The Truth About Crow’s Feet

Often the first thing you notice when you meet someone is their eyes. People usually notice a person’s eyes first as they reveal your genuineness. If you look at your eyes and notice signs of aging like fine lines or crow’s feet, don’t fret; it’s the first sign of the normal aging process, and it happens to all of us!

Crow’s feet are distinctive wrinkles that fan out from the outer corners of the eye. You could learn to love your crow’s feet. They add character to your face and make your smile appear more genuine.

But if you’re looking to diminish the look of crow’s feet or prevent them from forming in the first place, there are steps you can take, including seeing your optometrist for an eye exam. Frequent squinting can cause crow’s feet, but more importantly, it’s a sign you might need vision correction.

There are other factors contributing to crow’s feet, and many of these also affect your eyesight, so Doctors Eyecare Wetaskiwin wants to highlight some facts about crow’s feet that can help you with more than just wrinkle prevention. Keep reading to know more.

What causes crow’s feet?

Like other wrinkles on the face, you get crow’s feet around the eyes as you age. The skin around the eyes gets thinner and loses collagen and moisture over time. Here are some other factors that can contribute to the development of crow’s feet.

Aging: Facial wrinkles form due to natural aging and also premature aging from sun exposure. Good skincare can delay the formation of wrinkles and make them less obvious.

Cigarette smoking: Chemicals from smoking cause premature aging, including thinning skin and fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.

Facial expressions: Smiling, scowling, squinting, and other facial expressions contribute to the development of crow’s feet over time. Embrace this factor. It means you have lived a full life.

Sun damage: The skin around your eyes is very delicate, and exposure to UV rays causes premature aging and wrinkles, including crow’s feet.

Squinting: Frequent squinting can also cause crow’s feet or deepen lines around the eyes. Squinting may be a sign you need glasses or contacts to correct your vision. Patients may squint or experience eye strain as a result of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism, or presbyopia, a condition common after age forty that makes it harder to see up close.

How to hide crow’s feet?

You have a few choices for how to hide crow’s feet, including using makeup or wearing stylish glasses with tinted lenses. For example:

Using makeup: You might be able to camouflage crow’s feet with the right makeup. Try using a makeup primer and a good quality concealer. This will help reduce the visibility of fine lines.

Wearing eyeglasses: If you wear prescription glasses or readers, another option for hiding crow’s feet is to choose bold frames in an eye-catching color. Interesting frames can disguise crow’s feet by drawing the eye to the glasses instead of the skin around the eyes.

How to prevent crow’s feet?

Taking good care of your eyes and your skin can help to prevent crow’s feet naturally. These steps are also good for the overall health of your eyes and skin.

Get an eye exam: Regular eye exams are important for your overall eye health and maintaining good vision. As repeated squinting to see faraway signs or small words on a page contributes to the development of crow’s feet, seeing your eye doctor regularly can help prevent them.

Shield your face from the sun: Use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF-30 or higher. Adding a hat with a brim that sticks out at least two to three inches will also help protect the skin around your eyes.

Wear quality sunglasses: Buy (and wear) a pair of high-quality sunglasses that block 100% UV rays. If you’re doing an activity like boating or skiing where glare may be an issue, consider polarized sunglasses to keep you from squinting and to prevent eye strain. Good sunglasses also provide extra protection from developing skin cancer on the delicate skin around your eyes.

Use face moisturizer: A high-quality face moisturizer is an important part of any anti-aging skincare routine. Regular moisturizing can keep your skin supple and prevent or delay the formation of facial wrinkles such as crow’s feet and laugh lines.

If it’s been a while since you had a comprehensive eye exam, make an appointment with us at Doctors Eyecare Wetaskiwin. In addition to checking your eye health and vision, we can make a referral to an oculoplastic surgeon if you’re concerned about crow’s feet or other cosmetic eye issues.

If you want to know more about crow’s feet and other common eye problems, reach out to Doctors Eyecare Wetaskiwin. We are leading optometrists in Wetaskiwin, AB, providing a full range of eye health services to patients of all ages, from children to seniors. We also offer sunglasses, contact lenses, and eye exams to our patients. Our services are available to patients across Wetaskiwin, Millet, Maskwacis, Pigeon Lake, and the surrounding areas.

For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about eye care, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.