Crow’s-feet, the lines that extend out from the corners of the eyes, can develop as early as your 20s. Protecting the area from the sun is key to preventing them—the less you squint, the less likely they are to form. Treat them proactively with neurotoxins since it’s impossible to forgo making facial expressions altogether.
Defining characteristics: Light to heavy horizontal lines near the outer corners of the eyes that can run down the cheeks, crepey-looking skin around the eyes and/or may be accompanied by sunspots.
Why it’s happening: The corners of the eyes are not immune to aging, especially since every time we squint or muscle movement takes place, wrinkles and lines form. “There’s no fat under the skin around the eyes,” says New York facial plastic surgeon Dilip D. Madnani, MD. “So, every contraction of the muscle makes a line or wrinkle. The more this happens, the deeper they become.”
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How to fix it: Neurotoxins, fillers and fractional laser resurfacing treatments are the go-tos for smoothing out lines around the eyes. Botox, Dysport and Xeomin prevent wrinkles from forming by temporarily halting muscle movement, which causes facial expression-induced lines and wrinkles; lasers resurface the outermost layer of skin to eliminate the look of wrinkles. “Without muscle action, crow’s-feet can’t surface, which is what Botox works to diminish,” says Madison, WI, facial plastic surgeon Richard Parfitt, MD. Surgery may be necessary to excise skin that can be contributing to the look of more pronounced lines and wrinkles, while also addressing the muscles underneath skin for a tightening eff ect.
Expert tip: “Crow’s-feet can be prevented by always wearing sunscreen and large sunglasses, avoiding the sun and using Botox or Dysport when they begin to occur,” says Atlanta plastic surgeon Mark Codner, MD.
