How to Tighten Under-Eye Skin in the Short and Long Term

Eye creams, eye masks, and under-eye filler. If you’re wondering how to tighten under-eye skin, rest assured that there are tons of options. As you may know, taking care of the skin around your eyes is a bit tricky. This is largely because the skin there is more sensitive than on your face and body. The skin under the eyes can appear thinner and more saggy than the rest of the face, which may affect your overall appearance and confidence. 

Of course, the way you look should be one of the last things that brings you confidence. After all, you’re so much more than just your appearance. You should feel confident in your skin because you’re smart, kind, compassionate, intelligent, and funny. However, because we live in a looks-oriented society, we often get caught up in how we look. And as we get older, gravity starts to affect certain areas of our skin more than others. One of the first things to droop? Under-eye skin.

If you’re wondering what causes loose under-eye skin and how to tighten under-eye skin effectively, find all the answers below.

How to Tighten Under-Eye Skin

Before we start to address any issue, it’s a good idea to learn what causes the ailment. To that end, we’re exploring the causes of loose under-eye skin. This will help you choose the right solutions. For instance, if your under-eye skin is dried up because you’re dehydrated, there’s a minimally invasive solution to that problem. Drinking water! But if there’s something deeper going on, you may need to address it with a more invasive procedure—like fillers. 

What Causes Loose Skin Under Eyes?

There are three main things that cause the skin under your eyes to become loose. Below, we’ll explain each one and get into how, exactly, these lead to saggy under-eye skin. 

• Aging — Collagen and elastin are the proteins responsible for keeping the skin looking and feeling tight. The first works as a connective tissue while the latter helps the skin’s elasticity. These proteins decrease as a person ages, which means that under-eye skin loosens up as we age. (For what it’s worth, other signs of aging include developing eye bags and dark circles.)
  
  
• Genetics — Another reason that the skin in your eye area might be drooping is because of genetics. In this case, one of two things can happen. In the first scenario, the muscles and tissues under your eyes aren’t strong enough to keep the skin up high. It’s also possible that you inherited a condition that leads you to produce less collagen or elastin. Again, having less of these proteins means that your skin will have less hydration and plumping. 
  
  
• Sun damage — Regardless of skin tones, one of the biggest culprits of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as loose skin, is sun damage. The UV rays affect the top layer of your skin by burning off skin cells. In turn, this reduces the skin’s elasticity. The good news is that you can prevent most of this by applying (and re-applying!) sunscreen. The better news is that we have a few products in stock for you at the end of this article.

Keep reading to find eight tips and treatment options to tighten the skin under your eye.

How To Tighten Skin Under Eyes

Ensure you’re getting adequate sleep.

According to the National Institutes of Health, adults 18 years or older should be logging at least seven hours of sleep per night. Our body repairs itself during sleep cycles—skin barrier included. This means that getting enough sleep is a great way to let your body produce more collagen and elastin. Ultimately, getting higher-quality sleep will help you see improved skin. 

Stay hydrated.

We wanted to specifically list the first two tips as things you can do to address the problem from the inside out. Because our bodies are largely composed of water, we need it to plump up our skin. When we’re dehydrated, our skin starts to lose moisture. Per Harvard Medical School, adults should drink approximately six cups of water daily. Try to hit that mark to make sure your skin is in tip-top shape.

Try out new skincare products.

One of my favorite things about being a beauty editor is being able to test all the new skincare products under the sun. When hyaluronic acid hit the market several years ago, I loved it. I still use it religiously and notice that it works wonders for my no-longer-20-something skin. 

I love the Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum. Three drops is all you need to get the dew of your dreams. If you’re looking for an eye cream, though, I’d strongly suggest Farmacy Wake Up Honey Eye Cream. Because it contains vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, it’ll brighten your eyes while hydrating them. 

Get a chemical peel.

Chemical peels are a great way to tighten under-eye skin. Per the website of Kenneth Steinsapir, M.D., whose area of expertise is eyelid plastic surgery, a “chemical peel of the lower eyelids has the capacity to stimulate enough new collagen formation to help flatten the under eye circle as well as smoothing the lower eyelid wrinkles.” You can schedule a chemical peel with your dermatologist or esthetician. Keep in mind that your skin will be raw post-peel, which means you need to take extra good care of it since it’ll be pretty sensitive.

Don’t skimp on sunscreen.

As we mentioned above, regularly wearing sunscreen is one of the best things you can do for your skin. Not only will this help you keep a generally youthful appearance—it will also help keep your dark circles at bay. Some of our favorite SPF options include the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen and Krave Beauty’s Beet the Sun Sunscreen. Both of these are great for all skin tones since they don’t leave a white cast. (Promise!)

Take collagen supplements.

I’ve taken a collagen supplement or two in my life. That said, I have to admit that I’ve never stuck with it long enough to see tangible results. When I was taking my gummies, I got Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin, & Nails Gummies whenever I went to Target. They contain 100mg of collagen and biotin, and they’re available in strawberry and orange flavors. Since then, though, I’ve heard great things about Hum Collagen Love. It’s a capsule that contains collagen peptides, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. (Also, in case you’re wondering, Does collagen help with acne?, You might want to know that the answer it’s more complicated than it seems.)

Schedule a laser resurfacing appointment.

Put simply, laser resurfacing is a skin-tightening treatment that removes the top layer of your skin to stimulate collagen production. According to Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, this is a non-invasive treatment that take about 90 minutes. If you take good care of your face—i.e., washing it every day and keeping a consistent skincare routine—you can see results lasting up to three years. This is a great option for folks who are looking for a more long-term solution for tightening the under-eye skin. 

Consider dermal fillers.

Dermal fillers are injections that contain a liquid (known as filler) which will go into a designated area. You might know about lip fillers or cheek fillers. Well, there’s also under-eye filler. This treatment helps, well, fill the loose skin in your under-eye area to make it tighter. This procedure is technically non-invasive, but there will be minor bruising and/or swelling since you’re puncturing your skin.