THE JOURNAL
Illustration by Mr Matt Murphy
The biggest concern among men walking into London’s top aesthetic clinics, according to doctors and practitioners? Looking a little, well, knackered. No surprises, really, given that the eye area is famously the first to show signs of ageing – and where poor sleep, excess drinking or any other such sins will generally leave their mark. Fortunately, we’re privy to more than a handful of tricks and treatments that will leave you with the more refreshed, youthful and perky appearance you might be hoping for to see in the new year. Whether you’re up against stubborn dark circles, morning-after puffiness or serious under-eye bags that won’t budge, here’s our comprehensive guide to bringing the windows to your soul back to life.
01. The old-school ice technique
Best for: nixing puffiness
If the morning after the night before you find your under-eye area is puffier than usual, pro groomer Ms Rachel Singer Clark recommends applying ice to your face. “Before shoots and press junkets, I get flannels and wrap ice cubes in them and gently lay them over the eye area,” she says. “It takes down any swelling and bulges – it just makes everything look more taut.”
It’s a hack that is also approved by consultant oculoplastic surgeon and cosmetic doctor Dr Jenny Doyle of The Clinic Holland Park, who’s a fan of keeping depuffing tools and rollers in the fridge. “The cold compress effect will help tighten and constrict the blood vessels,” she says. “It’s not going to give you a long-term result, but it is a quick fix.”
02. The high-performance under-eye mask
Best for: before events
Not all eye creams are made equal. When shopping around, look out for active ingredients such as peptides, vitamin C and low-strength retinol, which will gradually help improve skin quality. And be sure to use an SPF around the eye area during the day.
If you’re after instantly noticeable results at home – say, before an event – our advice is to invest in a stash of 111SKIN’s supercharged, cult-for-good-reason under-eye patches, especially its Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask. “[It] has a synthetic peptide, which helps minimise muscle contractions to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as retinol to increase cell turnover and niacinamide, which has brightening properties,” says surgeon and 111SKIN founder Dr Yannis Alexandrides. “I suggest using them daily and rotating them with the de-puffing and brightening versions.”
03. The makeup secret
Best for: quick camouflaging
Still not on board the makeup-for-men train? You might be missing a trick here, especially if dark circles are your primary concern. (Every handsome actor on the red carpet or in a photoshoot has almost certainly been touched up.) Concealer is the essential product in your arsenal that can help you cheat a good night’s sleep when applied deftly. Aim for a shade that’s true to or a touch brighter than your skin tone, dab gently under the eyes and you’ll soon wonder how you ever went without.
04. The lifestyle switches
Best for: results from within
It goes without saying that getting your eight hours – consistently – will do your eye area far more good than any serum. “If you’re not sleeping well, you’re [also] going to be more prone to dry eyes and red eyes, as well as puffiness,” Doyle says.
Likewise, making other positive lifestyle choices will result in better quality skin around the eyes. “Eating mainly a whole-food diet – lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and legumes – will boost your skin from the inside,” says award-winning aesthetician Ms Debbie Thomas, who runs the D Thomas Clinic in Knightsbridge. “And avoid smoking and vaping, as they introduce cell-damaging toxins into the body as well as reducing essential oxygen being absorbed in the blood.”
05. The LED device
Best for: rebuilding collagen and reducing fine lines
LED masks have skyrocketed in popularity since the pandemic – but how exactly do they work? Typically, these at-home devices are equipped with tiny light bulbs that emit different wavelengths of red and infrared light to help stimulate the skin cells and boost collagen production over time. Alongside his full-face masks, Dr Dennis Gross has created a nifty goggle-like device that’s specifically targeted to the eye area – and worth the investment if you’re someone who finds eye creams and other topical products aren’t cutting it. Use it consistently for three minutes a day and expect tauter, firmer under-eye skin, as well as a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and crow’s feet.
06. The vitamin micro injection
Best for: brightening
If you’re comfortable with needles, mesotherapy is one of the most underrated, low-downtime aesthetic treatments for improving the appearance of dark circles in a near instant. “[It] involves superficially injecting or needling vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into the skin,” Thomas says. “It improves the appearance of tired skin by hydrating, stimulating collagen and skin cell production, and promoting circulation.”
For the eye area specifically, D Thomas offers its BioNano Revive treatment which uses “dedicated nanoneedles” for more precise delivery around the eye area, with a view to brightening, hydrating and smoothing. Results will typically last for a couple weeks, but for a longer-term boost, it’s worth booking in for a course.
07. The volume replacer
Best for: volume loss
Fillers might once have been marketed as a one-and-done solution to knackered under eyes, but for some, they can do more harm than good – and many top doctors are moving away from them. “The main reason why we’re noticing bags under the eyes and discolouration is thinning skin, and filler doesn’t work to thicken skin in any way,” says Dr Daniel Hunt, founder of Harley Street Aesthetic Clinic, who also works with Ouronyx. “That problem’s just getting worse and worse over time and you’re having to put more and more filler in, and it’s just going to leave a bag.”
However, a talented aesthetic doctor will look at your face holistically, and addressing volume loss in other areas can often make a noticeable impact. “Your cheeks are like the shelf that hold everything up, and if you’re flat there, then everything else falls down. If you can add that support underneath, nine times out of 10, you don’t need tear trough filler.”
08. The under-eye skin booster
Best for: all-round improvement
The preferred undereye injectable of London’s top aesthetic doctors? Ameela. Formerly known as Nucleadyn, it’s a polynucleotide that stimulates blood vessel growth and fibroblasts (which promote collagen), as well as mopping up free radicals, resulting in better skin quality. “It’s my first go-to for the under eye now,” Doyle says. “If someone’s got very deep hollowing and you do that first, you’ll need less of the actual filler.”
Hunt agrees: “Polynucleotides are great because they strengthen the skin and tighten everything, which helps to have your undereye area look younger and more refreshed.”
Typically, you’ll have two to three sessions, two weeks apart, with results noticeable within a few days once swelling has gone down. For maintenance, clinics suggests top ups every six or so months, with the skin’s health and thickness generally improving over time.
09. The dry-eye treatment
Best for: red eyes
If dry, red eyes are your foremost concern, and eyedrops simply aren’t cutting it, then you might need to book in with an ophthalmologist. “Depending on the underlying cause and how severe it is, we might put punctal plugs in,” Doyle says. What are they, exactly? “You have a little hole where the tears drain and if you want the tears to stay in the eye longer, you can put a little silicone plug in it.”
If that sounds too invasive, IPL treatments can help break down blockages in the oil glands, while hot compresses and massages can also offer some relief at home.
10. The injectable eye lift
Best for: hooded eyes
As you age, you may notice an increase in hooding of the upper lids, which can give the eyes a sleepy appearance. “Your skin is losing collagen and elastin, gravity’s pulling down and the muscles are getting looser,” Hunt says. Fortunately, there’s a non-surgical solution that can still give impressive results. “A little bit of a brow lift with Botox” – specifically at the tails of the brows into the orbicularis oculi muscle to stop it pulling down – “tends to be enough in young people,” Hunt says. “Then, as you get older, when it’s more pronounced, some temple filler or brow filler just pulls up slightly. It’s lot of little subtle changes that make the big picture without someone looking done.”
11. The in-clinic energy devices
Best for: tightening
Not too keen on being probed with a needle? Thankfully, these days, you’ll also find an array of laser treatments that can go a long way to improving tired eyes. For younger patients, ClearLift, which tightens, nixes pigmentation and stimulates collagen, is a go-to at the likes of 111 Harley Street and Pietro Simone. For darker skin, laser pro Thomas is a fan of the AdvaTx or Dual Yellow lasers, which brighten without risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Radiofrequency treatments such as Thermage and Morpheus8 (which includes microneedling) can also be brilliant for tightening – although will typically give a more noticeable effect in older patients. For maximal results, energy devices can also be combined with injectable skin boosters – at Ouronyx, three sessions of NeoGen plasma are alternated with two rounds of Ameela for its treatment. “Both of those things brighten and refresh, and [they] work really well instead of filler because they focus on the whole area,” Hunt says.
12. The super lasers
Best for: a surgery alternative
For those with more significant eye bags that won’t budge with skin boosters, surgery may seem like the only solution. However, it’s worth considering heavy-duty fractional lasers first if you’re not keen on going under the knife just yet. “If someone’s a bit older and needing a stronger treatment, [we might try] a pro fractional Erbium laser,” Doyle says. “It’s much stronger and gives amazing results.”
It works by essentially vaporising tissue to promote tightening and the formation of collagen, with an expected downtime of around seven to 10 days. But note: as is the case with most high-powered lasers, those with darker skin tones are advised to steer clear.
13. The final frontier
Best for: big-boy bags
If you do eventually decide to go down the surgical route with a blepharoplasty, the resounding advice is to seek out a surgeon who specialises in oculoplastics (rather than a generalist) and is used to handling the delicate periocular tissues. Typically, says Doyle, surgery is the best option for those with more severe loose skin, hooding or herniation, and you can generally expect minimal scarring and a downtime of around one to two weeks. At top clinics, surgery might also be combined with lasers, injectables or other such treatments to ensure you the very best, most natural-looking results.