How To Repair & Reverse Skin Damage Around Eyes

They say eyes are the windows to the soul. Your peepers often convey your thoughts and feelings more effectively than words can. At the same time, they are some of the most overworked sense organs, absorbing 80% of what you perceive. And yet, eye care can be one of the most overlooked and undervalued activities when it comes to self-care. Such neglect can result not just in damage to your eyes but also to the skin around them. 

As you age and your body produces less collagen, the thin, sensitive skin in your eye area loses the connective structure that supports it. Several other factors can also worsen the condition of the skin surrounding your eyes. Neglect it no further. Start giving some TLC with these indispensable tips on how to repair and reverse skin damage around the eyes.

1. Use eye cream, not just regular facial moisturizer 

The skin around your eyes is significantly more delicate than skin on the rest of your body and face. It can be convenient to overlook this fact and just apply the same kind of moisturizing products that you use on your face. However, because the area around your eyes is thinner, ingredients from your regular moisturizer, which come in high concentrations, can result in irritation. 

Ditch your regular facial creams, and instead use eye creams specifically formulated with lower doses and a more emollient base.

Do look for products with retinol and hyaluronic acid. Also, determine if they are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.

2. Get your Zzzs  

When you sleep, your body goes into action to repair skin damage by making new collagen. With more collagen, your skin will look plumper and tighter, reducing the fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. In addition, the levels of melatonin and growth hormones go up and further regenerate your skin.

To get maximum benefits from sleeping, ensure that you get at least seven hours of sleep. Also, timing is critical. During the hours from 11pm to midnight, cell mitosis, or the process by which your cells divide to renew skin, is at its peak. Get to bed by 10pm at the latest to give yourself time to wind down and fall off to sleep on time.

3. Hydrate!

Dehydration can lead to the loss of skin elasticity, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, and dry and flaky skin. Water can reverse all that by allowing the skin to retain moisture. 

Did you know that water is an integral part of collagen production? Water is in fact 60% of the total weight of a collagen molecule. This is why when you are dehydrated, your skin can have a sagging appearance, making you look tired and haggard.  

Revitalize your skin and stay hydrated and healthy by drinking at least eight glasses of H20 a day.

4. Be sun-smart

The sun can be your skin’s worst enemy. Though it is a source of Vitamin D, too much exposure to its ultraviolet rays can damage your skin and even cause skin cancer.

Protect your eyes from UV light by staying in the shade as much as you can. If you must be outdoors, wear sunglasses to keep you from the glare of the sun and from constantly squinting your eyes, which can cause fine lines. 

Don’t forget a critical ally against sun damage—your sunscreen. Choose one with a broad spectrum that can block both UVA and UVB rays. Because sunscreen wears off, reapply it if you’re outdoors for more than two hours.

5. Eat a proper diet

A poor diet can result in a lack of the essential vitamins and nutrients that play a role in warding off skin wrinkling, dryness, and thinning. 

Have a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that contain plenty of antioxidants. These compounds fight the free radicals that can cause wrinkles and age spots. Also include lean proteins and foods rich in selenium, omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and vitamin C and E.

6. Quit smoking

Smoking is one human activity that has absolutely zero benefits. Aside from lung cancer and a host of other respiratory ailments, it is also a major cause of cardiovascular diseases. 

But smoking, too, can be equally devastating on your skin. Nicotine from cigarettes causes blood vessels to narrow, reducing oxygen flow and restricting your skin’s supply of nutrients. 

When you stop smoking, your circulation improves, enabling the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your body. In addition, vitamin C and collagen production normalize within months to resume their skin-protecting and strengthening functions on your skin.

Repairing and reversing skin damage around the eyes is doable, especially if you start today. All the tips mentioned above are easy to do and do not require any special equipment or skill. Apply them and expect to be amazed at the results.