Often the first sign of aging, what we not-so-affectionately refer to as “crow’s feet” are wrinkles that radiate out from the corner of the eyes and, apparently, resemble the scaly, splayed feet of crows. Also called squint lines, these wrinkles become a problem when skin loses elasticity and collagen over time. They may show up earlier for people who do not care for their skin and later for those who do (source: Discovery Health).
You are more likely to develop crow’s feet if you (1) smoke cigarettes and if you (2) spend a lot of time in the sun (source: DailyGlow.com). Both of these habits prematurely age skin, and both of these force squinting, which in turn promotes the formation of crow’s feet. Also, people frequently skip sunscreen around their eyes, exposing this thinner skin to sun damage (source: Glamour.com).
How can you prevent crow’s feet, or improve their appearance? Try protecting your skin from harmful UV rays by wearing sunscreen. Exposure to UV rays is among the most common reason that skin loses elasticity and collagen. As already noted, if you smoke, this damage is multiplied.
Drink water to stay hydrated and keep moisture levels up.
Try eye creams that contain retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, and copper peptides (source: Discovery Health). If over-the-counter creams don’t give you the results you are looking for, you may try consulting with a dermatologist, who can prescribe creams with higher concentrations of these ingredients.
Ultimately, crow’s feet are likely to develop for all of us. They are, after all, simply part of aging. But a little prevention and care can go a long way to not looking like this:
Take another look at the picture above: how old would you guess this woman is? Late fifties? Sixty-five? Older?
Nope. She is a walking example of what glaring, squinting, frowning, and refusing to take care of one’s skin can do to rapidly and unattractively age one’s face. She is actually in her early 40’s, but her haggard, rough, and leathery skin, especially the deep, pronounced wrinkles around and between her eyes, makes her look much, much older.
There are worse things in life, of course, than developing crow’s feet. But if you can prevent or slow them down, or at least not end up looking prematurely old like the unfortunate woman above, why wouldn’t you?