Wrinkles Around Eyes

There are many kinds of chemical peels, starting with a fairly superficial peels done by aestheticians, and up to medium and deep peels done by a surgeon. The deeper the peel, the better your result will likely to be in terms of tightening and wrinkle improvement, but you are also likely to experience longer downtime, and higher risk of pigmentation abnormalities: hyper- or hypopigmentation. The same could be said about laser treatments. You can have a fairly superficial laser treatment,... more

It depends upon what you are treating. Generalized skin laxity can be improved with either Fraxel or a TCA chemical peel, with about the same down time and risk profile in my opinion. The difference is that Fraxel is a lot more expensive. However, if you are concerned about crow's feet, you need to understand that these are what are called "dynamic" wrinkles, because they are related to hyperactivity of the muscle in that area. Skin treatments have a minimal effect on that... more

Treating lines around the eyes are best approached with multiple modalities. Botox can relax the muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles. Chemical peels of lasers can build collagen to fill in the static wrinkles. Topical products with antioxidants, vitamin K and moisturizing ingredients such as polyhydroxyacids can help maintain the results follwing procedures. And of course, do not forget UV blocking sunglasses and sunscreens with zinc oxide to block out the UVA rays that caused most of the... more

Periorbital wrinkles can be either dynamic or static, resulting from overactivity of eyelid muscles or loss of collagen support within the skin. In most cases, periorbital wrinkles should be managed with a combination of Botox and improvement in wrinkling. Second stage improvement should be with chemical peels, especially TCA peels, to improve skin quality.

Fraxel is expected to produce better tightening than a chemical peel, as the peels around the eyes should not be too strong . Superficial peels - which only exfoliate - would definitely not induce any tightening.  

Fractionated CO2 lasers such as Fraxel re:pair as well as deeper chemical peels such as modified phenol can be used for re-surfacing and tightening of the skin around the eyes. Recovery (about 1 week) is similar for both procedures. Post-procedure redness/pinkness can persist for several weeks. For best results, such laser or chemical resurfacing are best used in combination with Botox (i.e. 2-4 weeks after Botox injections).

I would recommend Fraxel to help the lines around the eyes. I would also start you on tretinoin to help stimulate collagen formation and to compliment the collagen productions that Fraxel is producing. You will probably need 5-6 treatments. Also consider botox to diminish the muscle activity that continues to produce more lines. Last but not least, don't forget to wear sunscreen and sun glasses to prevent further damage.

L.Stark, Both chemical peels and Fraxel are effective in treating wrinkles around the eyes. Without a picture of your specific situation it is hard to give you specific advice on which treatment would be best for you. It is best to go to a surgeon who offers both treatments. Good luck.

The amount of tightening I have seen after fractional CO2 resurfacing is quite impressive. It is the only thing I have seen that really lifts and tightens both upper and lower eyelids without cutting. It also improves crows feet BETTER than surgery. The best options are Fraxel Repair and Active FX. Fraxel Restore improves texture and some fine lines, but is not an alternative to traditional eyelid surgery. Be advised, however, that fractional CO2 requires about 7 days of downtime before... more

Hi L, My experience with Fraxel Re:pair is that the improvement around the eyes (both upper and lower eye lids) is very impressive. To get equal results with chemical peeling, the peel would have to be very aggressive which could lead to hypopigmentation and lines of demarcation, as well as increased risks of other complications. Fraxel Re:pair can be safely used to treat only the eyes without those concerns. The results are great, and if a patient desires, the procedure can be repeated a... more