What causes wrinkles around the eyes?

The area around the eyes is very prone to getting wrinkles. Before we recommend any remedial actions on how to combat wrinkles around the eyes, why don’t we have a look at the causes that are responsible in causing them?

 Aging – our skin is elastic and it regains its original form after muscle contraction without forming wrinkles. However, as we age, our skin gradually loses some of its elasticity and wrinkle lines begin to form.

Sun exposure – over exposure to the sun dries our skin and damages the supporting structures underlying the skin. This causes an increase in the skin laxity and wrinkles formation.

Smoking – smoking exposes the skin to oxidative stress which damages its collagen and elastin. It also constricts the blood vessels over the skin, decreasing perfusion and hydration over the affected areas. This causes dull looking skin apart from wrinkle formation.

Dehydration – our skin needs to be well hydrated. Apart from drinking plenty of clear water, we need to make sure that the skin is well hydrated via external application of moisturizers and eye creams.

While aging is not modifiable, the other three are. Religious application of sunscreen, avoidance of over-exposure to the sun and cessation of smoking will do a great deal in preventing wrinkles around the eyes. Also don’t forget the eye care regime! 

What is UV Light doing to your skin ?

Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) lights. These lights are responsible for wrinkles, pigmentations, sunspots and destruction of the underlying supporting tissues of skin, thus changing the texture and elasticity of the skin. In short, it is one of the main causes of aging of our skin.

In fact UV light is so strong that not only does it affects the epidermis and dermis, it also penetrate deep into the skin to affect the blood vessels and sweat glands of the skin.

However, not all people are equally affected by UV light. Patients with lighter skin tone will be more affected by UV light as the skin contains less melanocytes compared to patients with darker skin. Hence, patients with lighter skin should be more meticulous in protecting themselves from UV lights i.e. be religious in applying sunscreen an use a sunscreen with a higher SPF factor. Wearing long sleeves shirts, summer hat and sunglasses are also important to protect yourself from the sun.

While it is important to shield yourself from UV lights, do be mindful that the skin needs vitamin D, a vitamin D which is produced after exposure to sunlight. The trick is to ensure that you are adequately protected during exposure. 

Invasive and Non-Invasive in the aesthetic world

The term “invasive” is frequently thrown by doctors during consults. To the less medically inclined, we would like to give a brief explanation as what non-invasive or minimally invasive means in the world of aesthetic medicine. Invasive procedure denotes a procedure which is intrusive to the body. E.g. surgical facelift is an invasive procedure as it involves cutting and removing tissues. Healing generally takes a longer time and the patient will be left with a scar.

Non-invasive procedures are such as giving fine injections to create a face lifting effect. No doubt that is some intrusion of the body but this is done in a less drastic way. These procedures take a short time to heal as it is less intrusive and there is no scar to be seen. As the procedure is less invasive, the risk of infection is lower. However, being less invasive, the results may not be as drastic as you would see in a surgical facelift.

Both kinds of procedures have their pros and cons. Do speak to your doctor to find out your expected results and the intrusiveness of the procedure you would like to have before deciding what is best for you.

Thread Lift - A Non-Surgical Lift

You will be happy to know that in this modern era, facelift is not confined to surgery. Face lifting can be achieved via surgery, injectables and thread. While injectable facelift has been discussed before, we would like to concentrate on thread lift.

This technique is actually not new but constant refinement to the technique is being carried out to enable the effect of the lift to be better and longer lasting.  The procedure is carried out in an outpatient basis. After the consult, numbing cream is applied onto the face to minimize discomfort. Fine thread is then introduced in an aseptic technique to suspend the supporting tissue on the face. As the thread used is fine and self-absorbable, they do not need to be removed. Depending on the condition of the patient, this procedure generates high satisfaction amongst its users and the down time is minimal. The procedure takes 30-60 minutes to complete and the patient can go back to work immediately after the procedure.

Thread lift is an option to patients who wish to have a facelift without undergoing surgery. Like many other non-invasive procedures, it can be performed on an outpatient basis and the downtime is minimal. It is no wonder that it is one of the most popular facelift currently.