Crow’s feet, the lines around your eyes that are formed when you smile, are inevitable. Some argue that they show a life well-lived – a happy and fulfilled existence. Others see them as a punishment, a sign that they are losing their vitality and youth. Whatever your viewpoint, they happen to us all. However, if you want to banish yours, there are steps that can be taken.
What Are Crow’s Feet?
Crow’s feet look different on everyone. You may have one or two around the corners of your eyes, whilst others can have deep lines extending all the way down their face and some even join up to the lines around an individual’s mouth. I think of them as being similar to fingerprints – as unique as you are! That’s because there are several causes and depending on what variables created them, yours won’t be exactly the same as anyone else’s.
If you are one of those people who think crow’s feet are a blight on your face and have a medicine cabinet full of eye creams, then you need to think again. Eye creams are useful in helping to hydrate the eye area but it would be foolish to think that they are the answer. To understand this, it helps to know how wrinkles around the eyes are formed in the first place.
What Causes Them?
On average, we develop crow’s feet as a result of a loss of elasticity caused by the natural ageing process, which is accelerated by photoageing. Photoageing happens when light penetrates our skin. This energises our electrons, which hop out of their molecules and zoom around, thus damaging our DNA. This disrupts the way that the skin functions, rendering it unable to repair itself, meaning that eventually, with continued light exposure, the dermis’ ability to care for itself diminishes significantly. It’s interesting to note that all forms of visible light (UVA and UVB) damage our skin. This is why it’s so important to wear a broad spectrum SPF with UVA and visible light protection. You can find examples of these in our online shop.
How Can They Be Treated?
There are a number of ways in which crow’s feet can be treated, the right one for you ultimately depends on the nature of yours and, to a lesser extent, your preference.
Wrinkle Relaxing Injections
If the skin can’t rebound when the circular muscle around the eye contracts, crow’s feet are formed. Orbicularis oculi is the name of this muscle and it’s responsible for maintaining eyelid integrity, blinking and much more. For this reason, wrinkle relaxing injections can only be used to reduce muscle activity on the outer part of this muscle in order to maintain its full range of activity.
Surgery
If you want to rid yourself of crow’s feet and loose skin closer to your eyelids, you may want to consider surgery. However, I would not advise this as it requires significant downtime and comes with several associated risks. I much prefer to use energy-based modalities such as ENDYMED FSR to achieve the same results.
Energy-Based Modalities
These treatments renew the delicate eye area and have a great safety profile. The treatment area might be a little red immediately afterwards but this quickly subsides, leaving you free to return to your normal activities the next day! At Nichola Maasdorp No4 Clinic, we like to combine this treatment with our ASM MED Collagen Activation Plan. The plan reduces downtime post-procedure, speeds up skin recovery and enhances treatment results!
If you don’t want to commit to an ablative treatment, you can still give your eye area a boost with our Eye Perks by HydraFacial. This option refreshes your eye area through the use of key ingredients such as horse chestnut seed and arnica flower extract – leaving this delicate part of your face looking toned, firmed and hydrated.
Book In With Me Today!
The first step towards beautiful, youthful skin is getting booked in for a consultation. During this time, I will get to know you, your skin and your goals. From here, I can advise you on which treatment(s) will be most effective for crow’s feet or any other concerns you may have.
You can also learn more about how else we can help you to look and feel your best on our website, or by following us on Instagram and Facebook.
