How does the skin around the eyes change as we age?

The development of lines and wrinkles is a common sign of ageing that many people wish to avoid altogether, or to reduce the appearance of once these have become more visible or prominent. And there are a a now a wide range of aesthetic treatments and procedures available that can provide a high quality resolution for this. The skin around the eyes, and the skin around the mouth, are two of the most important target areas to help maintain a youthful appearance. But how does the skin around the eyes change as we age? And why does this area age so quickly? Well, here at The Skin and Wellbeing Clinic, we offer a range of professional, high quality facial treatments and procedures that can help transform the appearance of your skin. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything you should know about the visible signs of ageing around the eyes.

Why does the skin around the eyes age quickly?

The skin around the eyes, either at the sides or directly underneath, often ages quickly for a number of reasons, including:

A lack of fat – this area of the face generally has the least amount of fat deposits, which means that the skin has less structure and less underlying support. As a result, this skin loses condition and nutrients more quickly, leading to the development of wrinkles. It also means that this area of skin can be more effected by skin dehydration too.
The skin is very thin – the skin around the eyes is more likely to break down easily because it is very thin. As a result, it can also become quite lose, and lose elasticity, resulting in lines and wrinkles developing.

So, how does the skin in this area change as part of the ageing process? Well, a number of things happen, including:

The development of wrinkles and fine lines – as part of the ageing process, the skin on the outer edges of the eyes can develop lines and wrinkles. These can appear on the side of the eyes stretching out, and are known as crows feet or laughter lines. But they can also appear between the eyes and the nose too. These often appear due to repeated facial expressions and movements, combined with a loss of collagen and elastin.
Dark circles and under-eye puffiness – ageing, stress and lifestyle factors can lead to the development of dark, puffy circles under the eye. This can make you appear older than you are, and occurs when collagen begins to break down, allowing bluish veins to become more visible. In addition, the underlying eye tissue weakens over time, and this can cause fat in the upper eyelids to droop or slide, leading to the appearance of puffiness.

For high quality, professional aesthetic treatments to help reduce the signs of ageing, especially those around the eyes, get in touch with the team today, here at The Skin and Wellbeing Clinic.