The Eyes have It

Crow’s Feet, Bags and Dark circles around the eyes bother so many people.

The prevention and treatments are varied, so I am excited to share with you the many tips and tricks that I have picked up over the years. Hopefully this will leave you empowered and provide you with the necessary information to keep your eyes looking gorgeous and healthy.

The skin around your eyes is sooo delicate. In fact it is 40% thinner than the rest of your skin hence why without proper care it’s going to be one of the first areas to show the signs of aging.

One analogy would be to say that if your skin was paper, the skin around your eyes would be like delicate tissue paper. Another comparison I like to make is to think of it like a plastic bag; now start rubbing that bag and see what happens? It starts to go slack right!? Now this is exactly the same with the skin around your eyes, so if you take only one thing from this blog please STOP RUBBING YOUR EYES.

So as we have seen rubbing makes the skin slack, which then allows the fatty tissue under the eyes to slip. Add to this the associated fluid build up = puffy bags! With the skin around the eyes being so thin, any slight increase to the thinning in this area will result in the dark muscles & veins that are under the eyes starting to show through.

 So some of the darkness is from thinning, but it can also be from pigmentation, which may be hereditary or sometimes post inflammatory. Now this is important to understand as dealing with different aging factors will affect which type of treatment and product you will need. Some of your eye issues will be hereditary but that only equates to approximately 20% of your aging, with the remaining 80% being down to everything else! So let’s look deeper into that 80% and see what some of the factors are and the solutions available;
 
UV Radiation: This one is a biggy. It Destroys Collagen & elastin, thickens up the top dead layer and thins the skin. Protect with SPF, hats and Sunglasses. To counteract some of the damage already caused please check out the treatments detailed further down this blog. 

Smoking: Creates Free radicals that will damage collagen & elastin. Smoking also deoxygenates the area and the constant squinting adds to your lines. Obviously quitting would be the best for obvious reasons, but with nicotine being an addictive substance it is not as straightforward as that. So if you smoke it’s important to use antioxidents in your skin care.

Repetitive Movement: Some aging is just down to living as you have to move your face. If you find yourself constantly squinting there may be a problem with your vision that requires an eye test and prescription glasses. Alternatively you may be squinting due to difficulty with the light in which case sunglasses would help.

Sleep, Stress & Fatigue: We can all recognise that these have an effect on how the area around our eyes looks, as this is the first area to show the signs. We have all woken up looking pale with the area under the eyes appearing darker than ever!  A good restorative night’s sleep allows your body to repair, relax and renew. If you are in a constant stress state, which shockingly 60% of us constantly live in, this will not only effect your ability in getting a decent night’s  sleep but you also put your body & skin into a stress / inflammatory state. This state will produce stress hormones that have a knock on effect throughout the body that can result in the skin being more reactive and inflamed. If it’s possible for you to work on relaxation, from taking time outs to meditating, then it will allow the body to undertake some valuable repair time.

How you Sleep; If you are squashing your face into a pillow every night it may be time to look at other options. Some new neck supporting pillows are great to stop that squishing and a Silk pillow will also reduce the friction and heat on the skin, which is a valuable addition to your beauty regimen. If you do opt for the silk option please go for Vegan Silk. Usually the process of normal silk production involves the boiling alive of the silk worms in their cocoon, whereas with Vegan silk they wait for the silk worms to hatch first before harvesting the cocoon. This means the process takes a little longer but if you are like me you will be able to sleep better without the guilt ;-) 

 If you suffer with puffiness then you need to look at elevating your sleeping position. There are many ways to do this; using extra pillows or lifting up the whole upper back for instance. You can try using folded blankets but if finances allow there are beds that can elevate.

Dehydration; They say the eyes show your kidney health. This is because when you & the skin dehydrate it thins showing the dark muscles and veins underneath. We all know that it’s great to make sure we up our internal hydration levels and a topical cream will aid hydration where it needs it. More modern eye creams are either time released or reactive, delivering to your cells as they need hydration. Also eye creams will help in ensuring your protective lipid barrier is in place to keep that water locked in.

Allergies; Allergies, such as Hay fever, creates Inflammation resulting in rubbing dryness and sometimes inflammatory pigmentation. This is everything you want to prevent, so where possible avoid or protect your eyes from the irritant, take anti histamines and please don’t rub! See further down this blog for some anti inflammatory solutions.

Salt:  Too much in your diet can lead to a build up of fluid and puffiness. This may resonate with you, and I bet it’s something we can all work on.

Medication: This can cause all sorts of side effects, and is something you may have to speak to your doctor about. You may have to do your best to counteract the medication effects the best you can, as there is no quick fix here.

Alcohol; This Dehydrates you, plus it contains a lot of sugar which causes Glycation, which is when glucose molecules attach themselves to Collagen and Elastin fibres making them brittle and brake.

Anaemia; Low Iron and / or B12 can result in poor oxygenation. You may need to look into topping these levels up with supplementation and avoid caffeine as this will destroy Iron from your diet.

Face Creams:  Yes that’s right! If you remember from right at the beginning, the skin around the eye is 40% thinner. This means that it often can’t cope with the higher strength formulas designed for your face, so Invest in a good eye cream.
 
 
Treatments
There are some amazing non surgical options that will improve the appearance and the health of the area.

Chemical peels; Amazing in salon treatment with virtually no downtime (depending on the strength). Not only will this improve fine lines and wrinkles but generally it will improve the health of the skin.
A Peel will resurface the area removing some damage caused from the sun, as sun damage thickens the top layer of skin. This resurfacing brightens the skin and can break down & remove some pigmentation. It will also stimulate collagen and Elastin together with plumping up of the lower layers of skin.

Micro Needling: This causes controlled micro damage which in turn stimulates an amazing amount of Collagen production. Ultimately this will thicken your skin with Collagen, which makes it more resilient. What is also great with skin needling is you can introduce special products back into the deeper layers of the skin for enhanced results. We use a special cocktail of ingredients for the area such as Vitamins, Minerals and Peptides to stimulate/reduce pigmentation. It can naturally relax the muscle without using Botox, and can be performed under the eyes and across the brow bone.

Photo therapy:  Our Light Fusion can be added to other treatments such as Peels and Microneeding.  This none intrusive light treatment, stimulates collagen, reduces inflammation and reduces pigmentation.

Laser: This can be used to create controlled pin point damage around the eye area to stimulate rejuvenation; however it can be limited due to not being able to get close to the eye area.

Plasma Treatment: Something I am looking into is this relatively new treatment, which unlike other treatments can be used on the eye lid. The process involves the creation of tiny burns in a grid like pattern in which the slack loose skin tightens around the burn. Some down time is expected, but I have seen some really impressive results.
 


Home Treatments
Some handy little boosting treatments you can do at home.

Jade roller:  Perfect to keep in a fridge or freezer. I love this item as you can use it as a facial massage tool. What I find amazing is if I have stress tension around my eyes, or I wake up a little puffy it soothes and treats the area instantly. Gently roll it across the brow bone and under the eye out towards the temple (lymph gland), to aid in draining away built up fluid and to sooth. This is also great for those suffering with hay fever.

Green Tea Bags: These are not only great to drink but can also be used on the eyes. Simply drink the tea and then place the tea bags in the fridge. Once chilled it’s great to put these bags on the eyes for 20 minutes. They are great as they contain antioxidants, caffeine and are anti inflammatory!

Eye Creams: Choosing the eye cream best for you will depend on what you want it to treat.
In my opinion a great place to start is with the Priori LCA Eye Cream, available for £52 in our salon.
This amazing multi eye cream does such a lot but is also gentle enough for anyone who hasn’t used any active eye cream before!

This light textured “balm-gel” features Priori’s adaptive technology allowing for instant but long-lasting results by enabling your skin to draw exactly what it needs for the delicate area around your eyes. A multi-layer formula that boosts hydration reduces dark circles and minimises the appearance of lines and wrinkles. It’s one busy balm.

If you apply to the skin cold from the fridge, it will give a rapid tightening and vaso-constriction of the area, reducing puffiness and great for seasonal allergies
 
If you are looking for a step up then look no further than the Priori Q Sod, available for £72 at our salon.
This dreamy adaptive eye cream features a multifunctional formula that protects your most sensitive skin areas while delivering powerful rejuvenating benefits. Fine lines and wrinkles don’t stand a chance against our exclusive antioxidant compound combined with Vitamin A for a smoother, more radiant appearance. Our adaptive technology delivers just what your eyes need…get ready for compliments.

• CoQ10: Advanced skin antioxidant with great skin penetration
• Super strength SOD: Enzyme antioxidant for superior skin protection and correction
• C0Q10 + SOD combined in a biotech complex provides broad spectrum protection against damaging free radicals at a cellular level
• 12% Lactic Acid: AHA benefits mild enough for delicate eye area. Exfoliates skin while it boosts hyaluronic and collagen responses for long term hydration
• 0.15% Retinol: Skin resurfacing
• Glycerin: ‘Water Magnet’ – attracts and holds water in skin
• Caffeine: Reduces puffiness, acts as a diuretic which is good for dark circles and bags
• Interference Pearls: Improves appearance of smoothness
• Palmitoyl Tripeptide 3: Firms and tightens skin

 
These products are concentrated cocktails for the eye area and you only need per application an amount the size of a grain of rice split between the two eyes.  Tip: - use the ring finger to apply as this finger won’t apply too much pressure. Also pat and not drag during the application. If you have any excess product then wipe it across your lip to help fight lip lines!


​Elaine xxx