By: Susannah Jaffer
The eyes, the focal point of the face, are often the first things to give away our mood and how we’re feeling (tired, excited, hung over!) They’re also the first feature to show signs of fatigue, tiredness and ageing. Read on to discover the latest products, tips and tricks for keeping yours in tiptop condition.
EYEBAGS AND DARK CIRCLES
Why the wrinkles?
The skin around our eyes is the thinnest, so it’s always the first to show signs of ageing. Both the epidermis and the dermis start to weaken as levels of collagen and elastin start to wane, and the skin becomes prone to lines and sagging.
How about dark circles?
Dark circles tend to worsen with age too, due to the hollowing of the tear trough. The shadow that this can cast underneath the eyes can make us look perpetually tired. A purple tinge under the eyes is generally caused by sluggish microcirculation; symptoms are worse among those who are regular smokers or drinkers.
Unfortunately, creams, lotions and potions help only to a certain extent, and even less so as time goes by. Deeper wrinkles are caused by the contraction of underlying muscles, which creases the overlying skin. So, while creams can improve skin texture, they can’t get down to the root cause – which is why more and more people are turning to aesthetic treatments such as Botox or fillers.
The trend: Radiofrequency
For those who have a bit of a needle phobia (and many of us do) or simply don’t want to go down the filler route, one popular alternative is Thermage, a non-invasive and FDA-approved eyelid treatment with no downtime.The system – which has been around since 1995 – uses a patented radiofrequency (RF) technology to heat up the skin’s collagen fibres, and tighten and renew facial contours.
“To be perfectly honest,” says Dr Phoon-George Yi Shan, an aesthetic physician from David Loh Surgery, “I was never a huge fan of Thermage until the latest generation Thermage CPT (Comfort Pulse Technology) came along. They upgraded the system to incorporate vibration with cryogen bursts and pulses of RF, which has made the whole process much more comfortable and virtually painless for our patients. Thermage for Eyes can achieve a subtle brow lift, smoothen wrinkles on the eyelids and dramatically reduce the appearance of eye bags.”
The trend: Ultrasound techniques
Based on the severity of eye bags and dark circles, Dr Yvonne Goh recommends a suitable treatment regime from her range of aesthetics treatments available.
In certain cases, soft filler can be used to mask eye bags and dark circles for immediately visible results. This can be complemented with the Ultherapy Eyelift, which treats droopy eyelids and combats fine lines at the same time. This non-surgical treatment lasts one to two years with no downtime involved.
For milder cases, you could opt for the 3-in-1 eye treatment, a combination of laser, RF/Infrared energy and IPL – the treatment will be customised according to your needs. To treat eye bags, energy is applied to stimulate collagen production and lift the area, while combating dark circles involves a combination of IPL (intense pulsed light) and laser to reduce discoloration and prominent blood vessels.
What’s more, all the treatments take a fuss-free 15 to 30 minutes – doable over a lunchtime visit.
Poor circulation, stress, a restless nights sleep and weakening collegen stores can all contribute to that worn-out, sunken look around the eye area. The ClearSK RF-Plus Eyelift at ClearSK Medi-Aesthetics targets dark circles, puffiness and crow’s feet by using a combination of IR and RF technology to improve blood circulation and firm up the skin, with visible results after just one session.
Alternatively, you could try their Ulthera EyeLift. Working deep below the skin’s surface, focused ultrasound waves penetrate deep into the muscles to tighten them up and stimulate new collagen growth. The results last for an impressive one to two years, and again, no surgery or downtime is needed.
EYEBROW EMBROIDERY
The lowdown: Eyebrow embroidery is popular among people with thin, sparse eyebrows who want a fuller look without having to go through the hassle of drawing their brows every day. “Nowadays, we’re finding more and more people opting for 3D eyebrow embroidery, which creates the most natural look by creating the appearance of strands of brow hairs on top of your natural brows,” explains Lyn Bong, owner of Charme Salon. “Before we start, we always draw and trace the line of the brow so customers can preview the finished look and get the perfect shape.”
Once you’re satisfied, numbing cream will be applied to the area to prepare it for the embroidery, which can be essentially compared with a tattoo process, except that this treatment is semi-permanent: results last for up to a year (you may need a few touch-ups). The procedure takes approximately 90 to 120 minutes.
The cost: $480.
LASH EXTENSIONS
The lowdown: If you want to wake up to thicker, longer lashes and be able to put away the mascara for once, semi-permanent eyelash extensions could be the answer. “All of our lashes are from Korea, and we implant them strand by strand to produce the most natural effect,” says Charme Salon‘s Lyn. “We can also customise the treatment, depending on how dramatic you’d like the final effect to be.
The cost: $150.
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