Non-surgical eye wrinkle treatments can provide more noticeable and immediate results than anti-wrinkle eye creams. Though not surgical, procedures like getting Botox for eye lines and laser eye wrinkle treatments do require a trip to a dermatologist or a specially trained aesthetician.
Stay away from Botox parties and other settings with unlicensed or inexperienced providers offering injectables or fillers for eye wrinkles - the risk of poor results or serious side effects is not worth it!
If you are wondering if non-surgical procedures for reducing eye wrinkles are right for you, it’s important to do your homework first. These treatments can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars and carry the potential of more side effects than many at-home eye wrinkle treatments. Here is an overview of some of the most popular procedures:
Botox
- What is Botox?
Botox is botulinum toxin type A, which is injected into the muscles under the eyes to cause them to temporarily paralyze. The procedure is normally done in a dermatologist’s office and takes about 10 minutes. Though the fact that Botox is made from a toxin might scare some people away, Botox injections are the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the US.
- What does Botox do and how long does it last?
Botox injections result in a smoother look around the eyes due to the paralyzed muscles. The injections can also help to slow down the formation of new wrinkles caused by facial expressions like squinting, frowning, and smiling. Botox lasts about 4 months.
- What are the potential risks and side effects of Botox?
All facial injectables have the risk of swelling, bruising, pain, itching at the injection site. Risks specific to Botox include swelling / drooping eyelids, headaches, double vision, and allergic reactions. Botox can also be overdone, resulting in an unnatural “frozen face” that hinders normal facial expressions and prevents one from showing joy, sadness, surprise, and other emotions - not a good look.
Dermal Fillers for Wrinkles
- What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are substances based on hyaluronic acid that are inserted with a needle directly into the skin. They can be used on various parts of the face, including the lips, cheeks, and around the eyes. The procedure is typically done in a dermatologist’s office using a local anesthesia. The best known dermal filler brands include Restylane and Juvéderm.
- What do dermal fillers do and how long do they last?
When injected into the skin around the eyes, dermal fillers “plump” the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The effects of dermal fillers are temporary, lasting about 6 months to 1 year. For improving the appearance of the eye area, fillers are especially used in the tear trough under the eye. They may also be used in combination with Botox to reduce crow’s feet wrinkles.
- What are the potential risks and side effects of dermal fillers?
All facial injectables have the risk of swelling, bruising, pain, itching at the injection site. Headache is another common side effect of dermal fillers. More rarely, infection or allergic reactions can also occur. It is extremely important to choose a doctor who is experienced with dermal filler injections due to the risk of poor results caused by too much facial filler (Facial Overfilled Syndrome) or unevenly injected filler. A rare, but unfortunate, side effect of using fillers for wrinkles is filler migration.
Laser Eye Wrinkle Treatments
- What are laser eye wrinkle treatments?
Laser treatments for eye wrinkles use a fractional CO2 laser to remove outer layers of skin. The fractional CO2 laser sends tiny beams of light into the skin for targeted treatment of small areas of the face. CO2 laser treatments are done by dermatologists or surgeons and take about an hour. A topical numbing cream is typically used to prevent discomfort. The cost for CO2 laser resurfacing starts at about $2,850 on average, but can run more than double that.
- What do laser eye wrinkle treatments do and how long do they last?
You can think of laser eye wrinkle treatments with a CO2 laser almost like a form of microdermabrasion, only done using light instead of a physical abrader. CO2 laser resurfacing for crow’s feet removes outer layers of skin and also stimulates new collagen to reduce wrinkles and lines around the eyes.
The CO2 laser works by targeting water molecules in the skin to eliminate the surface skin cells, while the heat causes the collagen production. The effects of CO2 fractional laser treatments can last up to 3 - 5 years, although your skin will, of course, continue to age, so new wrinkles will inevitably form.
- What are the potential risks and side effects of laser eye wrinkle treatments?
One big downside of laser eye wrinkle treatments is that you can expect about 2 weeks of downtime afterwards. In addition, laser treatments are not suitable for darker skin tones. Overuse of laser can thin the skin, actually causing more fine lines and wrinkles. Other potential side effects of laser eye wrinkle treatments include burns, scars, and changes in pigmentation.
