They say that your eyes are the windows to the soul. That much is true. However, sometimes the area around the “window-framing” can start to look a bit old. You can start developing under eye wrinkles in the area.
These wrinkles can put a damper on your youth. It can also give you a perpetually tired look. Of course, that’s not ideal. Fortunately, you don’t have to continue struggling with these under eye wrinkles. You can get rid of them through both surgical and non-surgical procedures.
What Causes Under Eye Wrinkles?
There are many reasons for the development of under eye wrinkles. Ageing isn’t always to blame. However, it is one of the biggest reasons why wrinkles form in the first place. With the loss in strength and flexibility of the skin, it begins to sag, which appears as wrinkles.
Direct, long-term exposure to harmful UV radiation can also cause under eye wrinkles. This is why you should make sure to include sunscreen in your skincare routine. UV radiation can break down the collagen in the skin, which leads to wrinkling.
Other than that, smoking is another big reason for the appearance of under eye wrinkles. Some chemical compounds in cigarette smoke can damage the elastin and collagen in the skin, making it lose its suppleness and firmness.
Lastly, the simple movements of your face, such as laughing, frowning, or squinting, can cause you to wrinkle in the long term. It’s only natural for you to form them as you age. You might also know that dry, dehydrated skin wrinkles more easily. This region is particularly more prone to developing wrinkles because the skin is thinner. Different factors come together to make under eye wrinkles rather inevitable.
What Are the Different Types of Under Eye Wrinkles?
To understand under eye wrinkles better, you need to get an idea of the different types of them.
Dynamic Wrinkles
These are the wrinkles that develop due to the contraction of the muscles. The repetitive movement of the muscles causes them to stretch. It happens over time as a result of the different facial expressions that you make throughout your lifetime, such as frowning, laughing, squinting, crying, smiling, worrying, or stressing.
The degradation of the elastin and collagen in the skin certainly makes it difficult for the skin to retain its tautness. Crow’s feet are a common example of dynamic wrinkles. Smile lines and frown lines are also dynamic wrinkles.
Static Wrinkles
With the decrease in collagen production as you continue to age, you’ll notice that your skin will lose its elasticity. This combined with the forces of gravity results in the development of static wrinkles. You can also expect your dynamic wrinkles to become static with time.
There’s nothing that you can do to stop the development of static wrinkles. However, this doesn’t mean that you should stop taking good care of your skin. This includes wrinkles across the cheeks and the neck, most noticeably.
Wrinkle Folds
Other than the two main types of wrinkles, there are also wrinkle folds. These develop in the area between the mouth and the nose and under the eyes. They form as a result of the sagging of the skin.
How To Get Rid of Under Eye Wrinkles With Non-Surgical Treatments?
Many people seek non-surgical treatments for under eye wrinkles. There are quite a few options that you can look into for resolving this issue.
Face Creams and Other Topical Products
Here, we won’t go into the product details of different skincare brands. What makes a certain cream or topical treatment effective for under eye wrinkles is the ingredients. Retinol, which is a form of Vitamin A is quite popular in fighting the signs of ageing.
Its antioxidant properties can reduce the free radicals in the skin. Free radicals can break down the collagen in the skin and result in the formation of under eye wrinkles. Retinol allows for new cell growth while stimulating the production of collagen, making it the perfect ingredient.
CoQ10 is another powerful antioxidant that neutralizes the free radicals and prevents the skin from getting damaged. Other ingredients you need to look out for include vitamin C, seaweed, and hyaluronic acid.
Chemical Peels
There are different types of chemical peels that are available in the market. They can help remove the dead skin cells that are accumulated on the skin. These are very helpful in dealing with acne scars. However, they can also slightly reduce the appearance of wrinkles. You should not expect to get rid of your wrinkles through this treatment, though.
Laser
There are many laser treatments that claim to reduce under eye wrinkles. One even punctures small holes in the skin to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. So, you can also look into this option for taking care of your wrinkles.
Botox
Botulinum toxin or Botox is injected into the target area to slow down the movement of the muscles. This is what reduces the appearance of wrinkles and makes the skin look smoother.
With Botox, you can start noticing the results days after the treatment takes place. However, you will have to wait for at least 3-4 weeks before you start noticing more dramatic results. You should know that the results of Botox last for 3-6 months. So, if you want to maintain the results of the treatment, you will have to get the injection again.
Fillers
Dermal filler injections can fill up the sunken, hollow areas of the skin while also reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They help plump the area and lift it by filling it with a substance. Hyaluronic acid fillers are quite commonly used for this purpose.
PRP Injections
PRP injections are more or less there for the rescue, no matter what the problem is. Using the body’s own healing system is what makes PRP injections so effective. Containing growth factors and proteins, it can stimulate the production of collagen in the area.
It also helps in the growth of new blood vessels which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the area underneath the eyes. PRP injections also work well for dark circles. If both the wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes make you feel uncomfortable, you can have a PRP treatment.
How To Get Rid of Under Eye Wrinkles With Surgery?
There are different surgical treatments available through which you can get rid of your under eye wrinkles.
Blepharoplasty
If your eyes constantly look puffy, wrinkly, and tired, then you can consider lower eyelid surgery. Through this surgery, excess fat and skin gets removed from the area under the eyes. This gives the under eyes a smoother and more youthful appearance.
Fat Injection
Since fat injections involve injecting fat underneath the skin, they can add more volume to the sunken skin underneath the eyes. It isn’t exactly like dermal fillers.
The fat injected underneath the eyes is taken from another area of your body. One of the biggest advantages of getting a fat injection is that it offers a more long-term solution for dealing with under eye wrinkles.
Non-Surgical Treatment vs. Surgical Treatment: Which One is Better?
If you’re thinking of using face creams to get rid of deep wrinkles, then you might not end up being satisfied with the results. Face creams do well to prevent the formation of wrinkles. However, they’re not as effective for getting rid of those wrinkles that have already developed on the face. So, it might not be the most suitable for treating under eye wrinkles. Chemical peels also don’t do much to reduce wrinkles.
Botox, fillers, and PRP injections are minimally invasive treatments. If you have fine lines under your eyes in combination with eye bags, especially PRP can work for you. You will see a noticeable change in your wrinkles after getting them.
Therefore, you can consider these non-surgical treatments for getting rid of your under eye wrinkles. One drawback of non-surgical treatments is that they are temporary. You need to get them redone periodically to continue seeing the results.
If you’re looking for more permanent results, then you should consider the surgical options. If your under eye wrinkles are too severe and the puffy look makes you feel uncomfortable, you may consider having lower eyelid surgery. Fat injection to your under eye area is also an alternative to filler, and the result is permanent. Depending on your condition, you can have non-surgical or surgical treatments for your under eye wrinkles.
Wrapping It Up
Under eye wrinkles can become a cause of low confidence and self-esteem. Therefore, you can choose to get rid of them either through surgical or non-surgical options. PRP, fillers and Botox work well as far as non-surgical options are considered.
They can give you more prominent results. If your wrinkles are quite deep, surgical options might work better for you, such as lower eyelid surgery or fat injection. If you want to get rid of your under eye wrinkles, then make sure to consult with a medical professional.
