently. We also lose fatty tissue and the areas within the orbital socket hollow out.
UV exposure (esp. sunbathing) speeds up the breaking down process = UV BREAKS DOWN EVERYTHING! Collagen, elastin vessels, capillaries etc, and UV radiation is also a huge “supplier” of Free Radicals which cause further break down of basically everything in our skin and bodies!
Seasonal allergies are to blame for many people. They trigger the release of histamines in the body, which in turn causes inflammation and swelling of blood vessels and puffiness under the eyes.
Sleeping with your makeup on! Take the extra 3 min at night to remove your makeup!
Use an eye-makeup remover or good quality cleanser that doesn’t irritate your eyes, lather in circles for a good minute (including your lashes and lash line), and rinse…voila!!
It’s worth it, and your skin and eyes will thank you.
THE BEST TREATMENTS AND PRODUCTS to REJUVENATE the EYE AREA
If your circles are the result of vascular issues, (pooling blood from poor circulation or Genetics, etc.) you can increase blood circulation by:
- using products with caffeine (the secret behind tea bags on your eyes); - some people have also suggested preventing the pooling by doubling up on pillows at night;
- spa facials are nice and increase circulation temporarily with the wonderful circular massaging action around the eyes
- there are also various home devices that can be used to improve circulation and tone and texture of the face such as NuFace Trinity (which uses a microcurrent).
If your aging, tired-looking eyes are giving you grief, there are a number of things that can help such as using products and doing treatments that will increase the dermis under the eye area by stimulating collagen synthesis; or directly replacing lost volume with Hyaluronic Acid Dermal fillers.
Ingredients to look for in eye products that increase collagen production and stimulate skin growth and repair include:
- retinol
- pentapeptides (palmitoyl pentapeptide = Matrixyl);
- hexapeptides (acetyl hexapeptide-3 = Argireline);
- palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7: promotes production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in the deepest layers of skin;
- copper peptides: small fragments of proteins combined with copper, can enhance skin regeneration and the healing of wounds. They are included in many anti-aging products for their ability to increase skin elasticity and firmness. Because copper is a toxic metal, avoid using it on the skin in any form except those that contain peptides that bind with the metal;
- anti-glycation end products (AGEs) which help inhibit the glycation process where by proteins and lipids become glycated as a result of exposure to sugars. Superstar multitasker green tea has been proven to significantly interfere with the glycation process while stimulating collagen synthesis.
- all the potent anti-oxidants we hear about help with preventing the damage done by free radicals (vit c, vit e, tea extracts, berry extracts, and many more).
For lightening properties look for ingredients like:
- Kojic Acid, Licorice Root, L-Arbutin, Vitamins K & C .
As for MediSpa treatments for the eyes:
- one of the easiest and best for immediate improvement of hollows under the eyes is to get a Tear-Trough Filler injected like: Restylane Fine Lines or Teosyal Redensity II;
- as for fine lines around the eye area, nothing will ever work as well as Botox! It is by far the most effective thing you can do for lines and wrinkles! Always book a consult!
- for Skin Tightening and Rejuvenation treatments include: Venus Skin Tightening; Thermage; Titan; Ultherapy; Sublime; Laser resurfacing; Laser Genesis; Chemical peels and more.