About Under Eye Wrinkles

Under-eye wrinkles seem to inevitably come with age. But it isn't just the passing years that cause wrinkles around the eyes. Environment and genetics also pay a major part in determining how much your face will wrinkle. Heredity is predetermined, but happily, you do have quite a bit of control over environmental factors that might cause wrinkles under your eyes.

Function

Collagen and elastin are protein fibers in skin cells that give skin its resilience and elasticity. The fibers form a network that is like a trampoline. If you press or pull on healthy young skin that has plenty of collagen, it bounces back readily. Collagen and elastin production slows as you age, and skin becomes less taut and firm.

Effects

As you age, your skin naturally thins and loses some of it's resiliency, but most of the skin changes we associate with aging are caused by the sun. UVA and UVB rays from the sun change skin cells at the molecular level, reducing the skin's ability to produce collagen and elastin. The skin under the eyes is especially vulnerable to sun damage, partly because under-eye skin is very thin, and also because your face is exposed to sunlight all day long. Even if you regularly apply sunscreen to your face, chances are you tend to avoid the eye area.

Magnitude

Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption will accentuate wrinkles on the entire face by inhibiting the formation of collagen and elastin. Malnutrition will also accelerate skin aging by depriving skin cells of anti-oxidants and other nutrients which aid in skin healing and protect skin from other aging factors. The effects of these health issues will be especially noticeable around and under the delicate eye area.

Considerations

The pattern of your under-eye wrinkles will be determined largely by heredity. For instance, people in your family may be prone to crow's feet, or maybe they have under-eye bags instead. While there is little you can do to change your innate wrinkle pattern, you can make changes early in life that may dramatically lessen the severity of your under-eye wrinkles later. Unless you have very dark skin, or live in a northern area with very limited daylight, protect your skin with an SPF 30 broad spectrum sun block any time you are in the sun. Also, curtail or eliminate cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption.

Potential

You can superficially minimize the appearance of existing wrinkles by applying a rich moisturizer to plump the external skin cells in the eye area. Some over-the-counter eye creams and serums claim to help skin cells regenerate, but results will not be dramatic, especially for deep under-eye wrinkles. Stronger peeling preparations available from your dermatologist may slough dead skin cells away and encourage skin cell regeneration. Dermatologists can also use injectable fillers to make wrinkles less noticeable. As always, continue to protect your skin from the sun to prevent further damage.

Resources

• The Biology of Skin and Aging Damage