The Under Eye Area: Why the Most Sensitive Part Of Your Face Needs Special Attention

The phrase ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’ is very apt, as our eyes are key to all of our facial expressions and movement throughout our life. From frowning to smiling and everything in between. We know what someone’s thinking or feeling by looking at their eyes, and we can judge someone’s stress levels by how much they’re frowning at their computer screen.

Our skin gradually loses elasticity and natural collagen as we age, and our muscles move, and gravity doesn’t help our cause either. Collagen is a “structural support” in our skin, and it breaks down as we get older, so skin is less firm and plump, and begins to sag.

So far, so familiar. But the skin underneath our eyes is particularly sensitive, more so than many might realise. It’s much thinner than the rest of our skin and that’s why it’s so prone to dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles. If you’re really tired, it will be written all over your under eye area, and dark circles can appear to age even someone in their twenties.

Eye Puffiness

It’s an old cliche that putting cucumber slices on your eyes will reduce puffiness (cold tea bags are another commonly known remedy), and some claim that they work a treat, but before you reach for them eagerly, it’s worth bearing in mind that most eye care professionals and opticians don’t recommend it. Cucumbers and teabags can both be full of bacteria – something you definitely don’t want hanging around your eyes.

If you’ve tried these tricks before and they worked well though, don’t despair. It’s the coldness that did the job, so try a wash cloth soaked in cold water, a soothing, cooling eye cream, or a chilled eye mask instead. No bacteria, but nice and chilly.

Coldness makes our blood vessels constrict, “which reduces the flow of fluid into soft tissues”, the root cause of eye puffiness. Another great remedy is to drink lots of water and make sure you’re fully hydrated, so avoid coffee and sugary drinks – less water will be retained in the under eye area, bringing swelling down.

Dark circles and discolouration

There’s a long list of the potential causes of dark circles under the eyes, such as fatigue, allergies, stress, anaemia, drinking too much and even oversleeping. And as you get older, and you lose some of that all important collagen and firmness, dark circles become much more visible as the under-eye skin thins.

If your dark circles are being caused by fatigue, tackling your lack of sleep would be the best place to start, but if you’re sick and tired of reaching for excessive amounts of concealer every morning, a rejuvenating facial treatment could do the trick.

The Vitamin C Rejuvenation Facial contains Vitamin C, Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids and fruit enzymes, which speed up cellular turnover for lightening, tightening and brightening all skin types. Alpha hydroxy acids encourage firmness and the thickening of the skin, something the under eye area is often in desperate need of.

 

Wrinkles

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of creams and serums on the market that claim to reduce the signs and deepness of wrinkles. Nearly everyone who tries out these products out, however, will find that their pocket is what takes a hit, not the wrinkles.

Anti Wrinkle fillers are still renowned for reducing the signs of ageing, and almost every female celebrity, actress or performer will have considered them or had them at some point. Chemical messages from the nerve to the muscle are blocked by the injection, temporarily weakening it and making facial muscles appear smoother and lines softened. For before and after pictures, information about the procedure, and what to expect, book a free consultation today. We have 9 London clinics open 7 days a week for you.