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Stocksy
Since the area around our eyes is the thinnest skin on our body and, therefore, most delicate, it’s no surprise that it's one of the first areas to show signs of sleeplessness (think, dark circles and puffiness), dehydration, and aging—particularly in the form of fine lines and wrinkles such as crow's feet.
Don't get us wrong—smile lines, bunny lines, and crow's feet are all signs of a life well-lived, as they're often caused by the facial action of laughing and smiling. But if you would like to minimize their appearance, you can explore plenty of preventative measures, in-office procedures, and even at-home treatments, like topical eye creams, and face taping. We tapped dermatologists Neal Schultz, MD, and Anna Guanche, MD, to answer all of your anti-aging crow's feet questions, plus offer up their favorite treatment options.
Keep scrolling to learn more about what causes crow's feet and how to prevent or minimize their appearance.
Meet the Expert
- Neal Schultz, MD, is a leading New York City dermatologist at Park Avenue Skincare with over 35 years of experience. He is also the creator of the skincare line Beauty Rx and the host of DermTV.com.
- Anna Guanche, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and celebrity beauty expert. She is the founder of Bella Skin Institute in Los Angeles.
What Are Crow's Feet?
Crow's feet are the perpendicular pull lines around the eyes—specifically where the muscles insert into the skin—that resemble the foot of a crow. Some refer to these crow's feet as "smile lines," as these wrinkles are most visible when smiling or laughing.
Causes of Crow's Feet
Crow's feet are primarily caused by everyday facial movements that cause creases in the skin to form, such as squinting, laughing, and smiling, as well as the loss of collagen and elastin as we age. The thin skin of the eye area is also more susceptible to environmental damage from UV rays and pollution and contains fewer oil glands, leaving the skin prone to dryness and less supple than before.
When Do Crow's Feet Start to Appear?
Generally, crow's feet begin to develop in your mid-30s. Based on skin type, genetics, and lifestyle, they can also develop for some as early as their mid-20s. "Preventative care is key," Schultz says.
How to Treat and Prevent Crow's Feet
Don't Stress
To understand how wrinkles form, Schulz says to picture a paperclip. "When you bend that paperclip back and forth and back and forth, after a while, the paperclip will break. This is the same with your skin. Repetitive motions that cause creases in your skin can break the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin and cause wrinkles anywhere on the face."
Case in point: frowning. This repetitive motion stretches out the delicate skin around your eyes and forehead. Try to be conscious of when you frown so that you do it less, or even better, try to nip frowning in the bud by instantly de-stressing.
Wear SPF and Sunglasses
Both Schultz and Guanche also recommend wearing SPF daily to prevent UV damage and premature aging, as well as proper sunglasses and eyeglasses to prevent squinting and keep your eyes healthy.
"Squinting from the sun is a repetitive movement, and just as in that paper clip analogy, continuous squinting causes the collagen and elastic fibers to break down and wrinkles to form," says Schulz.
Rethink Your Pillow (and Pillowcase)
Even though sleep is one of the most essential things for keeping our skin smooth and radiant, ironically, it might be responsible for some lines. "Sometimes, your skin gets pulled on the pillowcase when you are sleeping, and that causes creases in your skin," Schultz says.
"The ideal way to sleep to avoid wrinkles is on your back using a U-shaped travel pillow. This is not something that most people can do, so using a silk pillowcase can help," says Schultz. "Our skin is able to slide more easily and won’t get tugged or pulled."
Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Guanche adds that eating antioxidant-rich fruits and nuts, including coconut oil, blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, and walnuts, is helpful but only a start. "Since [crow's feet] are dynamic lines caused by facial expression, they will not be erased with even the greatest of diets."
Get Preventive Botox
While Botox may have been marketed in the past as a treatment you reach for once wrinkles have formed, both Schultz and Guanche are fans, even as a preventative measure. "If you’re afraid of the needle, topical botulinum toxin is available in your dermatologist’s office," Schultz says. He adds, "It has the exact same results as the injectable form with no pain." Guanche recommends baby Botox: "Low-dose neuromodulators, such as Botox, Xeomin, Jeuveau, or Dysport, can prevent the deepening of lines in the crow's feet area."
But like any treatment, Botox is not without its side effects. Although generally mild and "very tolerable when an experienced and properly trained board-certified dermatologist is chosen," says Guanche, they may include bruising, swelling, and asymmetry. Also, keep in mind that Botox isn't for everyone. According to our experts, if you're pregnant or have had facial paralysis, you should not use Botox.
Try Acid Peels or Laser Treatments
If you feel that at-home solutions aren't giving you the results you want, it might be time to pay a visit to a dermatologist. "In-office glycolic acid peels are a great start. We use a higher percentage of glycolic acid than you can get at home, and it takes less than 10 minutes for the entire procedure. The acid actually works in two to three minutes," Schultz says. "Also, laser treatments are available. They work by making your body believe there is a small wound. The body reacts by building more collagen to heal the wound."
Exfoliate
Exfoliation is another crucial pre-emptive measure, but it also helps minimize crow's feet that have already started forming. "Exfoliating works by taking away the dead skin cells on the top layer of your skin by forcing fresh skin to the surface. This also adds volume to the epidermis, helping to smooth lines," Schultz says.
Use Glycolic Acid and Peptides
Schultz also champions chemical exfoliants and says the gold standard is glycolic acid. "Under the epidermis is the dermis, where the collagen is formed. Using glycolic acid to exfoliate helps promote new collagen growth, which also adds volume to the dermis. This easy step can help smooth out the early lines."
He also suggests using peptides, which are "tiny particles that the body thinks are little pieces of broken collagen," he explains. "The body 'sees' this and, in turn, the dermis makes more collagen to replace the broken collagen."
Consider Microneedling
Guanche says, "In-office, we can do a series of deep microneedling procedures, which stimulates collagen and, therefore, minimizes the appearance of lines. For this, we also could opt for a series of Jessner [chemical] peels, a light peel that exfoliates and smoothes out fine lines. For deeper lines, a series of Fraxel 1550 [laser] treatments would be ideal."
Work with your dermatologist to figure out what treatment works best for you. Every chemical peel and in-office treatment should be customized to fit your skin needs and is never a one-size-fits-all solution.
