Eyes

Date: 29/08/2016

Author: Ingrid Katz (Pure Aesthetics)

Forget the whole soul thing, our eyes are actually the window to our health – revealing our age, lack of sleep, circulation issues, to name a few.

The skin on the eye area has less structural support due to the fact that is lies over the eye socket. This structural support comes in the form of tissue / flesh and so it means that the blood supply to the skin in this area, sits more superficially when compared with the rest of the face.

When considering dark circles, this is one of the main reasons why they become as pronounced as the do.

Dark circles and puffiness can be caused by a number of factors namely; poor circulation, lack of sleep, illness, stress, medication or poor diet. This area is also under stress due to the constant muscle movement (expression and blinking) which results in the skin being stretched and pulled in different directions. Added to this, the eye socket (bone structure) widens with age and so the skin is under increased pressure as its capacity to stretch is pushed.

The result of this is an ageing eye area, showing fine lines leading to deeper wrinkles or “crow’s feet”. We may also see the eyelid start to sag and extra skin develop in the fold. If this sounds all too familiar, fear not as we have some options to help these concerns.

First up, the need for specific eye products to treat ageing is becoming redundant. With cosmeceuticals now supplying high quality and highly absorbable active ingredients – these can be used right up and over the eye area. If a specific concern is needing treatment, such as puffiness or dark circles then a good eye gel or serum consistency should be looked for. Heavy creams will only exacerbate the condition.

Skin Peels can and should be used right up under the eye area and some can be used on the eyelid as well. These will stimulate circulation in the area, reducing puffiness and dark circles; stimulate regeneration of new skin cells and collagen as well as help plump up the surface, diminishing fine lines.

Laser treatments such as Laser Genesis can be very effective at stimulating collagen production and circulation to alleviate puffiness, dark circles and combat ageing. A course of treatments will give the best results.

Fillers are injected into the area to re-densify the tissue, thereby improving the fragility of the skin and allowing the vascular system to be better placed within the tissue, which will improve the appearance of dark circles.

Botulinum Toxin can be used around the eyes to soften crow’s feet and fine lines without losing expression. It can also be used to lift the eye brows and/or to prevent frown lines. This combination will open up the eye area as well as give a smoother appearance to the forehead area.

Silhouette Soft Suspension Sutures are also ideal for lifting a dropped brow line. This treatment comes in the form of bidirectional absorbable thread cones that are inserted into the face enabling two combined actions:

  • A discreet and immediate lifting effect. As soon as the suture is applied, the doctor reshapes the treated area by means of a double action - compressing and elevating tissue.
  • A gradual and natural regenerating effect. When being absorbed the component of the suture (poly-lactic acid) stimulates the regeneration of collagen in the area, restoring volume and shapeliness to the face.

Lastly, surgery in the form of a Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery is the last, but most effective method of bringing back a youthful-looking eye area. Not only is this surgery able to remove excess skin around the upper and/or lower eyelid area, but it will also provide an opportunity to remove fatty deposits which can develop in this area. Every patient would have a surgery customised to their needs