How do the eyes firm-up, giving the appearance of youth?
Skin Around the Eyes is Very Elastic and Thin
First of all, our eyes are one of the most expressive parts of our face. The skin around the eyes is therefore one of the most elastic in the body, next to the lungs. This is so we can show facial expression. As well, the skin directly around the eyes is thinner than on the rest of the face by half. We also have lymph nodes under the eyes that are flushed clean and old debris is whisked away (less dark circles) as we exercise the eyes with facial exercises.
Muscles and Skin are Intertwined in the Face
Next, remember that the muscles in the face go through the skin and in fact are called “skin muscles”. This configuration allows us to show facial expression. In the rest of the body, the muscles attach bone to bone and in the face, one end attaches to the bone and the other goes through the skin. As a muscle tones from the center of axis, it becomes denser. Make a circle with the tip of your thumb and the tip of your index finger from the same hand. Now, make that circle smaller … this is an image for what happens to a muscle when it is toned and become more dense. It’s more solid, “thicker looking” and “smaller”. Since the muscles under the eyes are intertwined with the skin under the eyes, as the muscles tone and become denser, they bring the skin up with them and consequently, the skin under the eyes (and in fact the whole face) becomes firmer, thicker and the skin is smoother looking. If you have papery-looking skin under the eyes, it will smooth out. If you have hollows under the eyes they will fill in.
Causes of Bags and Circles:
The upper and lower eyelids are composed of skin, muscle and fat. With age, the muscles weaken and can’t hold up the skin as tightly as they once could. Skin also changes because the collagen inside it degrades. Collagen is a protein that gives structure to our cells. In skin, it provides elasticity. With less collagen, the skin starts to wrinkle and sag.
Bags and Sags
Certainly a genetic tendency towards baggy eyes and dark circles may run in the family. A diet too rich in salt can cause fluid retention especially noticeable under the eyes. Allergies can cause irritation and the eyes respond with bags and dark circles. For many of us it may just be the results of aging.
The Mayo Clinic reports that facial muscles weaken and the orbital skin loses its elasticity as gravity takes its toll. Some scientists suggest a breakdown of the body tissue allows fatty deposits that are normally dispersed evenly around the eyes, to migrate from the upper eyelids to the lower creating bags and sags. At the University of California, Los Angeles, researchers suggest an increase in fat production as the true culprit in the appearance of under-eye bags among older adults as we age. All this is still in debate. What we do know for sure is that we can have bagging and sagging around our eyes as we age!
Furthermore, as we become older, the skin tends to thin and the blood vessels become more obvious and this can be seen as dark circles under the eyes. In the body, the skin is the thinnest around the eyes. Some skin cells, like Melancoytes are damaged and they lose their fine control and start to “drip feed” Melanin to the kerantinocytes . In other words, they release large dollops of melanin that we call liver spots and these can also show up as darker pigment under the eyes – dark circles. This seems to be a more prevalent feature in Asians and people with darker skin tones.
Facial Exercises Restore the Integrity of the Eye Structure
We know that facial exercises strengthen the integrity of the skin and muscles in the face and around the eyes. This helps to distribute fat deposits properly and evenly so puffy eyes become less and less over time. The skin also becomes denser (thicker) and therefore the dark circles also become less and less noticeable while the skin around the eyes becomes tighter and firmer, as well. The muscles are strengthened and consequently alleviate sagging and bagging. The skin around the eyes smooth-out and firm-up as more collagen and elastin fibers are produced. The whole eye area becomes filled-in giving the appearance of freshness and youth!
With CFF the Whole Eye Area is Taken into Account
There are 5 exercises in the foundational DVD and download that are targeting the eye area. However, since the muscles are so intertwined in the face, when you work other areas of the face or neck, the eyes are also enhanced. Check out the Advanced Eye Massage for restoring the integrity of the eye area!
For example, you have muscles on the sides of the nose near the lower eyelids that are also filled-in with facial exercises. By specifically performing exercises like the “Nose slide”, which is one of the basic 28 exercises in the foundational build from the DVD, you will be able to fill in these hollows and impart this more youthful look. If you compare younger people to older people, you will see that this area of the face is more filled-in on the younger face. With CFF we make sure that area next to the nose and close to the lower eyelids is filled-in aesthetically.
Details count. As a consequence from performing the CFFitness™ program you will be giving your face an overall youthful look.