Key takeaways
- Under-eye wrinkles are lines that develop in the thinnest, most structurally complex zone on the face. They can present as crow’s feet, Dennie-Morgan lines, or crepey skin, and are clinically distinct from other concerns that appear in the same area.
- The under-eye area has anatomy unlike any other part of the face. The skin measures as little as 0.2mm thick, sits over three distinct fat compartments, and is continuously influenced by the orbicularis oculi muscle.
- Prevention in the under-eye area is more limited than elsewhere on the face. Sunscreen application is consistently compromised by proximity to the eye, many active ingredients are too aggressive for skin this thin, and clinical evidence supporting eye cream efficacy remains limited.
Wrinkles under the eyes are unlike wrinkles anywhere else on the face. The skin in this area is exceptionally thin, the underlying anatomy is more complex, and several different structures can contribute to the lines you see in the mirror.
Beneath the surface sit the tear trough, three distinct fat compartments, and the orbicularis oculi muscle. Together, these structures create a unique environment that influences how under-eye wrinkles develop, how they are assessed, and why they’re often the ones you notice first.
The anatomy of the under-eye area: skin, fat, and muscle
The skin beneath the eye is the thinnest on the face, measuring as little as 0.2mm in some people, roughly four times thinner than the skin on your cheeks. It also contains fewer sebaceous glands (the glands responsible for producing the skin’s natural oils), which makes it more vulnerable to moisture loss than any other facial zone. These two characteristics alone set this area apart before any other factor is considered.
Beneath the skin sit three fat compartments: the nasal, central, and lateral fat pads. These pockets of fat provide structural support to the under-eye area and influence how this zone looks and behaves.
The orbicularis oculi, the circular muscle that surrounds the entire eye, controls blinking, squinting, and expression. It is one of the most active muscles on the face, working continuously throughout the day. Because it encircles the eye completely, its influence on the overlying skin is constant and covers the entire under-eye zone.
Running between the lower eyelid and the upper cheek is the tear trough, a ligamentous attachment that anchors the skin to the underlying bone. It is a fixed anatomical structure, not a wrinkle, though it is frequently mistaken for one. Its depth and visibility vary significantly between individuals.
Together these structures create an environment unlike any other on the face, and play a direct role in what causes wrinkles to form.
Under-eye lines: fine lines, crepey skin, and movement lines
Not every line that appears under the eye is the same thing. The under-eye zone produces three common appearances.
- Crow’s feet radiate outward from the outer corner of the eye in a fan pattern. Despite sitting at the corner rather than directly beneath the eye, they are universally grouped within the under-eye zone and are among the most recognisable lines on the face.
- Dennie-Morgan lines, sometimes referred to as under-eye folds, run horizontally across the infraorbital area, the skin sitting directly below the eye. They are deeper and more defined than surface level changes, forming distinct folds rather than fine surface creasing.
- Crepey skin under the eye presents as multiple simultaneous fine creases across a broader area rather than one defined line. Because the skin here is exceptionally thin, deterioration produces a tissue-paper texture that is distinct from crepey skin anywhere else on the face.
All three can present as dynamic, visible only during expression, or static, visible at rest regardless of expression.
What gets mistaken as an under-eye wrinkle
Several concerns appear in the under-eye area that are frequently mistaken for wrinkles but are clinically different. We discussed the tear troughs earlier but a few more to consider are:
Dark circles: Are a pigmentation or vascular concern, not a wrinkle. The shadowing or discolouration beneath the eye is a separate clinical category from line formation.
Puffiness and under-eye bags: Reflect fluid retention or fat pad protrusion rather than a change in the skin’s surface. The appearance can vary significantly throughout the day and is driven by factors that have nothing to do with line formation.
Festoons and malar mounds: Medical conditions involving laxity, fluid accumulation, or contouring in the cheek and lower eyelid area. They sit below the under-eye zone but are frequently attributed to it. They are not wrinkles and the clinical conversation around them is categorically different.
While some treatment pathways for these concerns may overlap with those discussed for wrinkle treatments, the assessment and approach for each is specific to what is actually being addressed.
Why prevention is limited in the under-eye area
The under-eye area is one of the hardest parts of the face to protect and maintain. The same characteristics that make it distinct also make conventional prevention approaches less effective here than elsewhere.
Sunscreen application around the orbital area presents a major challenge. Most people avoid applying SPF too close to the eye, which leaves the under-eye zone under-protected despite it being one of the most UV vulnerable areas on the face.
Many active ingredients commonly used to support skin quality elsewhere on the face are too aggressive for periorbital skin. Retinoids, exfoliants, and high concentration actives that work effectively on thicker facial skin can cause irritation, sensitivity, and barrier disruption in skin this thin.
Eye creams are the category most associated with under-eye care, but the clinical evidence supporting their efficacy is limited. A 2024 review published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology found a notable lack of clinical trials specifically targeting eye cream formulations for periorbital skin, with variability in study designs complicating direct comparisons.
The orbicularis oculi operates continuously. Unlike other areas of the face where movement can be partially moderated, the eye can’t always stop blinking, squinting, or expressing. The mechanical stress on this skin is constant and unavoidable.
Professional standards at Luxe Lips
At Luxe Lips, a cosmetic clinic in Melbourne, our care is grounded in medical ethics and clinical responsibility. Every treatment pathway is approached as a medical process, with established health protocols and safety guiding each step.
Across our clinics in Moonee Ponds, Camberwell, and Brighton, our medical professionals carry out a thorough screening process for every person. For those exploring wrinkle treatment options in the under-eye area, this includes reviewing medical history, assessing skin quality, and considering psychological readiness. In line with local guidelines, this evaluation helps determine whether a proposed plan aligns with your health.
Medical professionals proceed only when a treatment is clinically appropriate. If the underlying cause of an under-eye wrinkle, the condition of the surrounding skin, or your broader health profile means a particular approach isn’t the right fit, we will explain why and discuss what that means for you.The focus is always on clear information and maintaining a clinical environment where safety and ethical standards come first.
Because responses and circumstances vary, a consultation is required to determine suitability before wrinkle treatments are considered.
Note: Individual responses vary. A consultation with a qualified professional is required to determine the suitability of any treatment for your specific needs.
FAQs about wrinkles under eyes
Yes, and the under-eye is one of the few places on the face where true wrinkles can develop this early. The skin here is thin enough that lines can set into it before the rest of the face has caught up structurally.
What people see in their 20s is usually one of two things. The first is a fine crease at the outer corner of the eye that appears when smiling and fades when the face relaxes. The second is a faint horizontal line directly beneath the eye that stays faintly visible at rest. The second is the one that signals a true early wrinkle rather than a passing surface change.
Telling those apart for your own face is something a medical professional can clarify in a consultation.
Yes. The three sit in different parts of the under-eye and develop independently, so they can appear together in any combination on the same face. It’s also common for one type to be much more developed than the others rather than all three progressing at the same pace.
The combination affects how the area looks as a whole. Crow’s feet at the outer corner with crepey skin beneath the lower lashes will look different from a defined Dennie-Morgan line with smooth surrounding skin, even though both fall under the same overall description.
Which combination you’re working with is something a medical professional can identify in a consultation.
The lines form in the same structures, but how visible they are changes. On deeper skin tones, fine lines often show up as small shadow variations rather than as visible creases, because there’s less tone contrast between the line itself and the surrounding skin. They can be harder to spot in direct light but more apparent at certain angles.
On fairer skin, a shallow line picks up shadow more readily, so the same wrinkle can appear deeper than it actually is. This is also why photographs can exaggerate fine lines on lighter skin tones in particular.
How your under-eye wrinkles present specifically is something a medical professional can examine in a consultation.
Not usually. Most faces show a difference between the left and right under-eye when looked at closely. One side might have a more defined Dennie-Morgan line, the other might show more crow’s feet, or one side might look more rested while the other looks more lined.
Some asymmetry comes from the bone and fat structure being slightly different left to right. Some comes from sleep position, dominant chewing side, or the side a person tends to lean their face on. The result is that asymmetry under the eyes is closer to the norm than the exception.
What that asymmetry looks like on your face is something a medical professional can assess in a consultation.
For most people, yes. The under-eye is typically the first place a true wrinkle becomes visible, often years before the forehead, the area around the mouth, or anywhere else that has started showing lines.
The practical effect is that the first wrinkle conversation people have with themselves is almost always about the under-eye. The rest of the face still looks unchanged, which makes the early under-eye line stand out more than it would in a face that’s lined elsewhere. This is also why the under-eye disproportionately drives when people first start thinking about lines at all.
Where you sit in that sequence is something a medical professional can walk through in a consultation.
