Wrinkles under the eyes are often referred to as laugh lines in order to make them look pretty, so to speak. However, the truth is that in most cases, those affected perceive the wrinkles under the eyes as annoying and are dissatisfied with them. Wrinkles are, after all, wrinkles and thus a clear sign that the aging process is progressing. Aging is normal and it is beautiful! But it is also okay to want to delay the signs. With the right means and methods, eye wrinkles need not be a nuisance. We show why wrinkles appear under the eyes and what you can do yourself to prevent under-eye wrinkles.
How do wrinkles develop under the eyes?
Whether wrinkles, dark circles, or drooping eyelids - the eye area can become a problem zone in many ways. At 0.5 millimeters, the skin around the eyes is the thinnest part of the entire body, and for this reason, it is particularly sensitive.
Wrinkles appear all over the body and especially on the face as a natural phenomenon of aging. Between the ages of 20 and 30, cell metabolism or collagen and elastin production has reached its peak and now begins to decline. Cell renewal slows down and the amount of collagen and elastin in the skin decreases. Both substances are essential components of the supporting structures in the skin and give it elasticity, tone, and fullness. If their proportion decreases, the skin loses volume and is also no longer able to hold moisture well inside. It becomes thinner and drier and begins to sink in places. In these places, the skin's support structure has given way, and the skin surface wrinkles.
Under the eyes, the loss of collagen is particularly noticeable because the skin is already naturally very thin and there is no cushioning fatty tissue. The eyes, as the most important sensory organ, are subjected to a lot of stress every day and with increasing age, wrinkles appear quite quickly in the eye area for this reason.
What are the causes of wrinkles under the eyes?
Wrinkles under the eyes are usually caused by an interaction of several factors. Basically, the formation of wrinkles under the eyes is age-related, but there are usually significantly more causes playing a decisive role.
Eye wrinkles caused by UV radiation
As with all types of wrinkles, UV radiation is a risk factor for wrinkles under the eyes.
UV radiation is known to trigger oxidative stress caused by free radicals in cells. These highly reactive molecules attack and destroy cell structures. The skin loses its firmness and wrinkles appear under the eyes. In the worst case, even the genetic material can be altered and the cells degenerate.
Especially if the skin is regularly exposed to unprotected solar radiation over years and even suffers sunburns, the risk of so-called photoaging increases. This refers to the consequences of premature skin aging in the form of wrinkles and age spots triggered by UV radiation.
Eye wrinkles caused by facial expressions
Another cause of wrinkles under the eyes is facial expressions. People communicate not only through words, but also through facial expressions and gestures. The eye area in particular is very expressive and is used on a daily basis. Blinking, laughing, squinting your eyes - the contraction of the facial muscles causes the skin to wrinkle several hundred times a day. This stresses the fibers and weakens them. Mimic wrinkles or eye wrinkles develop.
Eye wrinkles due to friction
The skin around the eyes is very sensitive. Wrinkles under the eyes can therefore also be caused by mechanical stress and too little care. Even the daily application of make-up and removal of make-up stresses the thin skin around the eyes. Especially when removing makeup, the area around the eyes is rubbed hard and the skin is tugged. In addition, washing substances dry out the surface of the skin. Dryness as well as friction damage the skin barrier and make it more susceptible to eye wrinkles. Especially people suffering from neurodermatitis or allergies often show noticeable wrinkles under the eyes.
One solution is to remove makeup with a cleansing oil: it will effectively dissolve makeup on the eyes without the need to use harmful surfactants or intense rubbing. Plus it's packed with oils that not only cleanse but also moisturize to keep the delicate skin around your eyes hydrated and plump.
Eye wrinkles caused by an unhealthy lifestyle
Lifestyle and diet play another crucial role. Those who consume a lot of alcohol and cigarettes contribute to the premature formation of wrinkles. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and causes a deficiency in the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. As a result, skin cells age faster and wrinkles and dark circles form under the eyes.
An unbalanced, sugary, and vitamin-poor diet also damages the skin. In order for the skin to regenerate, it needs nutrients. Processes such as glycation (saccharification of the skin) due to an unhealthy diet drive premature wrinkle formation. Thus, not only wrinkles appear under the eyes, but also dark circles and bags under the eyes.
What are the different types of eye wrinkles?
Eye wrinkles can appear in different shapes and forms. Depending on the cause, their appearance often differs significantly and provides information about which influence has damaged the skin the most.
Wrinkles
Wrinkles appear especially below the eyes and are recognizable as fine, branched lines.
This type of wrinkles under the eyes is mainly due to skin damage caused by sun exposure. Those who do not protect the area around the eyes with sunscreen and sunglasses in the summer will find that small wrinkles form prematurely. However, smoking and constant friction can also cause wrinkled skin under the eyes.
Crow's feet/laugh lines
Crow's feet are also called laugh lines and are the typical wrinkles that run radially from the outer corner of the eyes towards the temples. It is said that laugh lines give the face a sympathetic expression, as they come precisely from laughing and smiling a lot.
The main cause of crow's feet is in fact a mixture of pronounced facial expressions as well as natural aging of the skin. When laughing, the eyes are slightly squinted and the skin around the eyes wrinkles. If it now loses elasticity and tone due to age, these furrows dig in more and more and wrinkles appear under the eyes and around the eyes.
Drooping eyelids
Drooping eyelids are a special case of eye wrinkles. Although they do not appear directly under the eyes, they make the eye area and thus the entire face look significantly older. Excess skin on the upper eyelid is called drooping eyelids, which can cover the entire surface of the eyelid skin if it is very pronounced.
Drooping eyelids are usually genetic and are aggravated by natural aging of the skin. With age, the amount of collagen in the skin decreases and it becomes flabbier, which shows on the eye in the form of wrinkles and drooping eyelids.
How to remove fine lines and wrinkles under the eyes: What you can do yourself
Prevention is better than cure - this also applies to eye wrinkles. They cannot be avoided completely, because the skin ages and forms wrinkles. However, the wrinkles under the eyes can be prevented and even refined with the right tips and tricks.
Creams and sun protection
The be-all and end-all of wrinkle prevention is protection from UV rays. To prevent wrinkles under the eyes, the eye area should always be protected with a high sun protection factor and sunglasses with UV filters. Wrinkles appear particularly quickly in this area because the skin is extremely thin and has no subcutaneous fatty tissue.
Another important measure is the care of the eye area to prevent wrinkles under the eyes. The skin around the eyes is exposed to daily stress, but can hardly protect itself. Therefore, moisturizing eye creams are necessary to prevent wrinkles under the eyes. Fragrance-free creams with effective active ingredients are best suited for this purpose.
Creams with caffeine, the antioxidant vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are also good for wrinkles under the eyes.
Tools/Massages
In addition to nourishing ingredients, eye wrinkles can be treated with tools for the face. Gua Sha stones, jade or rose quartz rollers as well as vibration rollers are suitable for this purpose. Gentle facial massages and vibrations or ultrasound frequencies can relieve tension in the facial muscles and stimulate collagen production and blood circulation in the skin. In addition, these tools can be used to work eye care into the facial skin a little more intensively.
Healthy lifestyle
In order to minimize wrinkles under the eyes and prevent their formation, lifestyle and diet should not be underestimated. A healthy diet rich in vitamins, plenty of water, little stress and sufficient sleep are, in addition to effective care, the basic requirements for a radiant and firm eye area. Alcohol and cigarettes should be avoided, as this causes oxidative stress, which promotes the formation of wrinkles.
Have eye wrinkles professionally removed
Depending on the extent of the wrinkles under the eyes, it is advantageous to have them professionally removed. Especially if the eye wrinkles have already dug deep into the skin, even eye cream and a health-conscious lifestyle often can't do much.
In aesthetic medicine, there are various measures that can be taken to prevent or reduce the appearance of wrinkles under the eyes.
Preventing wrinkles under the eyes with Botox
Botulinum toxin, or Botox for short, is a neurotoxin used in aesthetic medicine. It is used specifically as a preventive measure.
Botox can also be injected for wrinkles under the eyes. This paralyzes the muscles around the eyes so that expression lines are reduced. Botox is therefore used primarily to prevent crow's feet. The effect is not permanent and must be repeated approximately every 6 months to maintain the effect.
Removing wrinkles around the eyes with hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is a substance that occurs naturally in the body's tissues but decreases with age. Hyaluronic acid is used in aesthetic medicine as a filler and, unlike Botox, is used to smooth out wrinkles underneath that already exist.
To remove wrinkles under the eyes, hyaluronic acid is injected directly under the wrinkles. In this way, even dark circles under the eyes can be reduced, as the area between the shimmering vessels and the skin surface is filled.
Although wrinkle treatments with hyaluronic acid offer quick help, it does not produce permanent results and a follow-up injection is necessary every few months, depending on the metabolism. Hyaluronic acid can also be applied topically to more temporarily plump wrinkles.
Reduce wrinkles under the eyes with a beautician
Those who are afraid of injections and would like to resort to a less invasive method to reduce wrinkles under the eyes should take advantage of the wide range of services offered by a beautician.
In a professional cosmetic studio, various techniques can be applied to help reduce wrinkles.
With the help of methods such as microdermabrasion, a plasma pen or micro needling, the skin's own collagen production is stimulated in a variety of ways. In this way, fine wrinkles in the eye area are said to smooth themselves out, so to speak.