When it comes to determining whether a face is attractive or tired, the eyes are paramount. An experienced eye can immediately determine all the secrets of our life and heredity, looking only into our eyes. Medically speaking, as we age our body goes through a long series of changes and the delicate areas around the eyes are the first to show signs of these changes.
For some, these signs appear earlier, for others later, but many of us wonder what are the factors responsible for the appearance of wrinkles and sagging eyelids and what can be done to join the league of ownersof forever young eyes.
Unraveling the mystery of aging eyes
Blepharochalasia is not only a strange, hard-to-pronounce word, 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 the special feature of 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 as a whole. 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 fat body, which leads to noticeable sagging bags under the eyes. Bulging infraorbital fat is considered a common manifestation of the aging process. In addition, aging and a number of other factors affect the weakening of the muscles, which only worsens the condition of the bags under the eyes.
2. Genetic causes
Researchers recently conducted a study to identify the risk factors that lead to drooping eyelids, paying particular attention to genetic factors. They studied two groups of people. The first group consisted of 5, 578 unrelated people. 17. 8% of the participants in the group had moderately to severely drooping eyelids. In the second group, there were 2, 186 people who were twins, and 61% of the participants in this group had inherited droopy eyelids. These findings support the fact that the most common cause of droopy eyelids is heredity.
3. The sebaceous glands
The periorbital area is drier because there are fewer sebaceous glands compared to the skin on the rest of the face. Therefore, her lipid barrier is worse and she is more prone to facial wrinkles.
4. Skull
High cheekbones and deep set eyes. This is the cause of hollows under the eyes, the shade of which creates the illusion that the skin under the eyes is darker, even if in reality it is not. As we age, the facial bones of the skull change and this situation only worsens.
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, red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and take away all waste products for destruction. When oxygen molecules attach to the heme group, red blood cells turn red. When the oxygen molecules are separated and the hemoglobin is oxidized, the red blood cells turn blue. This is why dark circles appear under the eyes. If the red blood cells are showing through the capillaries around the eyes, then enzymes in the body interfere with the movement of the red blood cells and oxidize them, turning them blue. When this happens, the waste is released into the bloodstream and carried around the body. Translucent capillaries can also cause swelling or fluid retention in the body, making the face look 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 upper part of the eye and the area just below the eyes is the kidney area. Swelling and fluid retention in this area is a sign that the body has too much fluid (watery and 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 hue indicates poor functioning of the liver and gall bladder. If the gallbladder is not up to the task of processing and breaking down fat in the body, this can contribute to milia (small white-yellow bumps) around the eyes in some people.
7. Frequent eye movements
The skin suffers from frequent blinking and facial expressions (e. g. smiling), also called facial wrinkles.
8. Iron
Iron may be another contributing factor. Red blood cells need iron atoms to attach oxygen molecules to themselves. When the iron content in your body is low, the red blood cells cannot attach oxygen to themselves and hence bluish circles appear under the eyes.
9. Lifestyle
Puffy eyes are another problem that can occur 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 as you age, look at your parents. This will give you a clear idea of whether you will have a lot of fat under your eyes. But you can try to change the genetic blueprint with the help of aesthetic medicine.
Other causes of deterioration of the skin in the periorbital area can be: stress, malnutrition or undernourishment, too much sleep or lack of sleep, excessive use of cosmetics (do not forget to wash it off every night), washing too often with products that dry the skin(avoid alcohol in cosmetics) and sun damage - photoaging.
Currently available treatments
Wrinkles, bags, dark circles, drooping eyelids are not only unsightly, but can also cause vision problems and headaches (from the constant strain of keeping your eyes open). There are many surgical and non-surgical treatments for tired, sagging or aging eyelid skin.
The choice of method for rejuvenating the area around the eyes depends on the type of disease we are dealing with. 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 of puffiness and thinning of the skin, as well as removal of fat bags. Dark circles under the eyes require separate treatment.
Volume and moisture: fillers
The easiest and most effective way to make the skin around the eyes smooth is with injectable fillers. They provide a natural look to the skin and help fight sunken eyes. Fillers also improve the condition of the circles under the eyes 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, give the skin volume and hydration.
Laser skin rejuvenation
Laser surgery is a non-invasive way to tighten the skin around the eyes. CO2 laser rejuvenation or Fraxel is a very gentle way to gradually restore the youth of the skin of the eyelids, which can be used in parallel with fillers or surgical techniques.
Lasers at a microscopic level cause thermal damage to the skin, to which the skin responds by rapidly healing and shedding old damaged cells. Old cells are replaced by new, younger cells. The CO2 laser can also improve skin elasticity, texture and reduce fine or deep wrinkles, acne scars and freckles.
Surgical methods: blepharoplasty
If non-surgical methods do not give the desired result, blepharoplasty (or surgery to reduce the eyelids) is used. This procedure is a very effective way to achieve the desired appearance.
The surgeon makes small incisions on the eyelids and under the eyes, removes excess fat and tightens the skin, then sutures the incisions. Removing the fat pad under the eyes significantly reduces puffiness. Surgery can also remove drooping (hanging) eyelids, but does nothing to combat dark circles or drooping eyebrows - these issues should be addressed separately.
Blepharoplasty is the only way to remove a protruding body of fat, especially in overweight people (in such patients, excess fat accumulates under the eyes). But non-surgical methods do an excellent job of tightening the skin, wrinkles and hollows under the eyes.