How to Get Younger-Looking Eyes

By Dr. Stanley Poulos

Your eyes are not only the windows to your soul, but your age as well.  In fact, studies have shown that when strangers are asked to judge how old a person is, the eye area is one of the biggest influences.

The delicate skin around our eyes is usually the first place to get noticeable fine lines/wrinkles and even brown discoloration. The causes are exposure to sun and pollution, stress, and late nights. Here are some doable tips:

Be preventative– Botox and fillers can dramatically improve the appearance of the eye area without surgery. If a patient has a volume loss or tear trough (deep groove) under the eyelids, we inject fillers such as Juvéderm or Restylane. This produces volume to the area and provides support and lift to smooth out lines and wrinkles.

Botox and other neuromodulators relax muscles to soften lines and to slow down their deepening by weakening the way they wrinkle the skin like an accordion. The cost depends on amount injected and number of injection sites.

No Injection Cosmetic Procedures- There are a variety of laser treatments available that allow skincare professionals to target certain areas and treat certain conditions. Resurfacing lasers, like Fractionated Erbium or CO2 can tighten the skin around the eyes with up to a week of downtime.

The Surgical Route- Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the eyelids. Surgery can be performed on either the upper and lower lids, or both.

Whether you want to improve your appearance or are experiencing functional problems with your eyelids, eyelid surgery can rejuvenate the area surrounding your eyes.

EYELID SURGERY CAN TREAT:

1. Loose or sagging skin that creates folds of the upper eyelid, sometimes blocking   vision
2. Excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the eyelids
3. Bags under the eyes
4. Drooping lower eyelids that reveal white below the iris
5. Excess skin of the lower eyelid

Target Key Spots: There’s a muscle under the tail of the eyebrow that pulls the brow down, so a tiny drop of Botox, placed very precisely, helps pop up the brow and give you more of an arch in a few days. I also like Juvederm under the outer half of the brow. We lose fat in our eyebrows over time, which makes everything sag. Replacing the fat pad with filler helps prop up the brows and lids back where they used to be.

NON-SURGICAL ROUTES

Protect yourself from the Sun- Wear a broad-brimmed hat and use UV-protective sunglasses with lenses large enough to protect the eyes and the eyelids. Polarize lenses reduce glare and are particularly important when driving. Use sunscreen designed specifically for around the eyes to avoid stinging and burning. UV rays can penetrate clouds, so protect your eyes and eyelids every day.

Eye Cream- In addition to moisturizing, eye creams can offer other benefits, as well. Dr. Poulos says to, “Eye creams with growth factors and retinal can help increase cell turnover. Retinol helps to combat wrinkles, thicken the dermis, boost collagen, and distribute pigment more evenly. Use an eye cream containing retinol at night because it’s light-sensitive.”

Avoid eating too much salt– Some people notice their eyes get puffy when they eat a lot of salt.  Under eye bags are intensified when you have a diet that is high in sodium. To reduce puffiness and swelling, put something cool over eyelids, like cucumber slices, slices of raw potatoes, moist, refrigerated tea bags, or chilled spoons.

Avoid over plucking your eyebrows– Repeated tweezing can result in scarring of the hair follicles, preventing hair from ever re-growing. “Be judicious when plucking,” says Dr. Poulos.  “With age, eyebrow hairs become thinner.”

Eat an Iron-Rich Diet

An iron deficiency could be the reason for your under-eye bags and dark circles. Make them go away by incorporating iron-rich foods like spinach, kidney beans and dark chocolate into your diet.

Relax With Green Tea

Fight eye bags with tea bags! Resting cold green tea pouches will help reduce the appearance of puffiness. The combination of a cool compress with the tannins in the tea may help constrict the blood vessels and reduce swelling. Caffeine in the tea also helps reduce swelling.

To Minimize Dark Circles

Seek Out Vitamin C. Look for an eye cream with ascorbyl glucoside, a potent vitamin C derivative that lightens dark circles and reverses aging dyspigmentation. Also, if you have volume loss under the eyes, light can get trapped in the folds and give the impression of shadows. In this case, we will often utilize a transfer of your own fat from abdomen or hips, mix it with your centrifuged blood (protein rich plasma or prp) and inject via a tiny needle to add thickness and minimize the light reflex “erasing”  the dark circles.

Strengthen With Retinol: “Dark circles can be caused by the under-eye skin getting thin over time, so the underlying muscle is visible. Dr. Poulos often prescribes Renova to build collagen and help thicken the skin around the eyes. If you have sensitive skin, start with an over the counter retinol-containing product.

Dr. Poulos is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Co-Founder with Yngvar Hvistendahl, M.D of Plastic Surgery Specialists recognized as one of the premier aesthetic surgery clinics in Northern California.