Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
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August 21, 2025
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Over the past few years, we’ve seen a spotlight on skin barrier function and an emphasis on scalp health. This year in beauty, I believe we’ll start to give the eyes a similar level of much-deserved attention—I’m talking about the whole eye area, not just the skin underneath.
With more advanced eye cream formulas hitting the market, it only makes sense that we’d see high-tech treatments follow suit. One of the first is radio-frequency for the eyes. Below, find out why this new treatment is gaining traction and who should consider it. Plus, my firsthand experience.
What does radio-frequency do for the eyes?
To be clear, this technology doesn’t treat the eyeball but rather the under-eye and eyelid. The goal is to use heat to loosen up oil clogged in the meibomian glands. When these clogs happen, the tear film that keeps your eyes hydrated evaporates quickly.
“Radio-frequency helps to unclog and release the oil glands to stimulate more tear production while simultaneously building collagen to tighten the skin and improve blood circulation around our eyes,” explains ophthalmologist Jennifer Tsai, O.D.
In turn, she says, this provides rejuvenation to reduce under-eye bags, dark circles, and even droopy eyelids. Most notably, it soothes dry eyes and helps prevent them in the future. Constantly itching your dry, inflamed eyes can also lead to microtears in the skin and wrinkles down the line (plus, it’s just uncomfortable), so the radio-frequency treatment really takes a skin longevity approach.
The ideal cadence for this treatment is four to six sessions total, spaced out by two to four weeks. “The results are usually long-lasting and could provide benefits for up to a year or more depending on each candidate,” Tsai says.
While some forms of radio-frequency are available in ophthalmology offices, elective treatment isn’t widespread at medical spas quite yet. Compared to noninvasive facial treatments like hydrafacials or microneedling, for example, it’s still in the early stages of availability.
“I was the first clinician to bring it into my practice, after seeing how many people sought alternative ways to treat their dry eyes without relying on eye drops, chronic medications, or surgical procedures,” Tsai says. The increased demand led The Spa by Equinox Hotels to adopt the treatment, called Envision Forma-I by InMod, so here’s hoping it becomes more mainstream.
My experience
The radio-frequency lasted about 15 minutes in total and was completely painless. The wand delivers a warm sensation that runs over a conductive gel layer.
Ahead of my treatment, I’d been battling dry eyes brought on by the frigid air in New York City this time of year. Every morning over the past month, I felt like my eyes were cracking open, covered with crust, and dehydrated throughout the day.
Immediately after I stepped out of the treatment room and for the weeks since, my eyes have felt moist and clear, with little to no crust on the inner corners upon waking. I didn’t see direct eye-brightening benefits after one go, but that perk should accompany multiple radio-frequency sessions.
Who should try it
If you struggle with chronic dry eyes or you’re met with resistance to treating dark under-eye circles, this could be for you. However, Tsai warns that those who have pacemakers, metal implants around the eyes, are currently pregnant, or have a history of epilepsy should likely steer clear.
If you can’t get the radio-frequency treatment, there are plenty of ways to support eye health at home—start by using high-quality eye creams (our favorites here) and eye drops approved by your ophthalmologist.
Personally, I’m excited to see what other treatments and innovations we’ll see in the eye care space, especially ones that focus on putting eye health first and aesthetic benefits second like this one.
The takeaway
Radio-frequency for the eyes helps to release the oil glands to stimulate more tear production while simultaneously building collagen to tighten the skin and improve blood circulation around our eyes. In turn, multiple treatments can support hydrated eyes, brighter under-eyes, and reduce bags.
This treatment is still in the early days of availability, but it just may take off as the interest in eye wellness grows. While we wait, here’s a host of ways to support healthy under-eyes at home.
