Column

Dr Anna Hoo explains how to make your eyes look better

Have you ever thought of improving your tiredlooking eyes ? Before doing so , it ’ s best to understand the underlying causes and treatment options .

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and are often what people focus on during interactions . Unfortunately , they also undergo active ageing , such as :

( 1 ) Wrinkles – common wrinkles that form around the eyes are called crow ’ s feet . They starts at the angle of the eyes and are accentuated by smiling and scrunching of the eyes . Fine wrinkles also form under the eyes , but they ’ re often not as prominent as crow ’ s feet .

( 2 ) Eye bags and hollowness under the eyes – as we age , we lose volume under our eyes . This area can appear sunken , while the fat pads become more noticeable and manifest as eye bags . Often removing the fat pad makes the eyes look even more hollow , creating an unnatural look . Instead , it ’ s the volume loss that we should be concentrating on .

( 3 ) Dark eye circles – the skin under the eyes is ultra-thin . When the tissues under the eyes undergo resorption with ageing , the underlying fine blood vessels can be seen . Straining the eyes by peering into a screen or bright lights over a prolonged period , coupled with the trauma of rubbing and exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun , causes the area to darken further .

All of these can cause haggard , tired-looking eyes , demonstrated by the presence of hollow eye sockets with dark eye circles , prominent eye bags , and wrinkles around the eyes , adding a few years to your actual chronological age . So what can we do to improve this condition ? Multifactorial causes need holistic approaches , which is why we use the 4 Rs – Relax , Replace , Refine , and Restore .

Relax – Wrinkles are often caused by overactive muscles that are in constant contraction and “ fold ” the overlying skin . They can be relaxed by using neuromodulators such as Botox and Dysport , which relax the muscles while preserving their function .

Replace – Lost volumes under the eyes can be replaced using fillers , such as fat and hyaluronic acids . Hyaluronic acids are overwhelmingly being used due to their safety and non-perpetuity nature , meaning they don ’ t produce long-term side effects .

Refine – Thinning of the skin under the eyes and the loss of underlying collagen can be reversed using a range of laser devices . These work via different mechanisms but aim to stimulate new collagen production , with skin tightening , blood vessel reduction , and lightening of darkened skin .

Restore – Improving the quality of the periorbital region around the eyes and healing the aged connecting tissues require a healthy body . This means adequate sleep , good eye hygiene , limiting screen time , frequent rests from long exposure to glaring screens , and healthy nutrition that helps restore quality skin around the eyes .

Rejuvenation of the eyes is one of the most sought-after treatments in medical aesthetics . While it ’ s tempting to treat the first problem that comes into view , it ’ s essential to also identify and treat the underlying causes . Careful and precise pre-procedural assessments are key in deciding which treatment is most apt . Also imperative is that treatments be performed by experienced and qualified doctors who can ensure that procedures produce outstanding results with high patient satisfaction .

Dr Anna Hoo is an aesthetic physician with an MD from the University of Science Malaysia . She received her fellowship training in Dermatologic Laser Surgery at the Mahidol University in Bangkok , Thailand and is the founder and medical director of the Anna Hoo Clinic , an anti-ageing and aesthetic group practice in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

60 MAY 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com