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Best ways to get rid of crow’s feet
Do you have crow’s feet around your eyes? If so, you wouldn't be alone. Character lines, squint lines, and laugh lines are just some of the other terms people use to refer to the beauty bane commonly known as crow’s feet.
Among the easiest to spot and earliest signs of aging, crow’s feet are wrinkles that form around the eyes, particularly on the outer corners. They may start off tiny and fine, but they tend to deepen and grow more pronounced over the years.
Causes of Crow’s Feet
Crow’s feet are a natural and—for most people—unavoidable consequence of aging. As we grow older, our body’s production of elastin and collagen goes down. Elastin and collagen are proteins that work together to give our skin firmness and elasticity.
Related: Anti-aging skin care treatments for men
A decrease in the supply of those proteins weakens the skin’s ability to return to its original state after being stretched or repeatedly subjected to movement, which is the case when we smile, laugh, squint, or frown. With weakened elasticity, the skin sags and develops wrinkles.
While aging is the primary culprit behind crow’s feet, there are other factors that contribute to their formation.
Those factors include:
- Genes – In the same way that vulnerability to certain diseases can be passed on, skin that is susceptible to wrinkling and early aging can also be inherited.
- Sun exposure – Experts have long established the harmful effects of sunlight on the skin. Frequent exposure to sunlight not only breaks down elastin and speeds up skin aging, but also increases one’s risk of developing skin cancer.
- Lifestyle – Smoking, drinking, and not getting enough rest inflict a lot of damage on the skin. Drinking and smoking dehydrate the skin and make it less supple, while fatigue and sleep deprivation stop cells and tissues from getting enough time to repair and renew. Smokers also tend to squint a lot.
Related: Best men’s skin care tips for men over 40
Crow's Feet Treatment
While it would be impossible to refrain from stretching your skin by keeping your face immobile and void of expression at all times, there are things you can do to prevent crow’s feet from forming, or to at least reduce their appearance so they won’t be so noticeable once they materialize.
What follows are five ways to treat and prevent crow’s feet that you can use to help you look your very best.
1. UV Protective Sunglasses
First off, limit your skin’s exposure to the sun. When you spend time outdoors, put on sunscreen and consider wearing a baseball cap.
Make sure you protect your eyes with a pair of UV protective sunglasses so the sun’s glare won’t have you squinting. A good one to consider is Oakley’s Gas Can type (see Amazon for pricing). We like this brand because of the protective coating it contains, which helps to prevent harmful ultraviolet rays from damaging the delicate areas of your eyes.
Keep in mind that even on cloudy days, partial sunlight can still cause wrinkles.
2. Hydrate Your Skin
Second, see to it that your skin stays hydrated and moisturized. While the research is somewhat scattered, most healthcare professionals suggest that people drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day.
Soda and other sugary beverages actually rob your skin of moisture and contribute to the onset of crow’s feet. Drinks like Crystal Light and lemon water are good alternatives but ideally, you really need to make sure you’re getting those 8 glasses of H20 each day.
If the quality of water in your area isn't to your liking or if you don’t care for the taste of tap water, consider picking up a Brita Water Filter (check Amazon for pricing).
We like this one because it helps to transform hard tasting water into something that's much more palatable. Toss in an orange slice, lemon or lime to add flavor.
A final tip under this point – if possible – is to reduce your intake of diuretics like coffee and alcohol. That’s because diuretics suck moisture from your skin, including the areas around your eyes. Over the course of time, dehydration contributes to the formation of deep lines and caverns.
That's the last thing you want, right?
Related: Male model skin care secrets that might surprise you
3. Crow’s Feet Eye Cream
Our third tip is to use a high quality eye cream. Remember, not all anti-wrinkle creams are the same. In fact, there are some on the market that can actually do more harm than good.
Generally speaking, any anti-aging cream that contains alcohol probably isn’t a good choice. Alcohol zaps the dermis of moisture and reduces its ability to maintain collagen; an important anti-aging protein naturally occurring in the body.
To help lock in moisture and collagen, your best bet is to go for a niacin based eye cream that is designed specifically to treat and prevent eye wrinkles.
We’ve tested several here on the blog and agree that hands down, StriVectin Eye Concentrate is one of the best on the market (check Amazon for a good deal).
Here’s why we like it. The cream contains niacin peptides that rebuild and firm the skin around the eyes. It also contains caffeine, which helps to depuff. Finally, we like it because it works!
The cream itself contains hyaluronic acid; a substance that helps your skin retain moisture and encourage collagen production.
On this point, treating the crow’s feet around your eyes should be part of an overall, comprehensive face care routine. This means taking care of your entire face by using moisturizers that contain retinoids, peptides, and glycolic acids.
An excellent product to consider is Body Merry’s Retinol Surge Moisturizer (Amazon carries it). We like it because it has the magical combo of retinol (a wrinkle reducer), hyaluronic acid, vitamins and green tea. A little bit goes a long way!
4. Healthy Living
Finally, strive to be healthy. Don’t take up smoking or, if you already have, motivate yourself to quit by thinking about how your habit is destroying both your health and your looks. Get sufficient rest and incorporate antioxidant-rich foods into your diet like fruits, grains, fish, eggs, and vegetables.
Even if crow’s feet are more of a present nuisance than a future issue, preventive measures could still help in ensuring that the crow’s feet that are already visible don’t become worse, i.e., expand and deepen.
5. Treatments for Crow’s Feet
Brow or forehead lifts are among the most effective methods when it comes to eliminating crow’s feet or making them less noticeable. However, as with all surgical procedures, lifts come with certain risks.
If surgery, Botox, or collagen injections don’t sound appealing, there are numerous treatment choices for crow’s feet that don’t involve needles or going under the knife.
To save money, you can go for natural or homemade remedies like the classic cucumber-over-the-eyes method. Many also swear by egg whites as facial masks because they tighten the skin.
You can even apply Vitamin E directly on your crow’s feet. You just need to create a hole on a Vitamin E tablet or capsule and empty the contents onto the wrinkles in question.
If that doesn’t sound appealing, you can always grab a Vitamin E cream specifically made for the eyes. Amara Organics makes one that many people rave about. To learn about costs, visit Amazon’s page on this product.
Crow’s Feet Final Thoughts
No matter which treatment option you decide on, be sure to consult a dermatologist so you’ll have a clear idea of how best to deal with squint lines. Also, don’t forget that when it comes to your skin, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure.
If you are partnered or married, make skin care a ritual both of you partake in. This will help reinforce healthy living habits while creating a dynamic that helps both of you to look your best.
Never cease taking care of your skin no matter what age you are, but make sure that worrying about your appearance doesn't occupy too much of your time.
Remember, stress contributes to wrinkles by accelerating the aging process. Get regular physical activity to burn off anxiety. Your face will thank you for it.
