Wrinkles around and under the eyes often lead people on a quest for solutions, from miracle creams to medical procedures. Understanding the causes and types of under-eye wrinkles is crucial to finding effective treatments. In this guide, I’ll share insights into helping patients concerned about fine lines, wrinkles around the eyes, and under-eye wrinkle treatments.
Types of Wrinkles Around Eyes
There are two basic types of wrinkles around the eyes:
Static Wrinkles: These appear when the face is at rest, without any expression.
Dynamic Wrinkles: These form during facial expressions, such as smiling.
Treating these two different types of wrinkles need separate approaches.
Wrinkles are one of the most noticeable aspects of an aged appearance. While there are more significant causes of facial aging such as loss of facial volume from bone loss, and sagging as skin and underlying support get weak, wrinkles are what most people see when they look at themselves, then conclude that they are aging.
What Causes Wrinkles Under Eyes?
Under eye wrinkles are most commonly caused by collagen loss, not excess skin quantity, so treatment should be about improving the eyelid skin rather than removing it. Lines that appear around the eyes with facial movement expressions, such as those commonly known as crow’s feet, appear due to muscle activity causing creasing. Collagen loss and breakdown, as well as constant creasing of the skin make these lines appear prominently, even at rest. Since movement causes these lines to deepen, limiting movement can help diminish these lines.
Best Procedures for Under Eye Wrinkles
To treat under-eye wrinkles effectively, we focus on improving lower eyelid skin quality. This may involve the use of precision-based heating devices like lasers or radiofrequency technology to stimulate collagen production. These devices create controlled injuries that prompt the body to produce collagen and renew skin cells. However, it’s essential not to overuse heating and ablative devices, as excessive energy can thin the skin.
Laser Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing increases collagen production, resulting in thicker and healthier lower eyelid skin. It also removes the top layer of skin cells, allowing fresh layers to emerge. Caution is advised to avoid making the skin too thin.
Under Eye Wrinkles Before and After
Alternative Treatments
Apart from thermal energy-based treatments, collagen stimulation and improved blood supply can be achieved through regenerative treatments like Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). PRP, derived from the patient’s blood, contains growth factors that promote collagen production and can address skin discoloration under the eyes commonly known as dark circles.
Under Eye Wrinkle Treatment - Botox
To reduce dynamic wrinkles around the eyes, treatment focuses on limiting the muscle activity responsible for these lines. This movement can be reduced by limiting muscle activity with a neurotoxin such as Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin as reduced movement makes the lines appear less deep. An artistic and experienced touch with injectable neurotoxins is important so that natural movement and facial expressions are not affected. With time and regular treatment, lines, and depressions in the skin caused by constant muscle contraction improve.
Realistic Expectations
It is important to understand that wrinkles around the eyes cannot be eliminated. The goal here is to improve or reduce wrinkles. As is often seen in some well-known people, attempting to completely erase lines and wrinkles could result in frozen, expressionless faces that don’t look natural.
Treatment Recovery
Laser and radiofrequency patients may take a day to a week before returning to work. The healing process which goes on below the surface is characterized by continued collagen production and remodeling. PRP can be placed below the skin as well as in the upper layers of skin, and can have anywhere from no downtime to a day or two. Neurotoxins like Botox and Dysport take about 3 days for initial effects, and 2 weeks for their full effect. It is routine for our patients to go back to work right after neurotoxin treatment.
Lifestyle and Skin Health
I emphasize the role of lifestyle in skin health. Poor diet, smoking, excessive sun exposure, and indoor tanning accelerate collagen loss. Regularly scheduled treatments, along with proper skincare, including sunscreen and eye creams, are crucial for long-term skin health.
Choosing a Trusted Practitioner
A lot of people make the mistake of having procedures based on coupon offers to save money or from inexperienced practitioners, only to spend more money and time trying to repair their overtreated or damaged skin. I recommend finding a doctor who you can trust to have your best interest in mind, and be your guide to navigate through all the messaging before you undergo a procedure. In my practice, I provide my patients with a treatment plan with an understanding of what to expect with the procedures I’ve recommended.
Under Eye Wrinkle Treatment in NYC and Long Island, New York
Dr Amiya Prasad is a Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon and Fellowship Trained Oculoplastic Surgeon. He’s been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 25 years. Dr. Prasad specializes in cosmetic procedures of the eyes and eyelids, and treating the signs of facial aging, ranging from advanced techniques such as upper and lower eyelid surgery; injectable treatments around the eyes such as under eye filler (view before and after gallery), platelet-rich plasma, and Botox; as well as laser and radiofrequency treatments for eyelid skin, and body laser skin tightening.
To schedule a consultation, fill-up the contact form below, or you may call any of our offices at (212) 265-8877 for Manhattan, New York City; (516) 742-4636 Garden City, Long Island; or (703) 356-1336 for Vienna, Virginia.