Are you tired of being asked, “You look tired, did you get sleep?” despite feeling well-rested?
Often times, our eyes and the area around our eyes makes us look more aged or tired than what we are.
Are you frustrated with buying ALL of the eye creams that promise you a younger appearance without delivering on their promise? For the most part, undereye creams do not significantly help with appearance of dark circles or undereye bags. I would definitely recommend a good moisturizing eye cream to help keep the super thin skin as hydrated and radiant as possible. But these topical creams are not going to give you that “OMG” moment you may be looking for. Retinols should be avoided in the undereye area due to the thinness of the skin. Whereas retinols on the facial skin improve fine lines and wrinkles and help with skin turn over, in the undereye area, it causes dryness which then WORSENS the wrinkles! The exact opposite effect you are looking for!
When I see a client for evaluation for undereye treatments, I first want to rule out, or optimize a few medical conditions:
1) Hypothyroidism: A low thyroid hormone, or hypothyroidism, can cause excess volume under the eyes. If you haven’t been tested for this, I will order some labs. If you found to have hypothyroidism, taking a daily medication should control for the low thyroid hormone and may improve the undereye appearance.
2) Seasonal allergies: Seasonal allergies are known to cause eye irritation and puffiness around the eyes. If you suffer from seasonal allergies and have associated red eyes or puffiness of the skin surrounding your eyes, I will start you on an antihistamine to help reduce the puffiness or redness before initiating other treatments.
3) Sleep/Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): poor sleep quality can lead to undereye bags and discoloration. While I understand it isn’t always possible to get the amount of sleep you need or deserve, optimizing sleep quality as much as possible, will improve the undereye area.
There area a few treatments that CAN improve the undereye area, and not all of them involve surgery!
1) For clients with a hallowness around their undereye area, specifically shadows close to the nose, called tear troughs, camouflaging this area with volume, either fillers or fat, can reduce shadowing and discoloration, leading to a more youthful, alert appearance.
2) For those with excess skin without the associated undereye bags, tightening the skin either with lasers is in option. However, due to the thinness of the skin, gentler settings need to be used and you may require several sessions. There is an in-office procedure, called a skin pinch, which can be done under local anesthesia in the office. In this minor procedure, the excess skin is removed or “pinched” through an incision just beneath the lower lid eyelashes. This will lead to a tightened appearance with reduction of wrinkled or crepey skin and can be combined with fat or filler to replace lost volume.
3) For those clients who have eyelid bags as well as excess skin, a lower lid blepharoplasty is your best option. There are many different techniques to perform this procedure. Personally, I perform these procedures in an operating room under moderate or general anesthesia. Incisions are made INSIDE the eyelid to allow me to reposition or occasionally remove the excess fat to create a smooth transition between undereye lid area and your cheek. This will effectively eliminate the bags. The excess skin is then removed through the skin pinch procedure as described above.
All of these treatments are powerful tools to increase youthful contours and create a more alert and well-rested appearance. Curious to know how you personally can improve your under eye area? Give us a call or book a consultation online to start your journey!