|

290 Orchard Rd, #13-07 The Paragon, Singapore 238859

|

April 18, 2023

Dr. Chloe Ho: Do you look way older than your age? Here’s why 

They say your eyes are the window to your soul – conventionally, this idiom represents the ability to understand someone’s emotions just by gazing into their eyes. 

Whether or not that is true is up for interpretation, but here is a fact – your eyes can cause you to look much older, and here’s why: 

  • The skin around your eyes is very thin[1], meaning it’s more prone to fine lines and wrinkles 
  • There is very little soft tissue under the eyes
  • The area under the eyes is prone to volume loss, resulting in a hollow appearance
  • The undereye region can be prone to developing dark eye circles 
  • A loss of skin elasticity can cause droopiness of the upper eyelids 

For those reasons, our eyes start showing signs of ageing before any part of our face. This process is accelerated with factors such as sun damage, lifestyle[2] habits (e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol) and genetics. 

So if you want to look younger or slow down ageing, pay attention to your eyes. 

In this article, allow me to share some telltale signs that the skin around your eyes need some TLC and the best treatments to consider. 

Signs that your eye area is ageing faster than you

1. Fine Lines and Wrinkles

As your eyes are one of the most expressive parts of your face, it’s only natural to develop fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes. You’ll start to notice these age lines more prominently as when you hit your 30s, elastin and collagen production slows down. 

2. Puffy Undereyes

We’ve all woken up with puffy undereyes, whether it’s due to a lack of sleep, dietary reasons (eating too much salt) or smoking. However, if you live a balanced and healthy lifestyle and still notice puffy undereyes, it may just be because the fatty tissue around your eyes is starting to sag. Loss of elasticity and water retention can make puffiness and bags around the eyes more pronounced.

3. Thinner Skin

The skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face – this is true regardless of age. As you get older, the skin around your eyes will get progressively thinner. Signs of thin skin include the appearance of dry, loose and crepey skin. You may also notice a more hooded appearance of the upper eyelids as the skin starts to droop downwards.   

4. Dark Circles

The appearance of dark eye circles may be due to excessive deposits of melanin around the eyes. This usually results in a brownish discolouration that can sometimes affect the upper eye lids as well. If you notice the discolouration under your eyes to be more of a dark purple hue, this discolouration stems from the blood vessels under the eyes. The thinner your skin is, the more visible your blood vessels will be. A lack of sleep and allergies can also accentuate the purplish discolouration under your eyes. 

A tear trough depression due to age related loss of subcutaneous fat and thinning of the skin can cause a shadowing under the eyes that lead to the appearance of dark eye circles as well. 

Treatments to reverse ageing around your eyes

PicoLo Laser

PicoLo Laser is a non-invasive picosecond laser treatment used to treat pigmentation, wrinkles, age spots and for brighter undereyes. It can also be used to fade unwanted tattoos and acne scars. Piccolo laser toning can be used to reduce the melanin deposits under the eyes and even out the skin tone. Regular piccolo laser toning can also help to build collagen under the eyes to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of dark eye circles. This can be done in combination with skin boosters to improve the skin density and plump up the skin.

The PicoLo Laser comes in two modes:

  • PicoLo Resolve - for acne scars, wrinkles and benign pigmented lesions
  • PicoLo Resolve Fusion - for benign lesions for all skin types

Benefits of PicoLo Laser includes:

  • 50% clearance of pigmented lesions such as age spots or freckles in just 2 treatments
  • Significant improvements in wrinkles and acne scars
  • Reduce melanin deposits under the eyes 
  • Treatment only takes 15 to 20 minutes with immediate results
  • Fast and quick recovery

ADVATx Yellow Laser

ADVATx Yellow Laser is a painless, high-powered laser capable of treating a variety of skin conditions and skin types. This treatment yields immediate results with no downtime.

Benefits of ADVATx Yellow Laser includes:

  • Reduction of vascular lesions including the purplish hue under the eyes 
  • Dermal remodeling resulting in more collagen
  • Evening out of skin imperfections and more radiant skin
  • No downtime
  • Immediate brightening of the skin after treatment

Undereye fillers 

A tear trough depression under the eyes as a result of a loss of subcutaneous fat and thinning of the skin can give rise to shadowing under the eyes as well as a hollow appearance. This can make one appear tired and older. Dermal fillers made up of hyaluronic acid can be used to fill out the depression and reshape the peri-oribital region. Immediate improvement can usually be observed but do give it about 1-2 weeks for any swelling to settle. 

Botulinum toxin 

Excessive movement of the muscles around the eyes due to various facial expressions can lead to the appearance of lines at the side of the eyes. These are known as crow feet lines. These lines can be categorized as dynamic (meaning on movement) or static (fixed) lines. A simple fix would be to do a tiny injection of botulinum toxin to reduce the muscle movement to reduce the appearance of such lines. Depending on the severity of the lines, a combination with skinboosters or machine treatments may be advised to rebuild the collagen in order to plump up the skin. 

Wrapping up

The skin around your eyes is the most delicate part of the face and is prone to early signs of ageing.

Signs such as fine lines and wrinkles, puffy undereyes, thinner skin, and dark circles can make you look much older than you actually are. Usually there is more than one factor involved in the appearance of tired eyes and combination treatments are necessary for a more holistic approach. 

While there is no way to turn back time, it is possible to reverse these signs of ageing. From injectables such as botox and fillers to lasers such as Picolo laser and Advatx yellow laser- there is a whole range of treatment options to help you look more youthful and energetic. 

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message!

About Dr. Chloe Ho

Dr. Chloe Ho is Asia Wellness’ resident doctor. Her strong background in dermatology has equipped her to treat patients with varying needs. Dr. Ho is trusted among her patients to treat any array of ageing skin concerns, such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark eye circles and acne scars.

Her clinical experience varies locally and internationally, from the Singapore National Skin Centre to Harvard Medical School in Boston.

References

  1. Ahmadraji, F., & Shatalebi, M. A. (2015). Evaluation of the clinical efficacy and safety of an eye counter pad containing caffeine and vitamin K in emulsified Emu oil base. Advanced biomedical research, 4, 10. https://doi.org/10.4103/2277-9175.148292 
  1. Yazdanparast, T., Hassanzadeh, H., Nasrollahi, S. A., Seyedmehdi, S. M., Jamaati, H., Naimian, A., Karimi, M., Roozbahani, R., & Firooz, A. (2019). Cigarettes Smoking and Skin: A Comparison Study of the Biophysical Properties of Skin in Smokers and Non-Smokers. Tanaffos, 18(2), 163–168. 
chevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram