Crow’s Feet: Here’s All You Need To Know About Causes, Treatments, Cost & Remedies

What is Crow’s Feet?

“Happy people” have crow’s feet, hence these are also known as laughter lines or smile lines. Though some may refer to the crows on the outer edges of your eyes as “character lines,” we often consider them the bane of our existence every time our makeup collects in the area or they’re more prominent than we’d prefer in a photo.

Crow’s feet are the fine crinkle lines or wrinkles clustered at the outer corners of the eyes which appear with age from as early as the mid 30’s. While this may be universally true, all wrinkles are not created equally. There are two types of facial lines, Dynamic and Static. Each has a unique cause, and each requires a different treatment to obtain optimal results. Dynamic wrinkles are facial creases and wrinkles caused by repetitive muscle movements such as squinting, worrying, frowning, and smiling. While static wrinkles are fine lines and wrinkles resulting from a loss of skin elasticity. Examples of Static Wrinkles include lines at the corners of the mouth, along the cheeks, and neck wrinkles.

So, What Causes Crow’s Feet In The First Place?

Considering age and having a genetic tendency are some of the prominent causes of crow’s feet. Although external factors such as sun exposure especially in fair-skinned people, pollutants, and smoking all contribute to cause thinning of the overlying skin with less production of elastin and collagen.

“The eye area has the thinnest skin on our body—eyelids are 3 to 5 times thinner than the skin on the rest of our face. We blink about 10,000 times a day, and all emotions are dealt with in the eyes,” says Skin City India’s esthetician. “Mix this with the aging process, squinting, smoking, and other factors, and you have crow’s feet.”

What Could Be The Best Possible Treatments To Treat Crow’s Feet?

There are several approaches to treat crow’s feet:

Improving skin care, skin-resurfacing techniques including laser, surgical eye bag correction, Botulinum toxin injections (Botox), natural remedies and eyelid surgery are effective wrinkle treatments.

At Skin City India, we perform both surgical and non-surgical treatments for crow’s feet.

Injections Of Facial Fillers:

This treatment works by relaxing the muscles around the eye. For most people, this will create a significant improvement in the appearance of the wrinkles. Only the very deepest wrinkles will usually not improve with this treatment alone.

Injections Of Wrinkle Fillers:

This treatment works by plumping up the skin under the wrinkle. This is normally reserved for the deepest wrinkles that do not respond to other treatments alone.

Blepheroplasty For Crow’s Feet:

The crow’s feet can be reduced by removing some of the excess skin and loose muscle which causes additional crow’s feet folds.

Chemical Peels:

These work at different depth levels based on the intensity of the peel solution. Chemical peels can be effective at treating crow’s feet that are not very deep. The peel slowly breaks down the surface layers of skin while promoting a response for collagen production. This, in turn, reveals new skin that has better tone, texture, and elasticity.

Botox:

If you prefer a very “natural” look and believe if you should still have some crow’s feet when you smile, to retain the “twinkle” of the eye smile. Botox can be used to keep crow’s feet under control by preventing them from getting worse over time.

[Read More: What are The Best Treatments for Crow’s-feet?]

What Is The Cost Factor?

The cost of crow’s feet treatments that include laser treatments, Botox in India varies drastically depending on the affected area, and the thickness of the skin, and also the type of treatment you’re opting for. The total expense further goes up owing to the fact that multiple sessions are required to see desired results.

To know more, why not give us a call or better yet, schedule an appointment?

What Can You Do To Stop Crow’s Feet From Forming?

Yes, there are! Besides surgical and other non-invasive treatments, you can also give some of the cosmetic products / natural remedies a try, if you don’t mind being patient with the results.

Face Serums:

Anti-aging serums for the crow’s feet are an increasingly popular class of skincare products for treating crow’s feet. All skin serums work on a similar principle: by removing the surface layer of dead skin, newer cell growth is encouraged.

Retinols:

Retinols (Vitamin A) are an over-the-counter variety of retinoic acid. While they don’t absorb into the skin as easily as prescription-strength treatments, they have been helpful to minimize sun damage and reduce the visibility of crow’s feet and fine wrinkles.

Hyaluronic Acid:

Hyaluronic acid is most useful for treating crow’s feet when used in conjunction with Vitamin C or another absorbable serum that helps stimulate collagen growth in skin tissue. Over time, hyaluronic acid will also fade age spots and hyperpigmentation.

Vitamin C Serum:

The gold standard of skin serums is natural Vitamin C. Vitamin C skin serums are not only clinically proven to smooth out surface-level imperfections, but they also absorb into skin tissues to accelerate collagen production in the lower levels of the dermis. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C also help fade age spots and blemishes.

Intake Of Antioxidants:

Antioxidants help to prevent and repair free radical damage caused by overexposure to UV sunlight. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of antioxidants but there are some unique antioxidants that are not so readily available in foods.

Olive Oil Treatment:

Moisturizing the skin around the eyes every day is extremely important because it keeps the skin soft and flexible thus less liable to wrinkle formation. Olive oil will cure the wrinkles around eyes and the under eye dark circles.

Results from the above treatments can take time. While surface-level smoothing of crow’s feet is usually noticeable within a few days, collagen growth within the dermis often requires weeks or months of regular use before becoming fully apparent.

Pro tip: You will probably want to use moisturizing eye creams or aloe vera along with a skin serum, as the essential vitamins and amino acids blended into many serums can cause the skin to dry out.

A word of caution: Skin serums can cause irritation if you get it in your eyes. Make sure you avoid the immediate eye-area if you’re using a generic skin serum. If you do some in your eyes, simply rinse with warm or cold water.

How To Prevent Crow’s Feet?

Avoid Squinting:

Crow’s feet are largely and most commonly caused by excessive contraction of the muscles around the eyes. Wear sunglasses when outdoors, even when it is not excessively sunny, to help prevent subconscious squinting. If you spend a majority of your day in front of a screen, manage your brightness settings to help minimize muscle contraction.

Avoid The Sun:

Too much sun exposure damages the collagen in the skin which is responsible for maintaining the skin’s elasticity and texture. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen that can also help protect against UV rays. These rays are capable of penetrating glass (e.g.: a car window), so it is important to ensure that you are protected even in the shade.

Stop Smoking:

Smoking is injurious to your health in many ways. With respect to skin, it interferes with collagen levels and production which can lead to the premature formation of crow’s feet around the eyes.

[Read: How to Get Rid of Crow’s Feet?]

It’s Never Too Late… But Start Early

The golden rule for dealing with crow’s feet is to treat them early. Shallow character lines on the surface of your skin are much easier to treat than deep creases. With regular treatments starting in your 30s and even your 20s, you can slow the formation of crow’s feet down by many years.

So, don’t let your eye lines and weigh you down. At your consultation, we take the time to discuss your personal requirements and preferences. We know you want to smile and laugh and still have movement and expression around your eye area. Call us on +91 9890225577/ +91 9422458130 to find out more about crow’s feet treatments.