YOUR INHERITANCE
SAGGING EYES AND DARK CIRCLES
Along with bone structure, we also inherit our contouring – the way our muscles and fat pads provide the scaffolding for our skin – and how this changes is down to genetics. ‘Typically, it’s the fat pads under the eyes that show the first signs of volume loss,’ says Dr Vicky Dondos of London’s Medicetics Skin Clinic.
As we get older, we also lose bone density, which can make our cheeks look flatter and eyes look more hollow and tired. Our under-eye skin thins, too, causing dark circles as the deeper blood vessels start to show. ‘The combination of shadowing from hollowing and blue tones from the underlying vessels contributes to the darkness under the eye,’ says Dr Patterson. And, if you’re genetically prone to pigmentation, this can make dark circles look worse.
You may be blessed with a high brow from your mother – lucky you, it’s a facial coat-hanger – or cursed with a low one. ‘A low brow will age faster, causing brow ptosis, or a droopy brow,’ says Dr Shah-desai.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
AT HOME There’s no magic bullet, but retinol-containing eye creams can promote cell renewal. Try Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic + Retinol Eye Cream, £68, which is both a brightener and a tightener. An SPF eye cream is also a must. Try Skinceuticals Mineral Eye UV Defense SPF 30, £28, which is lightly pigmented for a concealing effect. PAY A PRO ‘Millimetres can make all the difference when it comes to eyes,’ says Dr Dondos, who applies four or five ‘mobile’ Botox injections around each eyebrow to weaken the muscles that pull the brow down, but not those that lift it up. ‘A one to two millimetre lift in the tail of the brow can make you look fresher and more awake.’
Expert brow shaping gives the illusion of an optical lift, says brow expert Suman Jalaf. ‘I slightly change the natural brow shape to lift it away from the eyelid to make the eyes look more open,’ she says.
Tear-trough fillers restore lost volume to the area between the cheek and eye, disguise dark circles and create new collagen. ‘It’s like a facial pause button,’ says Dr Shah-desai, who adds that tear-trough fillers can also support ligaments and reduce the level to which the skin under the eye becomes lax and ‘baggy’.