Developing wrinkles on your face and around your eyes is a natural part of aging, when the skin becomes thinner, drier and loses its suppleness. Despite this, Medical News Today notes that other variables can cause premature aging. Excessive exposure to the sun and its damaging UV rays is a prime cause of under eyes wrinkles, while crow's feet around the eyes can be caused by habitual facial expressions.
Topical Retinoids
For fine lines and wrinkles under the eyes, you can use tretinoin. This is a topical retinoid, prescribed under the brand name Retin-A. According to the University of Maryland, tretinoin reduces the appearance of wrinkles by stimulating collagen production, which builds new skin cells. Apply it at least twice a week before bed. It may take up to six months to show positive results.
Lasers
Westside Aesthetics website recommends laser treatments for under eye wrinkles. This involves a heated laser which removes the surface layers of skin -- the epidermis -- and heats the lower dermal layers. Removing this outer layer of skin reduces the superficial appearance of the wrinkles and also stimulates collagen production, which can create new skin cells, notes MayoClinic.com
Wounding
Similar to laser resurfacing, both chemical peels and dermabrasion -- which uses a pulsating abrasive wire brush -- use a wounding technique to remove the outer layer of skin to promote regrowth through collagen production to reduce superficial wrinkling. Chemical peels use various strengths of acid solutions to burn through the epidermis, and sometimes into the dermis, depending of the depth of the wrinkle.
Ineffective
Both Botox injections and soft tissue fillers, sometimes called dermal fillers, are ineffective strategies to deal with under eye wrinkles, notes Westside Aesthetics. Botox paralyzes muscles to reduce wrinkling. The skin in the under eye area is too thin and delicate for Botox and there's no muscle for it to paralyze. Soft tissue fillers are normally used in the lower half of the face on marionette lines -- nose to mouth lines -- or for filling out sunken cheeks.
Considerations
Topical retinoid application will often cause itching and redness in the first few days of application and increases photo sensitivity, so its important to wear a sunblock daily. The skin can take several months to fully heal from laser resurfacing. Dermabrasion may leave the skin with a pinkish color for an equally long period before it begins to fade, notes MayoClinic.com. Consult your health care provider for further information if you have under eye wrinkles which you find bothersome.
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