Crow’s Feet

WHAT ARE CROW’S FEET?

Looking similar to a bird’s footprint, they will usually form on both sides of the face and both men and women can develop them. Crow’s feet may start off as fine lines that appear and disappear upon smiling or laughing. Over time they can become deeper set wrinkles that are more permanent, otherwise known as static wrinkles.

WHAT CAUSES CROW’S FEET?

The natural ageing process will be the reason for the development of crow’s feet. When a person is in their 20’s, collagen and elastin will start to diminish from the skin’s structure. By the time they reach their 30’s the skin has weakened, become thinner and tissue mass has decreased. This will be one cause for wrinkling skin as it loses its ability to return to its naturally smooth state. With crow’s feet, it is also the movement of the facial muscles that contributes to their development, wrinkling the overlying skin. 

Lifestyle choices and other external factors, such as: smoking, sun exposure, alcohol consumption and air pollution can lead to premature ageing, speeding up the rate at which collagen and elastin breaks down.

HOW CAN THEY BE TREATED?

When treating crow’s feet it is the muscles in particular that needs to be approached, which in this case is the orbicularis oculi muscle – which controls the closing of the eyes. By applying anti-wrinkle injections directly to this muscle, it becomes relaxed and softens its movement. As a result the overlying skin doesn’t crease and the wrinkle ceases to exist. This will restore a youthful look to the eye area, replacing a tired look with one that is fresher and rested. Depending on your concerns we may feel that Viscoderm hydrobooster is a more suitable solution, whereby ultrapure hyaluronic acid is injected into the affected area. This innovative product helps to improve the skin’s hydration and elasticity for softer looking wrinkles.