Crow’s feet are sneaky. One day, you notice a subtle, maybe even charming, crease by your eyes when you smile then all of a sudden it’s turned into a deep-set wrinkle that is prematurely aging you. Once you have crow’s feet, they’re hard to treat, so prevention is the name of the game.
Featured experts
- Janine Hopkins, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Southlake, TX and Monroe, LA
- Sue Ellen Cox, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Chapel Hill, NC
- Dr. Matthew Elias is a board-certified dermatologist based in Fort Lauderdale, FL
- David Schlessinger, MD is a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon based in Woodbury, NY
What are crow’s feet?
Simply put, crow’s feet are the pesky little lines that form at the corners of our outer eyelids when we smile, laugh or squint, says Southlake, TX dermatologist Jeanine Hopkins, MD. “Based on your individual muscle pattern, they may be located just outside the eye, or in some cases, extend down the cheek,” notes Chapel Hill, NC dermatologist Sue Ellen Cox, MD. The problem? The fine lines can turn into deeper wrinkles over time. Medically speaking, crow’s feet are referred to as lateral canthal lines, says Fort Lauderdale, FL dermatologist Dr. Matthew Elias.
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What causes crow’s feet?
Crow’s feet are caused by repetitive contraction of the muscles around our eyelids, the orbicularis oculi muscles to be exact, says Woodbury, NY oculoplastic surgeon David Schlessinger, MD. “Crow’s feet are formed by expressing yourself throughout life—joy, laughter, happiness and grief all make little muscles under the corner of the eyes squint and wrinkle the overlying skin,” explains Dr. Elias. “Over time, these lines can become static, meaning they are present at rest,” says Dr. Cox. In addition to the natural contracting of our muscles, premature aging, sun and smoking can exacerbate crow’s feet since it can thin and age the already delicate skin by the eyes.
How to prevent crow’s feet
Neurotoxin injections
“Don’t smile! Just kidding! Smiling is great, so you should definitely smile, but make sure to do it with Botox in your crow’s feet so your muscles can’t make the wrinkles form and let them set in your skin over time,” says Dr. Elias. All the experts agree that neurotoxins are the most effective (and some would say only) way to prevent crow’s feet because they can weaken and stop the muscles from contracting and creating lines.
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“Neuromodulators temporarily disable muscle movement by blocking the transmission of neurological signals,” explains Dr. Cox. This means that you can still smile or squint, but limited muscle movement prevents lines and creases from forming.”
Sunscreen and skin care
The experts urge starting daily application of sunscreen at a young age and advise people to avoid the sun and use SPF when they’re in it. Dr. Schlessinger also recommends wearing sunglasses and a hat in the sun to prevent squinting.
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As for other skin care, Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Schlessinger recommend hyaluronic acid, peptides and antioxidants like vitamin C to help protect the delicate skin of the eye area. Dr. Hopkins suggests Revision Revox Line Relaxer ($154) to help diminish and prevent these lines. If your skin is up for it, you could even use a retinol formulated specifically for that area, says Dr. Schlessinger.
How can you get rid of existing crow’s feet?
If you’re reading this and thinking it’s already too late and the crow’s feet have staked their claim on your skin—don’t fret—there are some solutions. The best thing to do is go see your board-certified dermatologist, says Dr. Elias. From there, the experts will have a few suggestions.
“Energy devices such as Co2 lasers and Morpheus are great at rejuvenating the skin and reducing the appearance of crow’s feet. PRF injections and superficial fillers such as Belotero can also be used,” says Dr. Schlessinger. However, he notes that “despite more aggressive treatments, it is still important to continue preventative treatment with neurotoxins, sunscreen and proper skin care.”
In Dr. Hopkins’ practice, she tends to offer a combination of treatments with neurotoxins with sub-ablative or fractionated eyelid laser resurfacing “to tighten the delicate eyelid skin and stimulate collagen and elastin, along with PRP injections to fill the hollow lower eyelid trough.” She explains, “This combination procedure is a non-surgical blepharoplasty to rejuvenate the eyelid area, including crow’s feet.”
