The first place on our face that shows our age is our eyes, directly underneath and the outer sides of the eyes to be exact. Bags and grey shadows can make a twenty year old look aged, but there are a few simple steps that can keep both crows feet and dark circles or bags at bay.

Sleep with an extra pillow so your head is slightly elevated to prevent fluid from settling under the skin around your eyes.

Find sunglasses labeled UV 400, and choose large frames for maximum coverage (you’re already using sunscreen, right?).

Every morning use an anti-oxidant eye cream to prevent damage from free radicals found in pollution and the sun’s rays. Some of the best ones prevent puffiness with Coffee Berry or green tea. Our choice: Elizabeth Arden Allergan Prevage Eye Anti-Aging Treatment.

Use Retinol at night if your skin can tolerate it. It's the one ingredient proven to stimulate collagen production and reduce wrinkles. The retinol eye creams that contain vitamin K work especially well on dark circles. Our choice: emergenC multi-vitamin + retinol serum.

Don’t over-do eye creams or moisturizers at night, they can make your eyes retain water and look even puffier in the morning.

In the morning apply a skin tightener for immediate results. Find one that contains argireline, GABA, or DMAE—the most effective ingredients. Our choice: Dr. Brandt Time Arrest Laser Tight

Fill in your crows feet with a primer containing silicone. Our choice: Jane Iredale Abscence Oil Control Primer

Use a creamy concealer to disguise dark circles. Pick a yellow based shade for light skin and a peachy shade for darker skin tones. Our choice: Jane Iredale Active Light Under Eye Concealer

Skip on shimmery make up or eye shadows. The metallic particles can get into the wrinkles and emphasize them. Instead choose a matte shade that is slightly darker than your skin and sweep it across the upper lids and along the lower lashes. It will make puffiness less obvious.

The Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion is the newest gadget in skin care. It is designed to treat puffiness and wrinkles under the eyes. The gadget whirls at 125 times per second to massage in an eye serum stored within the device. One or two presses of the top button delivers a pea sized amount of product recommended for both eyes. The serum plumps lines immediatly with firming peptides and hydrating trehalose ( a sugar). The device has a soft concave tip that pulsates for 30 seconds as it pumps the serum into the skin. The pulsating stimulates lymphatic drainage which decreases puffiness. The device runs for a preset period of time. $245 at Clairisonic.

While nothing short of a laser treatment can permanently and completely get rid of dark under eye circles, Hylexin is the best on the market for reducing them.

By the makers of Strivectin SD, Hylexin is formulated for the delicate skin around the eyes and specifically treats dark circles and puffiness. It's not a concealer, but using active ingredients that work to reduce the appearance of serious dark circles and discoloration in the peri-orbital (eye) area. Hylexin reduces the appearance of dark circles by reducing hemoglobin degradation byproducts by stimulating enzyme activity in the peri-orbital tissue. Optimal results can be expected in 30 days.

Available at NewSkinOasis, $75

I have never personally used Patricia Wexler skincare, but it gets rave reviews from many of you, and I always like to write about any beauty prouduct that gets award recognition. The Patricia Wexler MD Dermatology Fastcription Instant De-Puff Eye Gel won both the 2008 Allure best of Beauty in the Eye DePuffing category as well as the 2008 Best in Show Award from Women's Health.

The gel instantly reduces under eye bags and yields long term benefits with continued use. It's suitable for all skin types and people who wear contacts. Available at Bath & Body Works, $19.50.

Allure magazine has picked it's best beauty and skincare treatments for 2009, and Relastin Eye Silk Firming Complex was named the best for treating under eye bags and puffiness. It is a topical skin treatment that stimulates new elastin growth, which results in tighter, more supple skin and a visible reduction in lines and wrinkles around the eyes.

How it works: Elastin is the protein in young skin that makes it spring back after every smile or frown.  With time, elastin production diminishes.  So the delicate under-eye skin can start to wrinkle or sag. Relastin eye silk clinically demonstrates an increase in elastin and significantly improves elasticity in the eye area.

The results: fewer lines and wrinkles, less puffiness and dark circles. 

Reviews: out of 19 surveyed who have used the product over 3 weeks, Relastin Eye Silk received 4.5 out of 5 stars, and some of the complaints were directed at the bottle and pump.

Costs: $69 at drugstore.com

With the current trend of non-surgical skin treatments, Botox and the Fraxel laser are bringing doctors and medi spas millions of new patients and dollars. One of the newer procedures,  Radiage, is currently being preformed to treat the aging eye area. Radiage is a non-ablative, non-surgical skin tightening treatment that uses radio waves to gently heat up the skin, stimulate collagen and tighten baggy eyes, crow's feet and loose pockets of skin. The treatment can also be applied to firm up other parts of the body, such as the legs and abdomen.

How it works: A gel is applied to the area to cool the outer surface. A radiage 'wand' is then applied to heat the site which affects the soft tissue beneath the skin, causing the collagen to contract and tighten. There is minimal pain during the procedure, but typically patients are told to take a oral pain medication before the session.

Who is it for: It's suitable for all most types since there are no incisions and no lasers that can effect darker pigmented skin.

Side effects: Expect a slight reddening of the skin for about an hour after the procedure.

Costs: About $400 per treatment, but multiple treatments are usually required, usually 4 or 5, administered about three weeks apart.

Results: Most patients see some results immediately, however, optimal results will be gradual over a three to six month period as the skin tightens and more new collagen is formed. Results last from 12 to 16 months.