Eye Candy

If our eyes are the windows to anything, it's our age, not our soul. We ask the experts for their take on treatments and products for keeping your eyes looking younger for longer.

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Dark circles
Doctor's advice
Dr Catherine Stone from The Face Place in Auckland, believes dark circles are often due to structural changes in the bones and soft tissue around the eyes. "This creates hollowing. The fastest way to treat this is with dermal filler."
Allow for an hour and expect to pay $750-$995.

Skin therapist's advice
Lauren de Vries, from More Than Skin Spa in Auckland, believes that it is a combination of thinner skin, lack of sleep, hyperpigmentation and sun exposure that all contribute to darkness. "A specialised treatment such as the Decléor Vital Eyes is the right choice. This freeze-dried mask contains brown algae and will detoxify the eye area and make dark circles less visible." Allow 30 minutes and the treatment costs, $86.

Beauty editor's advice
As well as ensuring your eyes are always protected with a large-frame set of sunnies, an eye cream with SPF is a must. Choose a cream that is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, green tea, idebenone or coffeeberry extracts. 

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Brightening Eye Gel, $73. Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Corrective Eye Cream, $115. PRIORI Coffeeberry Radiance Eye Serum, $102.

Crow's feet
Doctor's advice
Wrinkles are the result of constant movement from smiling, squinting and laughing. Dr Stone's solution for this is Botox. "This repeated creasing breaks down collagen fibres in the skin. We can repair the damage quickly when we are younger, but as we age out skin cells get lazy and don't repair naturally." And the good news is that the less is more approach reigns supreme these days. "A softer, more natural look is more desirable, where you can still smile and 'twinkle' your eyes."
Allow 30 minutes and expect to pay $360-$560.

Skin therapist's advice
De Vries, says natural movement and sun damage both contribute to a loss of collagen and arrival of wrinkles. Her treatment of choice is a non-surgical Dermalift Eye Treatment which is essentially a workout for the skin around your eyes. "Using a safe electrical current to stimulate and tighten the muscles around the eyes, the current stimulates the body's production f collagen and elastin, the very two things your skin needs to be form and plump."
Allow 30 minutes and the treatment costs, $65

Beauty editor's advice
Avoid covering over wrinkles with makeup - it's tempting, but in actual fact, it will only accentuate the wrinkles further. Instead, mix a dab of concealer with your eye cream and press it under the eye area. Avoid powder at all costs and also avoid any heavy eyeliner as this will only draw attention to lines.

Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Eye Cream SPF15, $195. Lancôme Regenerie Yeux Multie Lift, $133. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream, $85.

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Puffiness
Doctor's advice
Puffiness is one of the trickiest concerns to treat, says Dr Stone. "So many factors, such as prominence of under-eye fat pad, reduced lymphatic drainage, allergies or sinus problems, all contribute to the eyes looking puffy." An excellent treatment for this concern is PRP (Platelet-Rich-Plasma). "It helps to visibly thicken skin and rejuvenate both the upper and lower eyelids at a cellular level." PRP involves a series of tiny injections of your own plasma back into fine, loose skin working to improve collagen and elastin levels.
Allow 90 minutes and expect to pay $795-$995.

Skin therapist's advice
"Puffiness is generally caused by fluid build-up around the eye. Lack of sleep, poor diet, alcohol and hay fever are just some of the other factors that can heighten the condition," says De Vries. Her treatment of choice is Joyce Blok Youth, Eye, Lip and Neck. "In this treatment, a specialised mask and eye gel are applied to treat puffiness, followed by a lymphatic drainage eye massage, which helps to flush away the fluid build-up.
Allow 45 minutes and the treatment costs, $85.

Beauty editor's advice
One of the best ways to take away puffiness is with Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, $30. Placed on closed eyelids for 10 minutes, the smooth out crepiness, reduce puffiness and are ideal to use before a function. To cover puffiness, always choose a concealer that is one shade darker than your natural skin tone. 

La Mer The Illuminating Eye Gel, $220. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair II Gel Eye Crème, $110. Environ AVST Eye Gel, $66.