Priorities
Crepey eyelids and lip lines
Thin, crinkled skin on the eyelids and fine lines above the lip.
Crepey eyelids and lip lines develop where facial skin is thinnest. On the eyelids, the skin becomes thin and finely crinkled, and eyeshadow creases into it. Above the top lip, fine vertical lines form and lipstick can bleed into them. These aren’t deep wrinkles, and most devices can’t treat these areas safely, so the options are more limited and each involves trade-offs we’ll review with you.
What we'd want you to know
Some options involve significant downtime
For mild crinkling, Forma is a good place to start. It uses radiofrequency heat from the surface, with no needles and no downtime, and it can be used right up to the eye and lip. A series of four to six sessions with our medical esthetician gives a subtle, gradual change.
If Forma isn’t enough, Morpheus8 with the small Prime tip can treat around the eyes and the upper lip, with a few days of redness. The Plasma Pen, which tightens the eyelid surface dot by dot, isn’t on our online booking menu here, but you’re welcome to request it at your consult.
How we decide
First, we’ll assess how much excess skin there is and your skin tone. A little crinkle on a lid above the lash line is a texture question. A fold of skin resting on your lashes is excess skin, and that calls for a blepharoplasty rather than a device. For the lip, lines that show only when you purse often do better with a few units of Botox than with any device.
For mild crinkling, we’ll usually suggest Forma. It’s FDA-cleared radiofrequency, and we use it for tightening. The evidence comes from small studies, and the change is subtle. It’s also a good choice for medium or dark skin, because radiofrequency doesn’t target pigment.
If it’s more than mild, we’ll look at Morpheus8 with the Prime tip at shallow depth and low energy. You can expect more pinpoint bruising there than elsewhere on the face.
The Plasma Pen is for lighter skin only, types I to III. Two small uncontrolled trials of three sessions a month apart found improved upper-lid laxity at three months, per the Journal of Dermatological Treatment. Plasma devices are cleared for removing lesions, so using them for eyelid tightening is off-label. Individual results vary.
Your questions, answered
Can you tighten eyelids without surgery?
Yes, to a mild degree. Forma and Morpheus8 firm crepey lid skin, and the Plasma Pen tightens the surface with more downtime. None of them removes a fold of skin resting on the lashes. That calls for a consultation with a surgeon, and we’ll let you know if that’s the better option.
What about Botox for lip lines?
A few units above the lip can soften lines that show when you purse. It’s off-label, it can make drinking through a straw awkward for a couple of weeks, and it doesn’t help lines that are visible at rest. For those, we’d look at Forma or Morpheus8 instead.
Is the Plasma Pen on your menu?
It’s not on the online booking menu at Arlington Heights, but you can request it at your consult. We’ll quote the treatment area and confirm whether your skin type is suitable.
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