It’s not uncommon for us to forgo our usual healthy choices and routines as life gets busy. It can hard to keep up with our day-today tasks – especially when it comes to our skincare. The ensuing fatigue can start to affect our appearance, particularly around the eyes. Puffiness, laxity, wrinkles, dark circles: there are many ways in which our eyes can suffer from the effects of a busy schedule. To counter this, we’ve created a guide for safe and effective anti-aging treatments for refreshing and brightening our eyes. For all the ways in which you can prevent, protect and correct the signs of aging around the eyes, we invite you to read on.

How to prevent aging around the eyes.

The single most important step you can take to preventing skin aging (both around the eyes and over your entire body) is to shield the skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 90 per cent of the visible signs of aging are attributed to the sun. The eyes are one of the first areas to age since the skin is thinner and can be easily damaged. Wearing sunglasses and applying a broad-spectrum minimum SPF 30 sunscreen, regardless of the season, is ideal for protecting this vulnerable skin.

How to protect the eyes from aging.

As mentioned above, the skin requires protection from sun damage. Unfortunately, sunscreen does not provide 100 per cent protection from sunlight. Applying an antioxidant serum has been shown to supplement protection where sunscreen falls short. In addition to protection from external oxidative stress due to sun and pollution, topical antioxidants protect against internal free radicals that can lead to skin aging. Treatments such as ZO® Medical C-Bright provide a concentrated dose of stabilized vitamin C to protect the skin and encourage collagen synthesis.

In addition to antioxidant protection, an eye cream protects and nourishes the upper layers of the skin around the eyes, thus lessening the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. ZO® Medical HYDRAFIRM™ Eye Brightening Repair Crème targets multiple aging concerns. Vitamin A and biomimetic proteins support collagen synthesis while enzymatic vasodilators, caffeine and coenzyme A reduce puffiness and dark circles.

How to correct the signs of aging around the eyes.

Thus far we’ve shared at-home methods to prevent and protect the eyes from the aging process. While these steps are crucial to maintaining younger eyes, they are limited in their capacity to correct more advanced aging concerns. Lax skin, volume loss and deep wrinkles like crow’s feet can benefit from in-office non-surgical and surgical treatments. The following list of cosmetic treatment options will give you an idea of what can be achieved to correct aging around the eyes. Beyond this overview, a professional consultation will help determine the course of treatment best suited to your needs.

Neuromodulators.

A neuromodulator (such as a BOTOX COSMETIC® treatment) involves the injection of a purified protein known as botulinum toxin type A into specific muscles. The purpose of the treatment is to relax the muscles that contract and form deep expression lines. The depth of wrinkles is lessened around the treatment area for a relaxed and refreshed appearance.

Fillers.

Volume loss under the eyes can lead to a tired and drawn look. Dermal fillers (such as a JUVÉDERM® filler treatment) temporarily replace this lost volume through the injection of a hyaluronic acid-based substance.

Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM) technology (such as SELPHYL®).

Your own blood plasma is extracted and used to prepare a platelet rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) substance, which is then injected into the areas of concern. The PRFM stimulates a heightened healing response that enhances the skin’s natural regeneration process.

Thermage®.

Thermage® is a unique, non-invasive device uses radiofrequency technology to drive heat energy into the deeper skin layers. The existing collagen fibres are remodelled and new collagen is synthesized. This results in tighter and smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.

Eye lift surgery.

To treat drooping eyelids or eye bags, a surgical procedure may offer the best results. A blepharoplasty or eye lift surgery is a safe and effective treatment for the rejuvenating benefits that are beyond the scope of non-surgical methods.

With all of these options at your disposal, a hectic schedule doesn’t have to dictate how your eyes look. To further explore these anti-aging eye treatments, we invite you to book a professional consultation. All non-surgical consultations are complimentary while a $100 fee for surgical consultation with Dr. Nancy de Kleer can be applied towards your chosen treatment. Call 905.901.0545 or email [email protected] to request an appointment.