Eye Wrinkles: Three Types We Check Before Treatment

Eye-area wrinkles usually split into three different patterns: expression lines that only show up when you smile, fine lines that stay even when your face is at rest, and volume changes that read as shadow or hollowing rather than a line at all. I sort them with three quick checks: whether the line only appears when the muscle moves, whether it fades when I gently stretch the skin, and whether overhead light casts a shadow under the eye. Most patients I see have some overlap between the three, so a single treatment rarely addresses everything at once.

I'm Dr. Kim Kyungsoo, director of UH CELL's Seocho location. Before I recommend anything, I walk through which category is actually driving what a patient sees in the mirror, because two lines that look similar can come from different structures and call for different plans. Here is how I make that distinction and what follows from it.

How I Tell the Three Types Apart

A 2020 review in Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports groups facial wrinkles into two broad categories: dynamic wrinkles, which appear only when a muscle contracts, and static wrinkles, which remain visible even when the muscle is at rest. The same review lists early crow's feet as a common example of these fine, early-stage lines. A separate study on eye-area wrinkles published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery points to skin laxity, reduced subcutaneous fat, and dermal thinning as background factors behind static lines. Add volume-related shadowing, which shows up as hollowing under the eye rather than as a defined line, and a consultation ends up looking at three separate axes.

If two or more of these describe what you're seeing, that's a common combination, not an unusual one. When that's the case, I ask the patient which change bothers them most and build the plan around that priority first.

Expression Lines: Watching the Muscle Move

Lines that fan out from the outer corner of the eye are closely tied to the muscle used when squinting or smiling. Rather than focusing on the line itself first, I watch how the muscle moves: what happens with a full smile, with the eyes shut tight, and at rest, and where the line starts and ends in each case.

A 2026 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology makes a related point directly: treating the visible line as the target is itself the problem, since the underlying driver is the outer portion of the muscle around the eye, and the shape of that muscle band and its relationship to nearby smiling muscles varies from person to person. That's part of why I ask patients to make several different expressions during a muscle-relaxing consultation rather than looking at a static photo.

For this type, cause and approach line up fairly directly: reduce the muscle's movement, and the line tends to soften along with it.

Fine Lines at Rest: Checking Skin Thickness and Elasticity

Lines that persist on a resting face are a different question. A 2018 study in BioMed Research International compared botulinum toxin application methods in thirty women with moderate-to-severe crow's feet and reported that intramuscular injection did not produce a significant effect on static lines. Harley Academy, a UK-based aesthetic medicine training organization, noted in 2024 that when skin laxity is present, muscle-relaxing injections alone may not fully address the concern, and that lines which have already set into the skin are unlikely to disappear from this approach.

So when fine lines are the main concern, I look at the skin itself first. A 2015 review in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology notes that eyelid skin is roughly 0.2mm thick, making it the thinnest skin on the body. That means any treatment in this area, whatever the product, needs a conservative approach to depth and strength.

Our Seocho menu includes skin-booster options such as Rejuran, Vitaran, Skinvive, and Juvelook. We also added Sofwave in May 2026; according to reporting on that introduction by Nate News, the device delivers ultrasound energy to roughly 1.5mm of dermal depth to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Which option fits depends on skin thickness, elasticity, and dryness, and I treat fine-line improvement as something to check in stages rather than expect all at once.

Shadows Before Lines: Looking at Volume Change

Some patients notice their under-eye area looks tired or shadowed, sometimes described as looking like a dark circle, even though no clear line is visible. That pattern points toward volume change rather than a wrinkle.

Ophthalmology Times reported in 2026 that a combination of reduced superficial fat, thinning skin above the orbital rim, and midface descent can make the tear trough appear hollow. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology review cited earlier lists similar contributors: thinning skin, fat loss around the cheek area, and expansion of the orbital space. This type involves the supporting structure beneath the skin, not just the skin surface.

In a real consultation, I tell patients upfront that skin-focused treatment for fine lines can leave the texture smoother while the shadow itself remains. When volume-replacement options such as filler or Sculptra are on the table, the under-eye area still requires extra caution given how thin the skin is there, so I'm careful about whether and where to apply them. Fat that has moved forward and become visible as puffiness is sometimes difficult to address with injectable treatment alone, and when that's the case, I explain the realistic range of outcomes before we proceed.

The Order I Follow in Consultation

When someone comes in for an eye-area consultation at Seocho, I generally work through the same sequence:

1. Compare expression and rest. I watch a resting face, a full smile, and eyes shut tight to see whether lines appear only with movement.
2. Stretch test. I gently stretch the skin near the outer eye to check how much the line fades and assess skin thinness and dryness.
3. Shadow check under light. I change the angle of the light to look for shadowing or hollowing under the eye.
4. Treatment history and schedule. I ask about recent procedures, medications, and any upcoming travel or events, since some treatments carry bruising or swelling that needs to be timed around a schedule.
5. Priorities and limits. Once we know which of the three types is present, we agree on which to address first, and I explain what each option can and can't realistically achieve before we set a plan.

I studied medicine at Seoul National University and hold medical licenses in both Korea and Japan. Our Seocho location is inside UH FLAT The Seocho, at 30 Banpo-daero 16-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul.

FAQ

If I leave an expression line untreated, does it turn into a fine line?

It can. The study in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery notes that expression lines which used to appear briefly and fade in younger skin can become fixed over time as skin thinning, some loss of superficial fat, and ongoing muscle activity combine. The pace of that change varies by person, so the first thing to check is whether the line is already visible on a resting face.

How long does the effect of eye-area muscle-relaxing treatment last?

In the split-face study mentioned above, published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, reduction in crow's feet was observed starting one week after injection, peaked around four weeks, and was maintained through twelve weeks. That result reflects the specific product and conditions used in that study, so individual results will vary with muscle activity and the product used.

Can all three types be addressed in a single visit?

Whether to combine multiple treatments in one visit depends on skin condition, the spacing needed between procedures, and what's coming up on your schedule. Even when it's possible to do everything at once, I often recommend addressing the type that concerns you most first rather than combining everything in a single session.

Is there anything useful to prepare before the consultation?

It helps to note any eye-area treatments from the past year, including timing and type, along with medications you're taking and any upcoming travel dates or events. It also helps to recall the specific moment the concern stands out most, such as when smiling, wearing makeup, or in photos, since that can help identify which type is driving it.

※ Skin response and recovery time vary by individual. Please consult a physician for an exact diagnosis and treatment plan.