SmoothEye in Puebla

What is SmoothEye?

SmoothEye is a non-invasive Fotona laser treatment that works on the skin around the eyes —upper eyelid, lower eyelid and crow-feet lines— to tighten it gently and soften fine lines, with no surgery, no incisions and no skin removed. It is not a generic machine: it is a protocol specific to the periocular area.

It uses an Er:YAG laser in non-ablative mode: instead of vaporising the skin surface, it delivers heat in a controlled way into the dermis, even through the closed eyelid. That heat causes an immediate contraction of existing collagen and, above all, triggers the formation of new collagen over the following weeks. The result is firmer, smoother eye-contour skin with fine lines less noticeable.

Eyelid skin is the thinnest on the body, which is why it is the first to betray fatigue and the passing years. Being so thin, it is also the most delicate to treat: this is no place for aggressive energy or inexperienced hands. SmoothEye is designed to heat that skin within a safe margin, respecting the eye.

The goal is a natural, gradual improvement, not a changed face. A good result shows in a more rested gaze, not in someone guessing you had a treatment. And like any collagen stimulus, it builds over time and is not permanent: it is maintained with spaced sessions.

Techniques used by Dr. Arístides Arellano

Not all periocular skin is treated the same way. The protocol is adjusted at the consultation according to phototype, skin thickness, whether the issue is fine lines or laxity, and whether the target is the eyelid, the crow-feet lines or the fold:

• Non-ablative SMOOTH mode (Er:YAG). The core technique of SmoothEye: Fotona laser pulses that heat the dermis without harming the skin surface. This is what allows even the eyelid to be treated with no downtime.
• Closed-eyelid treatment. With proper eye protection, the laser can be applied over the eyelid to tighten skin that hangs slightly — something many other energy devices cannot safely do in that area.
• Crow-feet lines and outer contour. Heat is directed at the expression lines at the outer corner of the eye, where thin skin creases earliest.
• A series, not a single session. The collagen stimulus builds by accumulating spaced sessions; the number is defined according to your starting point and how your skin responds.
• Measured combination with other treatments. When indicated, SmoothEye is integrated with other facial-contour procedures within a plan; what to combine, and what not to, is decided at the consultation.

How is it performed?

SmoothEye is performed in the office, on an outpatient basis and with no general anaesthesia. The session usually lasts 20 to 40 minutes depending on the extent of the area treated, and you walk out to resume normal life almost immediately.

First the area is cleansed and eye protection is placed —the most important safety step in this technique—. Then the Fotona laser pulses are applied over the eye-contour skin and, when appropriate, over the closed eyelid. Most patients describe a sensation of tolerable warmth, with no significant pain; anaesthesia is usually not needed, and a topical anaesthetic cream can be used on more sensitive areas.

Afterward it is normal for the skin to feel flushed and warm, like after mild sun exposure, settling within a few hours or a day. There are no wounds, stitches or dressings: that is why it is called a treatment with no downtime. Strict photoprotection from that same day is not optional, because subsequent sun exposure is what undoes the work.

The result has two timescales, and confusing them is the commonest cause of disappointment: there is an immediate effect of slightly smoother skin, due partly to collagen contraction and to swelling itself, which is not the final result; and there is a real, gradual effect of tightening and smoothing, which depends on new collagen and builds across 2 to 6 months. Anyone judging SmoothEye at one week is judging swelling, not the result.

Every medical treatment —topicals, peels and energy-based devices included— carries risk and requires a prior assessment. In darker skin (Fitzpatrick IV–VI, the most common phototypes in Mexico) a poorly indicated procedure can darken the patch instead of lightening it. Results may vary according to each patient, their phototype and their individual triggers.

Who is a good candidate?

A good candidate for SmoothEye has mild laxity and fine lines around the eyes, with realistic expectations and a wish to improve without going to theatre. The consultation honestly distinguishes what belongs to energy from what belongs to surgery:

• Early fine lines and crow-feet, especially those set by thin skin rather than by muscle.
• Mild eyelid laxity, with skin that has lost firmness but without genuine excess hanging over the lashes.
• Dull eye-contour skin or fine, uneven texture, seeking luminosity and firmness progressively.
• Anyone wanting to avoid surgery or to prepare before considering an operation, who prefers a plan with no downtime.
• It is not the best option for someone with genuine excess skin or fat bags on the eyelid: no energy device lifts that, and it belongs to a blepharoplasty. Selling sessions to someone who needs surgery is charging them to postpone their problem. It is also not ideal on skin with active lesions in the area; this is reviewed at the consultation.

Recommended post-treatment care

To support comfort and the best result after the session, Dr. Arístides may recommend, case by case, intense hydration, strict photoprotection and a care routine adapted to periocular skin. Avoiding direct sun in the following days is decisive. See the full guide: Post-surgical recovery and care.

Before and after

Most patients want to see before-and-after photographs before deciding. Out of respect for each person’s privacy, Dr. Arístides Arellano shows real cases —always with documented consent— during your in-person consultation, where you can review results from patients with a starting point similar to yours. Results may vary from patient to patient.

Approximate price

A session starts at $8,000 MXN and the course of 5 sessions at $24,000 MXN, approximate figures depending on the area treated and how many sessions your response calls for. Approximate price — the definitive cost is set at your private consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano.

About Dr. Arístides Arellano

Dr. Arístides Arellano is a plastic surgeon holding a specialty licence: he practises under a Mexican medical licence (D.G.P. 1125959) and a specialty licence in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (0002008), both issued by the Directorate General of Professions (DGP), which reissued his certificate of professional standing in 2025. His career began before Mexico’s present-day specialty-board system existed: he belongs to the founding generation of plastic surgery in Puebla, the second generation of a surgical tradition started in 1971 by Dr. Francisco Arellano Ocampo. Trust is verified, not promised: both licences are public and anyone can look them up in the DGP’s National Registry of Professionals.

Related patient guide

Before deciding where and with whom to be treated, it is worth getting informed: How to choose a plastic surgeon in Puebla — part of the series of informational guides reviewed by Dr. Arístides Arellano. If your case involves facial sagging, see also the facelift.

Trust is verified, not promised. All 210 scanned documents —degree, licences, diplomas, publications and certificates, from 1977 to 2025— are open in Dr. Arístides Arellano’s credential archive, alongside an explanation of the difference between a specialty licence and a board certification.

Recovery · step by step

• The sessionOutpatient, 20 to 40 minutes, no general anaesthesia. Eye protection throughout. You walk out.
• Same dayFlushed skin with a warm sensation, like after mild sun exposure. No wounds or dressings. Strict photoprotection from the outset.
• Days 1–2Redness settles. Normal life resumes almost immediately. Avoid direct sun and intense heat on the area.
• Immediate effectSlightly smoother skin. CAREFUL: part of this is contraction and swelling and it is NOT the final result. Judging SmoothEye at one week is judging swelling.
• During the seriesSeveral spaced sessions. The number is defined at the consultation. It is not a one-off treatment.
• Months 2–6 — the real resultTightening and smoothing build, dependent on new collagen. This is the result that counts and demands patience. Maintenance is scheduled; the result is not permanent. Results may vary.

Frequently asked questions

Every figure published on this site is approximate and is not a quote. Any procedure or treatment first requires a private assessment consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano —$800 MXN, charged separately— and it is at that consultation that the definitive cost of your case is determined.

Educational content; it does not replace a medical consultation. Results may vary from person to person.