Best Treatments For Crow's Feet, Hollow Eyes and Dark Circles

It's All In The Eyes

The eyes have long been romanticised as being the “window to the soul” but, they are more likely to betray the effects of aging on your face and are one of the first and most obvious places you are likely to see wrinkles. Now, there’s nothing wrong with wrinkles, and the crease marks caused by laughing fits with friends over buckets of wine on a very sunny day are well earned!

However, for some people, this very visible sign of aging feels unacceptable and totally unfair – why can’t we sit laughing in sun drinking oodles of wine and STILL look amazing? Well the good news is that we can! And that’s because there are loads of options out there to reduce or completely get rid of wrinkles should you wish.

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Start With Skincare Products

If you've not already invested in decent skincare, now is the time. While no amount of eye cream is going to remove eyebags or make lines and wrinkles disappear, it might improve the overall appearance of your skin and in some instances soften the harshness of ageing. Medical-grade skincare products, which you can find in aesthetic clinics, can help to firm up the eye area and be super effective at reducing the appearance of dark circles.

Here's three top ingredients in skincare products that can help rejuvenate the eye area (but there are plenty more in addition to these!)

• Vitamin C.  This is a magic ingredient and does lots of stuff! It's an incredible antioxidant, that works as a barrier protecting your skin from free radicals, which are little atoms of 'stuff' (it's too sciency, don't worry!) which damage cells, causing aging. If your skin is a bit drab an dull, Vit C can also brighten it, as well as boosting collagen and elastic - the stuff that will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles! Finally. this wonder stuff can help even skin tone and texture. You need the good stuff though, a cheap product from Boots probably won't do much as it doesn't have a lot of Vit C in it and isn't the best formula to penetrate your skin (you don't want it to just sit on top)
• Retinol. Another powerful vitamin, Retinol is is a form of vitamin A and regenerates new cell growth, speeds up cell turnover and also rebuilds collagen
• Hyaluronic Acid. This is the stuff fillers are made from, but it can also be used topically (on the skin), it's a master at retaining moisture, so it's marvellous for dry eyes

Don’t forget your SPF

Even if it's raining, if it's gloomy, even if you can't see the sun - use SPF. The sun's rays are always present and UVA are the rays that cause skin ageing, even around the eyes. Just check the one you're using is okay to use near the eyes.

How Can I Get Rid Of My Crow's Feet?

I quite like a crow's feet, it's one of those signs of ageing that I think adds a bit of character. That's what I tell myself - that and I must be a very happy smiley person because at the age of 43 half of my face is now covered in crow's feet and they don't disappear when I stop smiling! While I don't want to lose them completely, I will say the abundance and depth of my crow's feet now means I'm not adverse to seeking ways in which I can 'adjust' them so there more like the crow's feet I had in my thirties.

What might I consider? Botox of course! Carefully administered in small amounts, Botox temporarily relaxes the muscles, smoothing out dynamic wrinkles - the lines that are there when you smile, laugh or frown, and this will give a brighter more youthful appearance. As I'm not too concerned about banishing them completely, I'll consider 'baby Botox' which uses smaller amounts to retain some natural movement and expression.

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^{A brilliant before and after photo of crow's feet treatment using Botox. Still some expression, still plenty of movement and it looks completely natural! By Nurse Practitioner Kate at Heidi Rose Aesthetics.}

What Else Is There?

Fractionated laser treatment. Laser is a very high energy beam of laser light. Fractional laser treatment is a non-invasive treatment that uses a device to deliver a laser beam divided into thousands of microscopic treatment zones that target a fraction of the skin at a time. It can stimulate collagen production and resurface the top layer of the skin, so can be good at improving crow's feet and smooth those wrinkles.

What Can I Do For Hollow, Dark Eyes?

It's rather depressing to look like a Halloween character in the middle of June or as if you haven't slept for a week when you've had a solid 10hrs. Hollowness and dark shadows under the eyes can be genetic and they can worsen as we age, as we lose fat. When the concealer isn't cutting it, we might want to seek more effective treatments, one of which is tear trough filler. Injectable fillers can be used to replace lost volume and ‘fill out’ the lines and hollows around the eyes, creating a fresher, more youthful appearance.

What About If I Don't Fancy Injectables?

Not everybody is keen to go straight to injectables and the good news is there are other options out there. Chemical peels can be used to freshen up the overall look of a face by removing dead skin cells and encouraging the production of new ones.

This treatment only treats the surface of the skin though so whilst you might see a reduction in the appearance of fine lines, it won’t be effective on saggy skin or deep lines.

If chemicals aren’t for you then Microdermabrasion or Microneedling will achieve a similar result.

Who Should I See To Treat My Eye Wrinkles?

You're in the right place! You can book a consultation to see a medically-qualified, safe, experienced, skilled and insured practitioner for your eye wrinkle treatment on Glowday right here!