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“Am I looking old?”. Question that comes up when you see wrinkles on your body. Wrinkles anywhere on the body can bring down your morale. You will be ready to do anything to prevent wrinkles. It is even tougher to contemplate our situation when we get wrinkles under our eyes! Let us discuss what causes under-eye wrinkles and how to get rid of under eye wrinkles.1
Wrinkles under the eye are natural as we grow old. But it becomes an issue when eye wrinkles start appearing at a young age. Physical appearance at a young age is always a confidence booster. So, a problem like wrinkles under the eyes can affect one’s life adversely. It is important to know how to get rid of under eye wrinkles.
1. What is Under Eye Wrinkles
Under the eye, wrinkles can be defined as the slackening of skin under the eyes to form a bag-like structure which results in an aged appearance. Biologically, wrinkles are classified into two major types:-
1.1 Dynamic Wrinkles
If you attribute your wrinkles to your smile, which has eventually resulted in fine lines, your skin has dynamic wrinkles. It happens due to extensive muscular activities from facial movements such as frowning, facial expressions during anger or excessive muscle movement during facial exercises. The brittle and delicate skin under the eyes tends to get stretched and leave fine lines which resonate with eye wrinkles. However, these wrinkles are temporary and revert to normal skin conditions once the movement ceases.
1.2 Static Eye Wrinkles
Static wrinkles or Static Eye wrinkles are mainly permanent. These can be defined as fine lines under the eyes when the face is resting. In other words, the facial muscles are stress-free. It is necessary to know how to get rid of under-eye wrinkles to reduce fine lines. These fine lines occur due to state wrinkles.
2. Under Eye Wrinkles – Causes
Numerous reasons can cause under-eye wrinkles. Though it is not a direct symptom of any serious health issue, we can address the underlying problems if we can identify the cause of under-eye wrinkles.
2.1 Age
Under the eye, wrinkles are the first indication of ageing. With the ageing process, collagen production by the skin reduces. This results in collagen breakdown2. Subsequently, the skin starts to lose its elasticity. The skin slowly begins to slacken and ‘hangs’.
2.2 Cigarette Smoking
Smoking kills and also accelerates your ageing process. Smoking, whether passive or active harms the skin. Smoking increases stress on the skill cells and reduces blood flow which can hinder the nutrition supply to the skin, especially under the eyes. This results in the formation of lines and under eye wrinkles.
In addition, smoking can hinder the production of collagen and can cause collagen breakdown. Collagen production is necessary to help the skin retain its elasticity. Therefore, smoking affects ageing and under-eye wrinkles directly.
2.3 Over-Exposure to Sun
Remember when your mom used to stop you from playing under the sun during summer? Sun exposure or direct sunlight has been a well-known cause of major skin-related issues. Ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate your skin and hinder cell growth. It may also affect new cell growth.
Exposure to direct sunlight is known to decrease collagen levels and collagen fibers. This results in the formation of under-eye wrinkles3. Since sun exposure to the face is more than to the rest of the body, the impact of sun exposure is evident in the form of saggy under-eye wrinkles.
2.4 Incorrect Sleeping Posture
Imagine how cosy it is to sleep on your stomach under a blanket with your hands around the pillow. Well, this cosy sleeping posture is not that cosy for your facial skin, especially around the eye area.
Incorrect sleeping posture can sometimes cause under-eye wrinkles. With the face pressed into the pillow, gravity pulls the fluids under the eye in a downward direction. This results in the accumulation of fluids under the eye. In addition, the pressing up of your face into the pillow and the friction can lead to crinkling that can cause wrinkles.
2.5 Eating Habits
A balanced diet is a solution to all health issues. A healthy diet can be the best solution for under-eye wrinkle treatment. The common enemy of any health issue is the unregulated usage of sugar and salt.
Sugar is known to alter collagen production in the body and result in premature ageing of the skin cells. It can cause the formation of eye wrinkles and fine lines under the eye. Salt, on the other hand, promotes water accumulation under the eye forming wrinkles.
2.6 Facial Movements
Dynamic wrinkles, as discussed earlier, are temporary and occur due to facial movements. These fine lines may become static wrinkles as skin losses its elasticity.
In addition, there are numerous subconscious facial expressions that people make every day, for example, as you read and work on your laptop, you may squint your eyes involuntarily. Those who frown often end up with permanent static wrinkles on their forehead. Facial expressions can cause under-eye wrinkles.
It might remind you of a very tiring day where you have been working an entire day to meet a deadline that your boss gave you and remain sleepless. Can you remember the number of times you rubbed your eyes to stay awake?
Sleeplessness causes dark circles around your eyes. The delicate skin around your eyes stretches when you rub your eyes. The skin loses its elasticity and sags down under the eye.
In addition, rubbing your eyes can trigger allergy symptoms that can result in the skin under the eye turning dry. Dry skin is the first step towards the formation of lines and wrinkles. Also, do not forget to sleep well to prevent dark circles and deep wrinkles.
3. Methods on How to Get Rid of Under Eye Wrinkles
Having discussed what causes under-eye wrinkles, you should know how to get rid of under eye wrinkles through under-eye wrinkle treatments. We shall discuss cosmetic procedures and home remedies to get rid of wrinkles.
3.1 Cosmetic Procedures
With the evolution of technology, plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures have become the latest trend in the field of medicine. These procedures are now available at rates that are affordable to many. So, if you have money in your bank account and need a solution to treat under-eye wrinkles, then cosmetic procedures are the answer to how to get rid of under-eye wrinkles.
3.1.1 Eye Fillers
Also known as Derma Fillers, this is the most preferred surgical solution to under-eye wrinkle treatment. In this procedure, derma fillers are injected using tiny needles in the area near your eyes. These fillers can last for more than half a year up to 3 years based on the number of fillers used. The injection of these fillers makes the skin look tight and young.
3.1.2 Micro-Dermabrasion
Microdermabrasion 4is a method to be adopted if you do not want to inject foreign objects into the body. This way you can prevent fine lines and wrinkles using a cosmetic solution. The procedure removes dead skin cells from beneath the eye. This procedure uses diamond-fitted equipment.
Microdermabrasion promotes the growth of healthy new cells and forms healthy skin underneath the eyes. Get a more relaxed appearance and plump-looking skin with this cosmetic procedure.
3.1.3 Botox
The term Botox will remind you of celebrities with cosmetic surgery gone wrong with swollen faces. This is not entirely true. One of the most effective ways of removing under-eye wrinkles is Botox treatment.
Injections are employed to relax muscles beneath the eyes. Relaxed muscles will aid in opening up the blood vessels and improve blood flow. Botox treatment will help you in getting a younger and more relaxed appearance to your face.
3.1.4 Chemical Peel Treatment
Chemical peel treatment is another cosmetic procedure. The dead skin cells are separated to treat under-eye wrinkles. The dead skin cells are focused on using chemical peels. Though not effective in removing wrinkles, dead skin removal aids the growth of healthy new cells that will give a relaxed and fresh look. It is considered one of the cheapest chemical treatment methodologies.
3.2 Home Remedies
If you are not interested in cosmetic procedures but still want to look younger and read further, know how to get rid of under eye wrinkles. Using skin care products having various vitamins help in skin regrowth.
Moisturizing solutions that help skin retain moisture will also help in skin regrowth. Other solutions that are useful as under-eye wrinkle treatment are mentioned below:-
3.2.1 Use Sunscreen
UV and other harmful rays, can damage your skin cells and result in eye wrinkles. If you are planning to get a tan under the sun or spend some time under direct sunlight, then do not forget to use sunscreen. Sunscreen cream can prevent under-eye wrinkles by preventing UV rays from interfering with collagen production.
3.2.2 Eye Creams
Dry skin around the eyes can cause wrinkles and give an ageing look. There are plenty of eye creams that are available to help you prevent the drying out of your skin. A well-hydrated skin with the ability to retain moisture will help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Skincare products may, however, result in allergy symptoms and harm your skin. Always check the product over a small portion of the skin before applying it to the face.
3.2.3 Use Soft Pillow Case
As mentioned earlier, the wrong sleeping procedure can cause an accumulation of eye fluid around the eye. In addition, the friction of the skin with a pillow can leave fine lines and wrinkles.
To prevent wrinkles due to friction, use a soft pillowcase, preferably made of silk. A silk pillowcase will remain soft on your facial skin and reduce the possibility of the formation of lines due to friction. In addition, avoid using cotton pillow covers which are rough and can result in friction.
3.2.4 Lifestyle Changes
Like any other disorder, changing one’s lifestyle into a healthy one is a must to get rid of eye wrinkles. A healthy lifestyle can reverse eye wrinkles without any cosmetic treatments. Incorporating foods rich in vitamins C and E can gently exfoliate dry skin and promote healthy cells. Try green tea that is rich in vitamin E. A balanced diet is considered the best treatment for eye wrinkles.
Quit smoking. Smoking, as discussed earlier, has a direct effect on wrinkle formation. The result of quitting smoking will be evident within a few days of quitting as the blood flow will increase in blood vessels. It would gently exfoliate dryness underneath the eye and eyelid skin.
Final Note
Under-eye wrinkles are usually indicative of ageing. However, these can occur at any age, from the early 20s to the late 30s. Eye wrinkles can directly affect confidence in life as appearance influences our outlook. Numerous environmental factors can result in under-eye wrinkles. It is pertinent to discuss this with your doctor before you try any of the under-eye wrinkle treatments.
One of the best treatments for getting rid of under-eye wrinkles is by stimulating collagen production. It can help in treating allergy symptoms as well as deeper lines. This can be achieved by controlling environmental factors as well as lifestyle.
Eye Wrinkles are reversible for a short time. Both cosmetic and homemade procedures are effective ways to treat fine lines and wrinkles. Whilst cosmetic procedure involves filling fillers using microscopic holes through tiny holes using tiny needles or use of chemical peels containing glycolic acid to remove dead cells.
The homemade procedures include using a correct sleeping procedure and controlling facial expressions such as excessive frowning that can cause crow’s feet on the face. Preventing exposure to direct sunlight and use of sunscreen and skin products that gently exfoliate dry skin are other measures to prevent eye wrinkles.
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- Karimipour, Darius J., Gholamreza Karimipour, and Jeffrey S. Orringer. “Microdermabrasion: an evidence-based review.” Plastic and reconstructive surgery 125.1 (2010): 372-377. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology