Laughter is good for the soul, but being too expressive might lead to premature lines and wrinkles. If you are super-expressive, someone who laughs or frowns a lot with their eyes, your fine lines and wrinkles may show up sooner, rather than later. Wrinkles are inevitable for anyone lucky enough to live a long life, regardless of how expressive they are. While unavoidable, that doesn't mean we have to hang back and allow wrinkles to take over our eyes prematurely. I'm not here to tell you to give up your smile (or your frown). I'm here to give you options to be as expressive as you want but keep the fine lines and wrinkles relaxed for as long as possible.

At What Age Should You Start Using an Eye Cream?

I always say if you are old enough to drink legally, you are old enough to start using an eye cream. According to Dr. Michael H. Gold, Dermatologist and Cosmetic Surgeon, "by the mid-20s, a patient would want to consider using these products. The earlier you begin, the more you will use products as a preventative measure rather than undoing the damage that has occurred over the years." The area around the eyes is very delicate. While genetics and facial expressions play a role in how we age around the eyes, according to Dr. Doris Day, Board-certified Dermatologist Specializing in Laser and Cosmetic Surgery, "the weather, your hands from rubbing, allergies, chemicals in the pool or ocean and tears" affect what happens around the eyes. While you can use the skincare products that you use on the rest of your face around your eyes, Dr. Day prefers products explicitly formulated for the delicate eye area. She also suggests a gentle patting motion with the ring finger when applying eye cream -- this ensures the product is absorbed into the skin rather than just sitting on top. Check out this video for more on proper eye cream application.

When reading labels for eye creams that promise to reduce lines and wrinkles, what ingredients should you look for?

"You should seek out products that contain antioxidants like vitamin C, Niacinimide, and Caffeine, Hyaluronic Acid, and peptides," Dr. Day. Vitamin C helps to brighten the skin, Niacinimide helps to reduce pigmentation and reduce the look of fine lines, caffeine reduces inflammation. According to Dr. Nikki Hill, board certified Atlanta based dermatologist, "Hyaluronic acid plumps up the skin and hydrated skin shows fewer wrinkles."

All the ingredients mentioned above, except sunscreen, work great in a nighttime eye cream, but if you are serious about reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles, you have to include retinol. "Retinol can increase collagen and help with smoothing out fine lines," says Dr. Hill. While retinol is the gold standard of topical solutions to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, it can be irritating. Dr. Hill goes on to say, "I tell my patients to start mild, retinol 0.01% and work their way up. The skin around the eye is sensitive, and too much retinol can dry out the skin and cause irritation and increase the appearance of wrinkles." If you are new to retinol, Dr. Day suggests applying "your eye cream first then apply your retinol product over it. This makes the retinol a little less strong and not as irritating."

What do you do when topical solutions are not enough to treat the fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes?

If you are at the point where topical solutions alone no longer give you the desired results, it may be time to consider microneedling, radiofrequency treatments, fillers, or even surgery. This means it's time to talk to a dermatologist or a medical esthetician. I think we've all seen images of people with that stretched, frozen or unnatural look -- that is never the goal. "A dermatologist can design a treatment plan that can work well for you. This should be based on how you, as the patient, are aging and how you emote and express yourself," Dr. Day.

Neuromodulators (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin) to Treat Fine Lines and Wrinkles Around the Eyes

 "I counsel retinol in your 30s, then its discussing Botox/Dysport/Xeomin (neurotoxins) to relax the muscles that contract," says Dr. Hill. The injection of Botox and other neuromodulators relaxes the muscle, causing wrinkles and fine lines also to relax.

Using Dermal Fillers to Treat Fine Lines and Wrinkles in the Eye Area

Fillers like Juvederm and Restylane are both Hyaluronic Acid-based fillers used to treat volume loss around the eyes. Dr. Day states that the eye area is complicated in terms of aging. It has bone, tissue, ligament, and fat. All of these various elements age at different rates. She goes on to say that through the study of injection anatomy, doctors now know that going with a needle directly into the underlying muscle around the eye area with fillers, you can end up with discoloration and other undesirable results, such as product migration. She instead prefers a cannula or soft needle, so the product can be injected in more precisely and smoothly, leading to an overall better result.

Microneedling to Treat Fine Lines and Wrinkles in the Eye Area

"The skin is so thin that this needs to be done by a trained aesthetic physician," says Dr. Day. In addition to it being done by a trained professional, she states that you want to ensure that your professional of choice is using one of the two FDA cleared devices for this procedure. Using a lightweight eye serum with hydrating and brightening ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, following microneedling can help to enhance the results. In addition to stimulating the collagen needed to plump and smooth skin, microneedling can improve the absorption of skincare products. 

High-Density Ultrasound and Radiofrequency to Treat Wrinkles Around the Eyes

When it comes to reversing the signs of aging, one of the most critical factors in any non-surgical approach is to boost collagen production. Collagen is the main structural protein in our skin, it's responsible for keeping the skin firm and elastic. It rapidly declines as we age, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. High-Density Ultrasound and Radiofrequency devices use different forms of technology to boost collagen production and improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. According to the Ultehrapy website, "Ultherapy relies on ultrasound therapy to deliver its collagen-boosting treatment [...] it is the only non-invasive procedure FDA-cleared to lift skin on the neck, under the chin, and on the eyebrow."

According to Dr. Day, devices like Thermage uses radiofrequency and is FDA cleared to tighten, but you can also get some lifting as well. Thermage "uses radiofrequency technology to heat the deeper, collagen-rich layers of the skin. The applied heat causes collagen to contract and encourages new collagen to start growing."

The Take-Away

1. Use sunscreen daily -- It should be your skincare non-negotiable.

2. If you are old enough to drink legally, start using an eye cream and look to incorporate active ingredients when you think it's time to up your game. 

3. Find a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or medical esthetician before you feel you truly need one -- that way, they can get to know you and your face and be able to recommend tiny tweaks to keep your eyes looking their best.

4. If you skip steps 1-3 and now want to take more drastic measures, research, research, research before choosing someone to alter your face.

Doris Day, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in Laser, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology. She is co-host of The GIST: a new digital video series from Allergan, where five of the world's leading dermatologists go beyond skin deep to cut through the clutter and deliver the facts. She is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She is a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Centers, where she was presented with the award for Dedication and Excellence in the Teaching of Dermatology.

Dr. Nikki Hill, Founder of Skin of Culture and Hair (SOCAH) Center, is an Atlanta native, who is a nationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of medical hair loss disorders. Dr. Hill has extensive training and expertise in traditional dermatology. She is very sensitive to those who wish to follow a more holistic path to healing.

Dr. Michael H. Gold is the founder and medical director of Gold Skin Care Center, Advanced Aesthetics Medical Spa, The Laser & Rejuvenation Center, and Tennessee Clinical Research Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

UPDATED: Article incorrectly stated a cannula was used to administer Botox and other Neuromodulators.