Guide To: Under-Eye Care

If you want to stay looking younger longer it’s vital to take extra special care of the skin around your eyes. The eye area can be a big giveaway of aging, lack of sleep, overindulgence of food and alcohol, and your overall wellness.  I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to be diligent and consistent with under eye care. No matter what your concerns are with the area around your eyes we’re here to help!

Is the skin around your eyes feeling dry?

This is an issue you want to address right away because the skin around your eyes is so thin and sensitive, having it be dry as well can increase the likelihood of wrinkles! So be sure to look for products that will hydrate as well as build collagen. One of our favorite products for this issue would be SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair. This product will help improve the smoothness and hydration around the eyes, which helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also be sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day to keep your skin-hydrated form the inside out!

Are you noticing an increase in fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area?

Diminishing wrinkles around the eyes can really take years off of your appearance. A favorite here in the office for this issue would be IS Clinical Youth Eye Complex. This product is great for improving hydration, firmness, and elasticity around the eye area, which will give you smooth tighter looking skin around the eyes. It also helps strengthen/thicken the delicate skin and offers immediate and long-term results.

Are you suffering from the dreaded dark circles?

Sometimes no matter how much sleep you get some people can’t shake the dreaded under eye circles. Having dark under-eye circles cannot only age you, but it can make you appear tired and under the weather even when you’re completely rested and healthy.  IS Clinical C Eye gel is a miracle in a bottle. It not only reverses signs of aging, but it works to brighten those unwanted dark under-eye circles. It is the perfect product for toning, brightening, and anti-aging when it comes to under-eye care.

Feel like your eye area is becoming hollow with age?

For those of you suffering from eyes that look sunken and hollow we have the perfect fix for you. Fillers can be used to reverse this issue. The filler will give you a much fuller, tight, wrinkle free eye area, which will not only take years off but it will brighten and open up your entire face with the slightest amount. Come in for a consultation to determine which filler would be best for you. 

Introducing: Farmhouse Fresh!

McLean Dermatology is proud to announce that we now carry Farmhouse Fresh products in our office.

Each Farmhouse Fresh product is made with 90-99% natural and naturally-derived ingredients. Everything they make is Paraben and Sulfate FREE. Man

y of their products are also Vegan and Gluten FREE.

Not to mention, they smell so good you could almost eat them!

To learn more about these awesome products visit their website and stop by the office to pick up yours today!

Introducing Lizette!

Get Always Perfect Eyebrows in an Instant!

Introducing, Lizette, our new line of under eye concealers, conditioning mascaras, and 

the perfect eyebrow.

Come by the office this week for a true color match.

Under Eye Concealer vs. Blemish Concealer

Conceal (kuh n – seel): to hide or remove from observation; cover from sight; keep secret.

We are well aware of what a concealer can do for our unwelcome facial flaws.  It’s no secret that we utilize makeup to cover up unwanted blemishes from the public eye.  There is a difference though between under eye concealer and blemish concealer. Do NOT use one product for both problems because they are not the same.

The trick to getting the perfect concealer is based on color, not product. The redness caused by a blemish is best concealed with a green or yellow-toned concealer. Choose one that is the same color of your skin tone. 

For those persistent under eye circles that are a blue/brown hue, choose a pink-toned concealer.  For the region under your eyes, the concealer should be several shades lighter than your skin color. This highlights your eyes giving them a fresh, bright look.

Each problem area has a different cause and a different regimen for proper coverage.

What comes first, foundation or concealer? Always put foundation on first and then highlight with the concealer.  Using a makeup brush will provide the best coverage for both foundation and concealer. Choosing the right color to fit the problem will give you the best results. 

Remember makeup not only conceals but also contours your face so choose wisely!

Misleading Information About Your Eye Cream

In the May issue of InStyle magazine, under eye coverage “solutions” were broken down according to age group. There is a huge problem with this because... You could be 21 and share the same under eye problems as someone who is 51. 

Under eye bags, hollowness, lines are person-specific and can occur at any age. See our last two blog entries about the types of problems and treatments that have been proven to work.

Please see my solutions to under eye issues for a complete guide to under eye problems.

Not All Under-eye Circles Are The Same!

Part II

So we have figured out exactly what type of under eye problem you are experiencing, now it’s time to discuss treating it. Whichever works out for you, staying committed to it and not making it a “whenever I remember” regimen will guarantee results!

If you still don’t know which type of under eye problem you have, ask Dr. Lily to help you with your treatment options. 

Hyper-pigmentation

• Avoid rubbing your eyes. Chronic rubbing can lead to thickened, dark under eye skin.
• Retinoic acid creams can help exfoliate dark pigmented skin, however, it should be used in very small amounts. If this is over-used it can cause severe skin irritation, so always consult your Dermatologist before beginning any regimen of incorporating irritating ingredients into your skincare regimen.
• Skin lightening creams can also help. Look for creams with azaleic acid, kojic acid or glycolic acid. Hydroquinone is highly successful in lightening skin under the eyes. You can find 1-2% strengths over the counter and more potent strengths can be prescribed after a consultation with your Dermatologist. 

Veins

• Eye creams that contain caffeine can constrict the underlying blood vessels and temporarily diminish small visible blood vessels.
• For large blue veins, laser treatments can be recommended however, this is not always for darker skin tones. Lasers can cause hyper pigmented scars if not used with adequate cooling techniques. Make sure you see a Dermatologist if you have moderate to dark skin. 

Puffiness

• Treat seasonal allergies with over the counter allergy medications or see your Physician for prescription medications for resistant allergies or possible sinus infections. 
• Sleeping on your side or stomach can encourage fluids to collect under your eyes. If you’re a side sleeper, you might notice a heavier bag on the side you sleep on. To help this, sleep on your back and add a pillow under your head. 
• Avoid rubbing your eyes frequently, don’t go to bed with make-up on and avoid harsh cleansers. Anything that irritates the skin can cause fluids to pool in one place. Therefore, sleeping in your eye make-up can irritate eyes which will cause edema, or swelling. 
• Placing chilled items like cucumber slices, tea bags, or a bag of frozen peas can constrict leaky blood vessels and lessen swelling of the under eye area. 
• An underlying medical condition could also be to blame. If bags appear suddenly, thyroid, cardiovascular, or kidney problems all cause under eye water retention. See your primary care physician for further evaluation. 

Hollowness

• These kinds of changes are often due to dramatic weight-loss or even genetics. 
• The best treatment for this is a small amount of hyaluronic filler injected under the delicate skin of the tear trough by a Dermatologist. This can give outstanding results if done properly. 
• See your Dermatologist for an evaluation to determine if this is the right treatment for you.

Sagging Under-eye Skin

• Fractional Laser treatment or FRAXEL is an in office cosmetic procedure performed by a Dermatologist, this procedure resurfaces the top layer of skin leading to increased collagen formation and skin tightening.  
• Another option is to use an eye cream daily with “firming” or “tightening” on the label, take note: this will take months of committed use to see any results.

Bags Under Your Eyes

• As of right now, Blepharoplasty is the one and only solution for this problem. This is a surgical cosmetic procedure usually done in office by a Plastic Surgeon or a Dermatologic Surgeon. 
• During the procedure, the “bags” or fat pads that protrude are surgically removed from underneath the eyes and then stitched back up to heal.