When it comes to determining whether a face is attractive or tired, it is the eyes that are of paramount importance. An experienced eye can immediately determine all the secrets of our life and heredity, looking only at our eyes. In medical terms, as we age our body goes through a long series of changes, and it is the delicate areas around the eyes that are the first to show signs of these changes.
For some, these signs appear earlier, for others - later, but many of us wonder: what factors are responsible for the appearance of wrinkles and droopy eyelids, and what can be done to join theleague of owners of eternally young eyes.
Solve the mystery of aging eyes
Blepharochalasia is not only a strange and difficult word to pronounce, but also a medical term for the appearance of excess skin around the eyes or the effect of heavy eyelids. This is a fairly common problem caused by the normal aging process, fatigue, allergies, slow lymphatic drainage, or a number of other medical conditions.
What is special about the skin around the eyes and why is it so delicate?
1. Aging
The skin around the eyes is seven to ten times thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of the face and body in general. As we age, the skin becomes even thinner due to the loss of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid (which keeps the skin hydrated). The delicate skin is stretched under the action of the fatty substance, which leads to visible sagging bags under the eyes. The protrusion of suborbital fat is considered a common manifestation of the aging process. In addition, aging and a number of other factors affect the weakening of muscles, which only worsens the condition of bags under the eyes.
2. Genetic causes
Researchers recently conducted a study to identify risk factors that lead to droopy eyelids, with particular attention to genetic factors. They studied two groups of people. The first group consisted of 5578 unrelated people. 17. 8% of participants in the group had moderate to severe droopy eyelids. In the second group, there were 2186 people who were twins, and 61% of the participants in this group had inherited droopy eyelids. These results confirm the fact that the most common cause of droopy eyelids is heredity.
3. Sebaceous glands
The periorbital area is drier because there are fewer sebaceous glands compared to the skin on the rest of the face. Consequently, its lipid barrier is less good and it is more prone to the formation of mimic wrinkles.
4. Skull
High cheekbones and sunken eyes. This is the cause of the hollows under the eyes, the shadow of which creates the illusion that the skin under the eyes is darker, even if it is not. As we age, the facial bones of the skull change and this situation only gets worse.
5. Translucent capillaries
Dark circles under the eyes are actually the result of the oxidation of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the main component of red blood cells, it contains a heme group whose iron atoms bind oxygen molecules.
In this way, the red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and carry away all the waste to be destroyed. When oxygen molecules attach to the heme group, red blood cells turn red. When oxygen molecules are separated and hemoglobin is oxidized, red blood cells turn blue. This is why dark circles appear under the eyes. If red blood cells appear through the capillaries around the eyes, enzymes in the body interfere with the movement of red blood cells and oxidize them, turning them blue. When this happens, the waste is released into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body. Translucent capillaries can also cause swelling or fluid retention in the body, which makes the face puffy.
6. Toxins in the body
Dark circles under the eyes can indicate sleep problems or the presence of toxins in the kidneys or liver. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the top of the eye and the area just below the eyes make up the kidney region. Swelling and fluid retention in this area is a sign that the body has too much fluid (watery, swollen circles, with a blue tint) or is overloaded with mucus (oily and swollen, with a yellow tint). White or blue circles under the eyes indicate fatigue or exhaustion. A yellow tint indicates poor functioning of the liver and gallbladder. If the gallbladder is not up to the task of processing and breaking down fat in the body, it can contribute to the appearance of milia (small white-yellow bumps) around the eyes in some people.
7. Frequent eye movements
The skin suffers from frequent blinking and facial expressions (eg, smiling), also known as expression lines.
8. Iron
Iron may be another contributing factor. Red blood cells need iron atoms to attach oxygen molecules to themselves. When your body's iron content is low, red blood cells cannot bind oxygen to themselves, and as a result, bluish circles appear under the eyes.
9. Lifestyle
Puffy eyes are another problem that can appear regardless of age or gender. It is caused by a diet high in salt, smoking or alcohol. Due to an unhealthy lifestyle, dark circles under the eyes and early wrinkles also appear.
If you want to know how your eyes will change with age, look at your parents. This will give you a clear idea of whether you will have a big fat pad under your eyes. But you can try to change the genetic plan with the help of aesthetic medicine.
Other causes of skin deterioration in the periorbital region can be: stress, malnutrition or undernutrition, excess or lack of sleep, excessive use of cosmetics (remember to wash it every night), too frequent washing with products that dry out the skin (avoid alcohol in cosmetics) and sun damage - photoaging.
Currently Available Treatments
Wrinkles, puffiness, dark circles, droopy eyelids are not only unsightly, but can also cause vision problems and headaches (due to constant efforts to keep your eyes open). There are many surgical and non-surgical treatments for tired, sagging, or aging eyelid skin.
The choice of eye contour rejuvenation method depends on the type of disorder we are facing. For example, aging skin on the upper eyelids may need to be tightened due to excess skin and muscle weakness. The lower eyelids may require treatment for puffiness and thinning of the skin, as well as the removal of fatty sacs. Dark circles under the eyes require separate treatments.
Volume and Humidity: Fillers
The easiest and most effective way to make the skin around the eyes smooth is to use injectable fillers. They give a natural look to the skin and help against sunken eyes. Fillers also improve the condition of dark circles by 15-20%, but they are practically useless in the fight against body fat. There are several types of specially formulated hyaluronic acid gels that reduce wrinkles around the eyes, giving the skin volume and hydration.
Laser skin rejuvenation
Laser surgery is a non-invasive way to tighten the skin around the eyes. CO2 or Fraxel laser rejuvenation is a very gentle way to gradually restore the youthfulness of eyelid skin, which can be used in parallel with fillers or surgical techniques.
Lasers at the microscopic level cause thermal damage to the skin, to which the skin responds with rapid healing and shedding of old damaged cells. Old cells are replaced by new, younger cells. The CO2 laser can also improve skin elasticity and texture and reduce fine or deep wrinkles, acne scars and freckles.
Surgical methods: blepharoplasty
If non-surgical methods do not provide the desired result, blepharoplasty (or eyelid reduction surgery) is used. This procedure is a very effective way to achieve the desired appearance.
The surgeon makes tiny incisions in the eyelid and under the eyes, removes excess fat and tightens the skin, then sews up the incisions. Removing the fat pad under the eyes significantly reduces puffiness. Surgery can also remove droopy (hanging) eyelids, but it does nothing to combat dark circles or droopy eyebrows - these issues need to be addressed separately.
Blepharoplasty is the only way to remove a protruding fat body, especially in overweight people (excess fat accumulates under the eyes in these patients). But the non-surgical methods do a great job with tightening the skin, wrinkles and hollows under the eyes.