Aging is a natural process that affects every part of the body, but not all areas age at the same rate or in the same way. One of the first places to show signs of aging is the skin around your eyes (the periorbital area). The question is — why?
Rodrigo Belalcazar, MD, PLLC, helps his patients at Advanced Eye Center in Hialeah, Florida, protect the sensitive periorbital region and ward off unwanted signs of aging with state-of-the-art therapies focused on your needs and goals.
In this post, learn why your eye area is so prone to aging and how our team can help you retain a more youthful appearance.
Skin thickness plays a role in how quickly your skin shows signs of aging, with thicker skin generally aging more slowly. Since the skin around your eyes is thinner than the skin on the rest of your body, it makes sense that this area is especially prone to age-related changes, like sagging.
This skin lacks the structural support of thicker skin and contains lower levels of collagen and elastin, proteins that help your skin look and feel smoother and firmer. The production of collagen and elastin slows with age, meaning the support they provide also declines as you get older.
Finally, the under-eye area has fewer oil glands than other areas of your face. Oil provides a protective barrier that helps your skin retain moisture and plumpness. Less oil means your under-eye area is more prone to dryness, making lines and wrinkles more pronounced.
Lines and wrinkles tend to first appear in areas where your skin is mobile, including the area around your eyes. Smiling, frowning, and even blinking continually tug on the skin around your eyes, making lines more likely and more noticeable. As you age, the underlying muscles around your eyes weaken, too, contributing to sagging and drooping.
Your eyes are also subjected to movement from outside forces. Removing makeup, rubbing your eyes, and even sleeping on your side can create lines and wrinkles.
Your eyes are surrounded by fat pads that help protect the area and keep your skin looking firm and smooth. As you age, these fat pads shift or diminish, leading to shadows and hollows under your eyes.
Loss of fat in your eye area can also make your eyes look more prominent and more worn out, contributing to a tired appearance overall. Combined with thinning skin, fat loss makes your veins more visible, causing your under-eye area to look darker and more aged.
Finally, under-eye skin is more prone to environmental damage, particularly from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Sun damage is a major cause of facial aging, causing a breakdown of collagen and elastin and an increase in sagging skin and wrinkles.
While sunscreen can help prevent UV damage, you need to be very cautious when applying it around your eyes, avoiding the skin right next to your eyes to prevent irritation and other eye problems.
Dr. Belalcazar is skilled in treatments focused on rejuvenating the skin around your eyes, including your eyelids and the area just beneath your eyes.
While a surgical eyelift can help elevate droopy upper or lower lids, many people benefit from noninvasive Plexr® treatment that uses focused bursts of energy to create controlled damage, stimulating natural healing and ramped-up production of collagen and elastin in your lids and the skin surrounding your eyes.
Dermal fillers can help, too, plumping up under-eye hollows and restoring volume around your eyes, so the area appears smoother and more youthful. Best of all, these treatments can be combined for a truly custom therapy tailored to your unique needs and goals.
With so many options, there’s no need to put up with tired-looking eyes. To learn how we can help restore and rejuvenate your eye area, call 305-707-6011 or book an appointment online with Dr. Belalcazar and our team at Advanced Eye Center today.
