Three kinds of under-eye line, the treatment that changes each one and how long it takes, with the study numbers behind each. By a therapist in Makati.
The treatment for under-eye wrinkles depends on the kind of line. Fine lines from dry skin fade once the skin holds water again, so a moisturiser or a hydrating step changes them the same day. Crepey lines from thinning skin answer to daily sunscreen, a retinol cream used for months and heat from radiofrequency. Lines that appear when you smile come from the muscle around the eye, and a doctor's botulinum toxin injection relaxes it. A deep fold under the eye belongs to a fat pad or a hollow, and no wrinkle treatment reaches it.
Three kinds of line, and a two-minute check
Dry lines. Fine, criss-crossed, worse after a day in air-conditioning. They sit in the surface and fade when the skin is hydrated.
Crepey lines. Skin that looks like thin crepe paper and crinkles into parallel lines when you push your cheek up a little. They show with your face at rest. The deeper layer of the skin has lost collagen and elasticity.
Expression lines. Lines that appear when you smile or squint and leave when you relax. After years of the same movement they stay at rest too.
Check yours in daylight. Look with a relaxed face, then smile wide. Lines that come with the smile and go with it are expression lines. Then put on a moisturiser and look again twenty minutes later. Lines that faded were dry lines. Lines still there at rest are crepey or etched.
A bulge or a groove is a different problem. A fat pad pushes the skin out and a hollow lets it sink, and the eye bags guide explains how to tell them apart.
| Kind of line | What changes it | How long before you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | Moisturiser, a hydrating step | The same day, until the skin dries again |
| Crepey | Sunscreen, retinol, radiofrequency, red light | Months, with numbers below |
| Expression | Botulinum toxin from a doctor | Ask the doctor about onset and how long it lasts |
| Fold or groove | Surgery or filler from a doctor | Outside the scope of wrinkle care |
Why the skin under your eyes lines first
Your eyelids carry the thinnest skin on your face. A 2015 study of 39 points on the face measured the deeper skin layer of the upper inner eyelid at about 0.76 mm, against almost 2 mm on the lower side of the nose. Thin skin has less collagen to lose before a crease shows.
A ring of muscle around each eye closes it, and every smile and squint folds the skin over it. Makati at noon makes you squint on every walk between towers.
Skin colour changes the pattern. A 2011 review of aging in skin of colour found that darker skin shows more of the aging that comes with time, and fair skin more of the damage the sun causes. Morena skin still takes sun damage, so sunscreen stays in the plan.
What you can do at home, and how long it takes
Sunscreen every morning, close to the lower lashes. In a trial of 903 adults under 55 in Queensland, the group told to use sunscreen every day showed no detectable increase in skin aging after four and a half years. Their skin aged 24% less than the group that used it when they felt like it. Sunglasses cut the squinting as well. If your face sunscreen stings near the eye, use one made for the eye area.
Retinol at night. In a 26-week study of Japanese women, a 0.075% retinol cream on one half of the face improved fine wrinkling in 50% of them, against 24% on the half that got the plain cream. Three of the 57 women dropped out because the retinol irritated their skin. A 0.04% cream over 13 weeks gave smaller gains and almost no irritation. The lid is thinner than the cheek the study treated, so start with the lower strength and stop if the skin turns red or flaky. Eye creams for eye bags and dark circles covers which ingredients belong near the eye.
Moisturiser for dry lines. A plain moisturiser after cleansing and again before bed takes care of the lines that came from dry office air.
RF, red light and a doctor's options: the study numbers
Radiofrequency. RF heats the deeper layer of the skin, which tightens the collagen there and sets off repair over the following months. In a 2003 study of 86 people given one treatment with a high-energy medical RF device around the eyes, blinded scoring of photos at six months found that 83% of treated eye areas had improved by at least one point on a wrinkle scale. The treating doctors, looking without the before photos, saw the change in 29% of areas, and half the patients were satisfied. Burns occurred on 0.36% of RF applications, and three patients had small scars at six months. The tightening started early and kept building for months. Those numbers belong to the device the study tested. Judge any RF course with photos taken in the same light.
Red light. In a controlled trial of 136 volunteers, red light twice a week for 30 sessions improved skin roughness and the collagen density measured by ultrasound, compared with untreated controls. The trial treated the whole face and body, and 30 sessions at two a week takes fifteen weeks. One session of red light is a thirtieth of that dose.
Botulinum toxin, from a doctor. It relaxes the muscle under the lower lid. In a 2001 study, 2 units in the lower lid alone earned a patient score of 0.73 on a scale where 1 means mild improvement. With the crow's feet treated at the same time, the score rose to 1.9. A 2003 dose study gave 8 units in the lower lid, and all eight women in that group reported bothersome side effects, lower-lid swelling among them. The authors recommend 2 to 4 units. If you already wake up with puffy eyes, tell the doctor before the injection.
Laser resurfacing, from a doctor. A fractional laser removes columns of skin and the repair builds new collagen. The 2011 review found these treatments work in darker skin within set limits, because brown skin carries a higher risk of dark or light patches afterwards. Ask the doctor how many cases on morena skin they have treated around the eye.
What EyeLift Pro 360 does for fine lines
Each study above tested its own device or drug, and none of them tested EyeLift Pro 360. An EyeLift Pro 360 visit at ICONIQUE inside The Peninsula Manila lasts 45 to 60 minutes with the consultation included: cleanse, steam and an eye mask first, then device work, then a hydration booster. Geralyn Ramos performs it, on ICONIQUE's own equipment.
Matched against the three kinds of line, the hydration booster puts water back into the surface, which is the change dry lines need. For crepey lines, ask at the consultation how many sessions your therapist suggests and compare the course against your own photos. Expression lines that stay at rest need a doctor's injection. The eye treatment at The Peninsula Manila page explains the four kinds of under-eye bag; the clinic treats three of them without surgery, and a fat pad needs a surgeon.
Photograph your under-eyes in the same window light before the first session and after each one. Crepey lines change over months, and photos in the same light show that change better than a mirror does.
You will find the clinic in the hotel lobby at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, a four-minute walk from Ayala Triangle. See what the clinic treats under the eye, or check today's EyeLift Pro 360 price and pick a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best treatment for under eye wrinkles?
It depends on the line. Dry lines fade with hydration the same day. Crepey lines answer to daily sunscreen, retinol over 13 to 26 weeks and radiofrequency over months. Lines that appear when you smile need a doctor's botulinum toxin injection, at the 2 to 4 units in the lower lid that the study authors recommend.
Can under eye wrinkles be reversed?
In part. In a 26-week study, 0.075% retinol improved fine wrinkling in 50% of women against 24% with plain cream. After one high-energy RF treatment, 83% of treated eye areas improved by at least one point on a wrinkle scale at six months. Both studies measured improvement on a scale, and neither reported the lines gone.
How do I get rid of under eye wrinkles at home?
Wear sunscreen every morning close to the lower lashes: in a 4.5-year trial of 903 adults, daily users showed no detectable increase in skin aging. Add a retinol cream at night, starting at 0.04%, and moisturise twice a day for dry lines.
Is retinol safe under the eyes?
The data point to a low strength. In the study above, 3 of 57 women stopped 0.075% retinol because of irritation, and 0.04% caused almost none. Start low, use it at night, and stop if the lid turns red or flaky.
Does Botox work for under eye wrinkles?
Yes, from a doctor and at a low dose. With 2 units in the lower lid, patients rated the change 0.73 on a 0 to 3 scale, and 1.9 when crow's feet were treated too. At 8 units, all eight women in a 2003 study reported side effects such as lower-lid swelling.
How long do under eye line treatments take to show?
A hydration step shows the same day. Red light improved collagen in a trial after 30 sessions over fifteen weeks. RF tightening in a six-month study started early and kept building for months. Judge a course with photos taken in the same light.
Written by
Geralyn RamosSenior Therapist · Six years in skin and aesthetics
Geralyn has worked in skin and aesthetics for six years, more than a year of it at ICONIQUE inside The Peninsula Manila. She performs the diamond peel, the EyeLift360 eye treatment, the Acne Clear Facial and underarm whitening at the Makati branch.
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