The presence of fine lines and wrinkles in the eye area — widely referred to as crow’s feet — is often a tell-tale sign of one’s age. Whether you’ve noticed fine lines forming or you’ve been dealing with them for a while, you may be wondering how to get rid of crow’s feet.
While you can’t snap your fingers and make crow’s feet disappear, you can help keep crow’s feet away with the right eye cream and a few helpful skin care steps. Here, learn everything you need to know about crow’s feet, including a breakdown of what causes crow’s feet, how to prevent crow’s feet and the best makeup and skin care products to reduce their appearance.
Crow’s feet are tiny wrinkles that appear at the outer corners of your eyes. Their name comes from their similar resemblance to the shape of a crow’s footprint. Crow’s feet are a common sign of skin aging that can begin to appear as early as your mid or late 20s. Per the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), as you get older, you may notice crow’s feet becoming more visible and that’s because your skin begins to lose its natural oils, which makes the wrinkles around your eyes appear more noticeable.
Additionally, the skin around the eyes is structurally very thin, so it’s more prone to becoming dry, which leads to, you guessed it, wrinkles. What’s more, normal facial expressions such as squinting contribute to the development of crow’s feet wrinkles, too.
Crow’s feet are a very common skin concern that many deal with. Here are two main causes that lead to their appearance.
It’s a well-known fact that aging can lead to crow’s feet, but let’s get into a bit of the science behind why. According to the Cleveland Clinic, two proteins that help skin retain its plump, youthful appearance — collagen and elastin — naturally decrease as you age. The reason is that the body’s natural collagen and elastin production slows rapidly with age, which weakens and thins the skin.
This leads to the formation of wrinkles and fine lines, because the skin surrounding your eyes is the thinnest on your face. The skin’s natural oils also deplete with age, which can also make fine lines and wrinkles more prominent.
Sun damage can lead to visible signs of aging, such as dark spots, uneven skin tone and crow’s feet. If you’re not diligent with a broad-spectrum SPF, you can experience these signs of aging much earlier and this means they’re only going to get more noticeable as you get older.
While crow's feet are an inevitable part of aging for many, there are a few things you can do to slow down their formation. Here are three easy practices to adopt in your daily life to prevent their formation.
As previously mentioned, sun damage can increase the visibility of crow’s feet so it’s imperative to diligently use sunscreen to prevent crow’s feet from occuring prematurely. That means applying a broad-spectrum SPF at least 15 minutes before you go outside and reapplying every two hours, per the Skin Cancer Foundation.
To help with this, add the L'Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion to your daily routine. It’s a lightweight sunblock with UVA and UVB filters to protect against the sun’s rays that contribute to aging and burning. The non-greasy formula lays on the skin without clogging pores and is formulated with vitamin C and vitamin E to prevent premature aging from free radicals.
Besides the obvious sunscreen, UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide-brim hat can help to keep your eyes (and the skin around them) shielded from the sun, which can help prevent crow’s feet.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, topical retinol stimulates the collagen and elastin that decrease with age, which can help to slow down the skin aging process while giving your skin a youthful appearance. Consider adding a retinol serum, like the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Night Serum, 0.3% Pure Retinol, to your nightly skin care routine to soften skin texture and reduce signs of aging like crow’s feet. While it can’t fully prevent crow’s feet, retinol can help reduce their appearance and keep deep-set wrinkles at bay.
If you’re already dealing with wrinkles in your eye area, it’s possible to get rid of crow’s feet with the help of effective procedures. Here are two options to consider.
Chemical peels, per the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), can exfoliate dead skin cells that exacerbate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. When your skin is exfoliated, this can help to reduce the appearance of deep set lines and the texture of crow’s feet. Talk to your dermatologist to see if you’re a good candidate for a chemical peel.
Botulinum toxin injections paralyze the muscles that wrinkle when you squint your eyes, which can prevent the formation of crow’s feet, per the Cleveland Clinic. If you want to explore this option, talk to your doctor, as you should not attempt to do these injections yourself or allow anyone other than a professional to perform this type of procedure on your face.
To tackle crow’s feet with your skin care routine, look for an eye cream that includes active ingredients that work to reduce fine lines and minimize visible signs of aging. Take your pick from the following eye creams for under-eye wrinkles and crow’s feet, below.
With age, skin can start to look and feel less firm, and fine lines and wrinkles can appear more visible. As previously mentioned, the delicate eye area is particularly susceptible to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles because the skin is thin. In response to that, this eye cream includes Pro-Retinol, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to hydrate the under-eye area while reducing the appearance of crow’s feet, dark circles, and puffiness with continued use over time.
As you age, you may notice a decrease in the overall plumpness of your skin, especially around the eye area. That’s where this eye cream comes into play because it has a powerful, skin-renewing formula, that tackles dark circles, bags, puffiness, lines and crepey lids. Immediately after application, the eye area is hydrated, while with continued use, crow’s feet are smoothed, dark circles are visibly minimized, eyelid crepiness is reduced and the skin has an overall more youthful appearance.
The skin has evolving anti-wrinkle needs as it ages. Starting in your 50s, skin loses vital nourishment, which can lead to an increase in the appearance of wrinkles like crow’s feet. This eye cream formula with calcium helps to improve skin smoothness and visibly reduce the look of crow’s feet, dryness and skin texture, with continued use over time.
Using an eye cream isn’t the only step you can take to address the appearance of crow’s feet. Crow’s feet are harder to conceal than dark spots but the right routine can help to smooth and minimize their appearance. Here are three key steps to follow.
After your sunscreen and eye cream dries you can begin your makeup routine. Start by priming your skin and eye area with the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer because it has a blurring effect that smooths the skin. It also helps to extend your makeup wear for up to 24 hours.
Fine lines like crow’s feet are exacerbated by dryness. To avoid this, make sure that you’re using a hydrating under-eye concealer, like L’Oréal Paris True Match Eye Cream in a Concealer, 0.5% Hyaluronic Acid. This concealer contains hyaluronic acid to mimic the benefits of your favorite eye cream and pigment to offer coverage — it’s the perfect way to mask dark circles without calling attention to crow’s feet.
Face powder is used to mattify the skin, which means it adds dryness and can emphasize texture and fine lines when you apply too much. To avoid this, look for a lightweight formula that has a translucent finish and Use a fluffy brush to lightly dust it on your face.
Next: Is There a Difference Between Fine Lines and Wrinkles?
Photo Credit: Courtesy of L’Oréal
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