When it comes to age, the skin around the eyes can be a giveaway. However, according to a cosmetic eye surgeon, people can make this area appear younger with just a few simple tips.
If you want to reduce the signs of ageing and maintain a youthful appearance, it's important to stock up on a few key products, such as eye cream, UV-protective sunglasses and lubricating eye drops.
'The skin around your eyes is unique and therefore requires very special care'
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Cosmetic eye surgeon Dr Elizabeth Hawkes spoke exclusively to GB News about how women can turn back the clock. One of her main tips was to "never forget to wear eye cream".
She said: “The skin around the eyes is one of the first places to show the signs of ageing as it is so fragile - it needs a bit of extra TLC that face creams just won’t provide.
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"The skin around your eyes is unique and therefore requires very special care. It’s a very delicate area. There are many eye creams out there that are specially formulated to lift and sculpt the eyes to prevent the need for surgery.
"Make sure to use light serums and light creams that are formulated for daily use, which don’t clog up glands."
How you apply your eye cream is important too. Dr Hawkes advised: “Don’t forget to be really gentle when applying eye cream.
"Eye cream should go near your eyes, but not onto your top eyelid. Nor should it be used directly below your bottom lashes. It should be applied along the orbital bone, or eye socket, and not on the lids. Work from the inner corners of the eyes outwards with gentle patting motions.”
The expert's next tip for a youthful look was to "always wear UV-protective sunglasses" - and ensure that these have UV 400 protection.
She said: "Just like you protect your skin from UV rays you need to protect your eyes too. Make sure you buy UV-protective sunglasses from a reputable seller and not a market stall or unknown online seller. I buy lenses that cover the eyes and surrounding areas and don’t slip down; this helps to protect not only the eye itself but also the delicate skin around it.
“It is extremely important for sunglasses to have UV protection because UV radiation from the sun can damage the delicate skin of your eyelid, as well as the skin surrounding the eye area. It can also damage the cornea, lenses and other parts of the eye.
"UV exposure can contribute to some types of cataracts, solar retinopathy and pterygium. Protecting the eyes from this is essential for eye health reasons and also to prevent premature ageing."
According to the experts, oversized glasses are more than just a fashion statement.
She said: “Oversized glasses are beneficial for protecting the skin that surrounds the eye area in order to prevent sun damage, which can cause premature ageing and ‘crow’s feet’ around the eyes, as well as of course posing the risk of causing skin cancer.”
Dr Hawkes also urged women concerned with ageing to invest in some lubricating eye drops.
She explained: “When you’re tired, you are definitely prone to rubbing your eyes, which can irritate them even more and it risks causing damage to the eye itself or surrounding areas.
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'Don’t forget to be really gentle when applying eye cream'
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“I always recommend using some lubricating eye drops, which can really help your eyes look brighter, especially when you’re feeling a little more tired than usual.
“You can buy these over the counter and they help to lubricate dry eyes so they’re not dry, itchy and sore.”
If a good sleep schedule won't cure dark under-eye circles, the expert suggested reaching for a good topical cream.
She advised: “While dark circles aren’t always a sign of tiredness, as they can be due to other factors such as genetics or allergies, you can help reduce their appearance by using topical creams for dehydration.
“Use a vitamin C topical cream on the eyes during the day to help reduce the appearance of dark circles. Application of eye creams is important –use your ring finger to follow the bony margin of the eye.”