Wrinkles under eyes when smiling. What are crows' feet, their causes, and how to avoid them?

You are probably familiar with crow's feet - those unflattering wrinkles under eyes when smiling that make us seem older than we really are. Ironically, under eye wrinkles when smiling are hardly a laughing matter especially if you cherish looking youthful and photogenic. Yet, this is a problem that continues to stalk many Westerners, particularly those with lighter and fair skin tones. That said, eye wrinkles when smiling are usually the first tell-tale sign of aging that most folks are typically at a loss on how to deal with or stave off. Fortunately, this detailed excerpt explores this topic comprehensively giving you a fair shot on both reducing and preventing them.

What are Crows Feet?

Wondering what are crows feet or rather what is crows feet? They are the fine lines that appear around the periphery of your eyes and mouth. And they usually become more noticeable when you squint, smile or frown. Actually, these feet wrinkles are among the very first signs of collagen loss that accompanies aging that most will consciously stumble upon when they least expect it. It's almost as if it's nature's way of reminding us of our impending and inevitable stroll into the sunset. However, that does not entirely mean that there's nothing you can do about it.

What Causes Crow's Feet and How Can I Prevent It?

In a world that is obsessed with external beauty standards, it's normal to wonder; what causes crow's feet? Well, even before delving deeper into the numerous crows feet causes it is imperative to bear in mind that the skin around your eyes and the periphery of your mouth is usually the thinnest, most delicate and vulnerable to environmental damage. So, if there is anything wrong with your skincare, facial grooming, or lifestyle in general, this is the first area of your face that bears the full brunt of your choices.

So, what causes crow's feet? Here's a quick rundown of some of the possible culprits to be on the lookout for.

1. Sun Damage

Sun damage is by far the greatest and most significant cause of crow's feet and premature wrinkling. You see, extreme exposure to UV rays (like what happens when you bask for hours in the sun without proper SPF and sunglasses), can easily damage your skin's underlying cellular and structural structure. Apart from drying it out, it precipitates wrinkles starting with crow's feet or laughter lines. And if you keep at it, these smile lines will settle in permanently.

In other words, stay away from the strong sun rays if you can and, if not, wear ample sunscreen and a proper moisturizer. Speaking of moisturizers, go for one that is infused with collagen to rejuvenate the vulnerable skin around your peepers. Maryann's Eye Cream employs this in the company of antioxidant formula to renew and depuff the skin around your eyes as well.

2. Weight Fluctuations

Contrary to the common misconception, sudden weight loss or gain does not do your face any justice. Here's the thing; it's typically for some parts of your body and face to be affected more than others when you pack up or lose a lot of pounds within a very short time. As such, your skin stretches out beyond its elastic limit and has to snap back again when you regain that lost weight. Do this enough times and you will end up with less-than-desirable crow's feet. Hence, strive to maintain a healthy weight all year round if you are looking for how to avoid crows feet.

3. Smoking

It shouldn't be a surprise that smoking is one of the leading causes of smiling lines, especially mens crows feet. Men are, after all, more likely to be chain or habitual smokers than their female counterparts. That aside, nothing has a greater impact on the health and appearance of your skin than smoking. It deprives your underlying epithelial cells of the oxygen that it needs to bounce back, and remain plump-looking, healthy, and youthful. Better ditch those smokes if you don't want to have unsightly crow's feet when smiling sooner rather than later.

4. Collagen Loss Associated With Aging

The last (but not least) cause of a crows feet smile is the progressive and expected loss of collagen that accompanies old age. You see, our body's ability to re-synthesize lost collagen declines the longer that we are alive. Nevertheless, that does not mean that there's nothing that we can do to slow down the inevitable. Adding a collagen-rich cream such as Maryann Collagen Cream to your daily skincare routine is the first step towards giving your skin a fight chance in maintaining a youthful and radiant complexion even as the days and years whizz past us.

Does Squinting Cause Wrinkles? Debunking the Myth

A lot of people wonder, does squinting cause wrinkles, or is it just a myth? Indeed, just like how holding any specific facial expression e.g frowning over a considerable amount of time can leave a nasty scowl on your face, squinting repeatedly does not do your complexion any favors, really.

So, make sure that you are not finding an excuse to squint more than you have to if you want to keep crow's feet at bay. For example, get a pair of prescription glasses if it is a blurry vision or short-sightedness that is making you squint more than usual. In the same way, it's advisable to wear sunglasses when going out in the blazing summer sun to avoid the need to squint excessively when the sun's strong rays hit your face. This is actually one of the most practical ways how to prevent crow's feet before they become a permanent feature of your face.

What Age Do you Get Crow's Feet?

It is expected for people, women, in particular, to ruminate over questions like; what age do you get crow's feet, and is it normal to get smile lines in your 20s? For starters, it's imperative to point out that there's no particular or specific age that which one gets crow's feet. The age at which the first smile lines appear varies a lot depending on factors such as;

• Genetics - Fair-skinned people are more likely to have facial wrinkles earlier than their counterparts with a darker skin tone.
• Your lifestyle, diet, and general habits - Smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and lack of enough sleep accelerates the appearance of crow's feet.
• Skincare routine - Those who exfoliate, moisturize regularly, and apply SPF religiously are likely not to have crow's feet earlier than those who neglect their faces.

Generally, though, most people will see the beginnings of smile lines at some point in between their mid-20s and mid-30s when collagen production tanks for the first time in their lives.

What Causes Early Crows Feet Eyes

Although many get crows feet at 30 or older, you can find yourself in the land of crows feet in your 20s if you are not prudent enough to take care of your skin as soon as you step out of your teens. Either way, getting crows feet at 25 or younger, known as early crows feet eyes is usually aggravated by self-destructive habits such as habitual smoking, not eating a balanced diet, and not taking good enough care of one's skin.

Crows Feet Men - Is Any Different From Women's?

As much as men's skin is usually relatively thicker than that of women, the genesis of crows feet men is exactly the same as that which causes laughing lines in women. In short, it is important to pay attention to your lifestyle and skincare routine regardless of your gender if you want to keep crow's feet at bay.

How to Get Rid of Crow's Feet Without Botox?

By now, especially if you are on a budget, you may be contemplating how to get rid of crow's feet without botox. Luckily, there are several promising crows feet treatment methods you can try at home. Here's a quick primer to that;

• Get a Crow's Feet Cream - It doesn't have to be anything fancy or ultra-expensive. Prioritize moisturizers with useful ingredients such as vitamin C, collagen, retinol, and hyaluronic acid. Maryann's Vitamin C with Hyaluronic Acid, for example, employs a concentrated vitamin C serum in conjunction with hyaluronic acid to rejuvenate the damaged skin around your eyes in an effort to banish crow's feet.

  

• Get an Eye Cream - Apart from a cream for crows feet, you need an under-eye depuffing complex to keep eye bags and dark circles at bay. As noted earlier, Maryann's Eye Cream makes use of a combination of collagen and hyaluronic acid to combat the progressive damage that piles up with age.

  

• Make use an Eye Mask or Patch - You'd be surprised by how much an eye mask would complement a crows feet cream in your quest to get rid of laughing lines. Go for an eye mask for dark circles that are designed to rehydrate the delicate area under your peepers. Maryann's Under Eye Collagen Mask comes to mind. These under-eye patches go a step further and include 24K gold in a bid to encourage circulation in this area hence making it even easier to relieve puffiness which, as you know, usually morphs into crow's feet.

  

In Closing

While crow's feet are an inevitable part of aging, you don't necessarily have to let them ruin your complexion in your 20s, 30s, or 40s before you really have to deal with other deep-set wrinkles. But even then, there's so much that a good skincare routine matched with a healthy lifestyle can help you avoid.