Priorities
Crepey eyelids and lip lines
Fine crinkling on the eyelids and above the lip, where the skin is thinnest and needs a careful approach.
Treatments from $249
The short version
Crepey eyelids let eyeshadow gather in the crease, and fine vertical lines above the lip cause lipstick to bleed. These aren’t wrinkles in the usual sense. The skin on the eyelids and above the lip is the thinnest on the face, so it’s often the first to crinkle and the most delicate area to treat with a device. The options are limited and each has trade-offs, which we’ll explain at your consult.
Why it happens
Why lids and lips crinkle first
The eyelids have the thinnest skin on your body, so they show collagen and elastin loss before anywhere else. Above the lip, the skin folds every time you talk, sip or purse, and over years some of those folds stay.
The thinnest skin shows it first
With so little depth, eyelid skin creases into fine crinkles as its collagen and elastin thin with age.
Sun takes a toll
Years of sun break down the fibers that keep skin smooth. Sunglasses and sunscreen help protect what you have.
Movement creates lip lines
Lines that appear only when you purse come from the muscle around the mouth. Lines that stay at rest also involve thinner skin.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, eyelids, Sun exposure and collagen, PubMed
Your options
How we'd approach it
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Step 1We'd start with
Forma
From $249
About FormaFor mild crinkling, we'd start with Forma: four to six sessions with our medical esthetician. It uses bulk radiofrequency heating from the surface, with no needles and no visible downtime, and it can be used right up to the lash line and the lip. The change is small and gradual.
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Step 2If you need a little more
Morpheus8 around the eyes
From $1,200
About Morpheus8 around the eyesIf it's more than mild, Morpheus8 with the 12-pin Prime tip at 1 to 2 mm is the next step: three sessions, with a few days of pinpoint bruising after each. The Plasma Pen isn't on the Lincoln Park booking menu, but you can ask about it at your consult and we'll check whether it suits your skin type.
Side by side
Your options side by side
Each option suits a different amount of crinkling and a different tolerance for downtime.
We'd start with
Forma
From $249
- Best for
- Mild crinkling, with no downtime
- Appointment
- 30 to 45 minutes, no numbing
- Downtime
- None. Pink and warm for 15 minutes to a few hours
- First results
- Subtle firming after the second or third session
- Sessions
- A series, usually 4 to 6, then maintenance every few months
If you need a little more
Morpheus8
From $1,200
- Best for
- More than mild crepiness around the eyes or lip
- Appointment
- 60 to 90 minutes for the face, more with the neck, numbing included
- Downtime
- 2 to 5 days of redness, and pinpoint bruising near the eyes
- First results
- Some tightening in the first few weeks
- Sessions
- 1 to 3, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart
Plasma Pen, by request
Priced at your consult
- Best for
- Lid laxity on lighter skin (types I to III)
- Appointment
- 30 to 60 minutes after 30 to 45 minutes of numbing
- Downtime
- Crusts for about a week, pink dots for 2 to 8 weeks
- First results
- Some tightening as swelling settles, weeks 1 to 2
- Sessions
- 1 to 3 per area, 4 to 8 weeks apart
Toxin for lip lines
Starting at $10 a unit
- Best for
- Lines above the lip that appear only when you purse
- Appointment
- About 10 minutes
- Downtime
- Bumps for 20 minutes, possible pinpoint bruise
- First results
- 3 to 7 days
- Sessions
- One, repeated when movement returns
Prices are starting prices from our menu. Your provider will confirm the plan and total cost at your consult. Individual results vary.
What to expect
Your first few months with Forma
Forma is gradual. Most people notice subtle firming after the second or third session, and the full change settles about three months after the series ends.
Session 1
Pink for an hour. Your skin may feel tighter that evening, mostly from swelling, which fades.
Sessions 2 to 3
The first real firming shows along the jaw. Photos often catch it before the mirror does.
End of series
The collagen response is underway, and skin feels denser to the touch.
Month 3 after the series
Your best result. This is when we'll retake photos together.
Months 6 to 12
The result holds, then gradually softens. A maintenance session every few months helps keep it.
Timeline for Forma, from our treatment page. Individual results vary.
Our reasoning
Choosing a treatment for crepey lids and lip lines
We’ll assess two things: how much excess lid skin there is, and your skin tone. A crinkle is texture, and that’s treatable. A fold of skin sitting on the lashes is excess skin, and only a blepharoplasty removes it. On the lip, lines that appear only when you purse come from muscle, and for those, a couple of units of toxin, off-label, beats any machine.
If it’s texture with no excess skin, we’ll start with Forma: FDA-cleared radiofrequency, used off its cleared indication for tightening, and backed by small studies. Because RF has no pigment target, it’s also a good choice for medium and dark skin.
The next step is Morpheus8 with the Prime tip, which uses 12 pins at a shallow depth and low energy. The 2023 clearance caps energies above 62 mJ per pin to skin types I to IV, per the FDA’s 2023 clearance, so for darker skin, we’ll use lower settings. Individual results vary.
The Plasma Pen is a device for skin types I to III. Two small uncontrolled trials, 40 and 56 women, three sessions a month apart, measured better upper-lid laxity at three months, per the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. The plasma pens that have FDA clearance are cleared for removing lesions. Eyelid tightening is off-label and has no long-term data.
Your questions, answered
Which of these has no downtime?
Forma. A session takes 30 to 45 minutes, and your skin will be warm and pink for a couple of hours with no marks, so you can return to work right away. Morpheus8 around the eyes and the Plasma Pen both need several days of recovery.
Will a device remove the hood on my upper lid?
No. Forma, Morpheus8, and the Plasma Pen tighten crinkly skin by small amounts. A fold resting on the lashes, or a fat bag, needs surgery. If that's what we see at your consult, we'll explain why a device isn't the right option.
Toxin or a device for the lines above my lip?
For lines that show when you purse, two to four units of toxin, off-label, is the answer, though drinking from a straw may feel awkward for a couple of weeks. For lines that are there at rest, Forma or Morpheus8 is the better fit. Our PRF vs PRP guide covers crepey skin under the eyes.
What causes crinkly eyelids?
Mostly time and sun. Eyelid skin is the thinnest on your body, so as collagen and elastin thin out, it crinkles sooner than skin elsewhere. Dryness and rubbing your eyes can make it more noticeable.
Do eye creams help crepey lids?
A good moisturizer can soften the look of crinkling for a while by plumping the surface, but it won't rebuild collagen. For that, we'd look at Forma or Morpheus8.
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