Can Undereye Lines Be Removed with Laser Treatment?

As clichéd as it may sound, but our eyes are the “mirror of the soul”. Your eyes are inevitably the first thing people lay their eyes on when they meet you for the first time. For this reason, most of us would like our eyes to stay lifted and youthful for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, the natural process of aging is harsh on your eyes. In fact, first signs of aging appear on the eyes because the skin around our eyes is extremely thin and delicate. Furthermore, we abuse our eyes a lot more than other part of the body. We spend most of our waking moments using the computer and mobile phones, forgetting to give our precious eyes a good break.

So why do fine lines appear under the eyes and can laser treatment erase the fine lines under your eyes effectively?

We get the inside scoop from Dr. Siew Tuck Wah, Medical Director from Radium Medical Aesthetics as he tells us more about the aging of the eyes and if it can be reversed with laser treatments.

Aging Process of the Eyes

Your muscles around the eyes weaken and the skin loses its elasticity. Fatty tissue that once help to support the eyes become more visible below the eyes, giving rise to a swollen appearance. 

Hollowness under your eyes become more apparent because of the loss of volume when we age. Intrinsic aging combined with environmental and lifestyle factors lead to loss of volume, wrinkles, and loss of radiance. 

These harsh, unforgiving conditions are further exacerbated by gravity weighing down the skin around the eyes. Over time, loose, saggy skin around the eyes form lines that make you look perpetually tired and unattractive. 

Can Laser Treatment Remove Undereye Lines?

Fine lines form because the skin loses its collagen and elasticity. The results are droopy eyelids, wrinkles and loose folds due to the excess skin under the eyes. 

Most laser treatments for undereye tightening work the same way. They destroy superficial layer of the skin to stimulate collagen growth and skin tightening also occurs as a result of the treatment. 

Fine lines under the skin are commonly tightened or firmed using CO2 fractional laser treatment to produce acceptable, and sometimes excellent results. 

Even until today, CO2 fractional laser resurfacing remains the gold standard for treating several skin issues especially deep wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes. During the process, precise, micro-ablative columns are created on the skin surface to allow new skin and collagen to grow. A thin layer of skin is ablated to kick start the collagen regenerative process. This process generates a whole new layer of skin and tissue that are firmer and more rejuvenated than before. 

The more skin that has been ablated, the better the regenerative process. However, there is also a bigger risk of infection and complications if the wounds are not well-taken care of post-treatment. The most common complications include post-inflammatory pigmentation, scarring, and outbreak of cold sores.

Although some results can be seen with just one treatment, most people may require at least 3 to 4 sessions to see long-lasting results. 

Is Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment Sufficient to Remove Undereye Lines?

Laser skin resurfacing treatment is excellent for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, people with certain skin types and medical conditions may suffer from an increased risk of developing adverse side effects to laser skin resurfacing treatment. 

Dr. Siew Tuck Wah, Medical Director of Radium Medical Aesthetics said: “Most of the time, the fine lines that appear under your eyes are not only the only factor causing the under eye area to look tired and aged. Several other factors could contribute such as loss of volume and fat deposits.” 

“Laser resurfacing treatments help reduce fine lines - however, multiple sessions are required. Often, a filler treatment also helps improve them by plumping them up. In addition, fillers help correct structural deformities such as volume loss. With combination treatments, the results are much better than either one alone.”

LOSS OF VOLUME Fine lines under the eyes may form due to the loss of fat and moisture as we grow older. In such cases where there is a hollow, deficient area immediately under the eyes, laser skin resurfacing will not be able to improve its condition.

Under eye dermal filler treatment is a very common and popular way to fill the hollow spaces for a smooth, natural result. Dermal fillers of varying viscosity are introduced into the hollow areas to rejuvenate the undereyes. By hydrating the area and stretching the loose skin, the undereye will appear smoother and fine lines will be reduced after the treatment.

EYE BAGS Presence of eye bags may contribute to the development of fine lines because of the skin under the eyes has been stretched due to the fat deposit or fluid retention. As the skin becomes thin and weak, it can crinkle like a piece of paper. 

In the past, undergoing eye bag removal would mean going under the knife. An advanced Korean technique, commonly called AGNES eye bag treatment, allows the eye bags to be removed – non-surgically. Excess fats in the eye bags are melted away with micro-insulated needles delivering radiofrequency waves. The melted fats are then drained from your body via the circulatory system. 

The radiofrequency waves also stimulate collage production to tighten the skin after the melted fats have been drained out.