Crow’s feet or laugh lines, as they are more positively referred to, develop over the course of your lifetime as a result of laughing, squinting, sun exposure and environmental irritants. They generally start quite small but can run deeper as you get older. There are a number of measures you can take on a daily basis to minimise their appearance and delay them coming out, but the best way to address them more permanently is through professional treatments such as muscle relaxants, which are usually administered as injections.
What Are Crow’s Feet And Why Do They Develop?
Crow’s feet are considered to be both static and dynamic wrinkles and can affect both men and women. In fact, they can run deeper in men because males’ skin is thicker around their eyes. When we are younger they are only visible when we laugh or squint but as we get older, they are more noticeable even when the muscles under the eye are static.
This is because the skin loses its natural elasticity as we get older. As we age, the skin decreases its production of elastin and collagen and, because the skin around the eyes may be up to ten times thinner than skin in other parts of the face, it is around the eye area that the first signs of ageing are most noticeable. This means it may be more noticeable to the skin to droop or sag around the eyes.
Preventing The Development Of Crow’s Feet
No one can stop the biological clock completely but there are measures that you can take to slow it down considerably. Some solutions include
Use An Eye Cream
Using a good quality eye cream provides super moisturisation to the delicate skin around the eye area. It also strengthens the skin barrier, which makes this area less susceptible to environmental toxins.
Wear Sun Protection
Sun exposure directly weakens the skin under and around the eyes and also weakens its elasticity which makes it more difficult to repair itself.
Using protective sunscreen will protect the sensitive skin around your eyes from sun damage, which speeds up ageing and exacerbates the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet. Wearing sunglasses is also a very effective barrier against the sun, and protects your eyes and skin from harmful UV rays. It also makes you less likely to squint.
Try A Silk Pillowcase
Squashing your face against a pillow for a few hours every night can also enhance the appearance of crow’s feet. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is gentler on your skin and causes less friction while you sleep.
Stop Smoking
While you may not be able to reverse any existing crow’s feet by not smoking, you can prevent the development of more lines and wrinkles.
Smoking exposes your skin and body to toxins which speed up the effects of ageing and is another really good reason to quit sooner rather than later.
How To Get Rid Of Crow’s Feet Using Professional Treatments?
Muscle Relaxant Injections
Having professional treatments like muscle relaxant injections is highly effective at reducing the appearance of fine lines and creases around the eyes.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers refill and create volume in the areas that are depressed and can counter crow’s feet and under-eye wrinkles very effectively. Dermal fillers are also doubly effective because thor continued use may stimulate the production of your body’s natural stores of collagen, which can be an effective defence against the development of new lines and creases.
Chemical Peels
If you are not keen on the idea of muscle relaxant injections but still want a professional treatment, chemical peels can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. Chemical peels are professionally administered skin treatments that progressively remove the layers of skin that contain the wrinkles skin.
Chemical peels can be light, to address superficial skin depressions, medium, or deep, for very creased or deeply grooved skin. Your skincare specialist will determine the strategy that is best for your skin and, depending on your skincare needs, may use a combination of peels to address your skin concerns.
Chemical peels may work for you, if you want to address skin concerns on other areas of your face, such as pigmentation or fine lines in other parts of the face.
Laser resurfacing treatments
If you really want to boost your own collagen production but are not keen on the idea of muscle relaxants, laser resurfacing may be an option for you. Laser surfacing treatments work well to address the signs of ageing over the face and are especially helpful if you want to focus attention on targeted areas. Ideal for people with lighter skin complexions, laser resurfacing is also effective for the treatment of scars and hyper-pigmentation. Increased collagen production can delay or discourage the production of fine lines and creases around your eyes in the future.
If you want to know more about how to get rid of crow’s feet it is best to have a professional consultation to weigh up your options. Please contact us for a confidential appointment: (02) 8599 7161.
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