One of the facial features that people find the most important or attractive is the eyes. Besides the overall face, eyes are important because people focus the most on them. After all, when you talk or look at someone, you usually make eye contact first. The eyes are often believed to be more interesting than the rest of the face, and are therefore referred to as “windows to the soul.” We often read the signs of old age, emotions, and lack of sleep by looking at the eyes. So what are the common problems that people deal with, and how do we fix them?

Dark under eye circles. There are many reasons for dark under eye circles; it can range from genetics, allergies, sun exposure, lifestyle choices, etc. For an in depth look at circles under the eyes written by Dr. Chow, take a look at this blog entry here.

Fix? An easy fix is to cover dark circles with makeup. One of my favorite under-eye concealers is the Laura Mercier Secret Concealer (retails at about $22). It has a creamy texture, which makes it easy to apply smoothly (with or without a brush) and gently beneath the eyes. Be sure you set it with a loose setting powder or foundation powder (for more coverage) so that it lasts all day.

Another solution is to begin using an eye cream to improve the appearance of under eye circles. I actually just started testing the EltaMD Renew Eye Gel, which claims to eliminate under-eye puffiness and dark circles, so stay tuned for my review! Chemical peels can also sometimes improve under eye circles. If these still don’t work, see a physician to see what else you can do, or what lifestyle choices you need to change.

Fine lines and wrinkles. Crow’s feet (the lines around the eyes), is an inevitable problem that everyone faces. If you don’t take good care of your eye area, you might get these lines earlier. If you smoke, you might be more prone to crow’s feet. If you laugh or smile a lot, you can also form these wrinkles. In other words, we all get crow’s feet as we age.

Fix? Use sunscreen and an eye cream that is specially formulated to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the sensitive areas around the eye (such as Vivité Revitalizing Eye Cream). Another product that can improve fine lines is Retin-A. Retin-A is a prescription-based medication, so you will need to see a physician in order to get it.

Another way that is proven to get rid of crow’s feet is Botox. Read more about Botox here.

Puffiness and Bags. Why do we get puffiness and bags? Many different reasons; lack of sleep, genetics, and once again, aging. As we age, the muscles underneath the eyes can weaken, causing fat and fluids to accumulate under the eyes to create puffiness and bags.

Fix? If the cause is your lifestyle, make the necessary changes to get rid of puffiness (like getting more sleep!). A home remedy that is often used is placing cold tea bags under the eyes to reduce puffiness. This actually works because the coldness and the tannins in the tea help to constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling. The most effective way to get rid of bags, is blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). Lower eye blepharoplasty removes the excess fat and skin (an occasionally muscle) under the eyes. It’s actually a relatively simple procedure, can be done under local, twilight, or general anesthesia, and has a short recovery time as well (usually about a week or two).

Read more about lower eye blepharoplasty here.

Do you have any tips or tricks to help under eye problems? Share them below!