Crow's feet--the fine lines that radiate from the corners of your eyes--are among the first wrinkles to form and can surface as early as your 30s. They are dynamic wrinkles, meaning they're most noticeable when you contract the muscles in your face, such as when you squint or smile.
Many factors contribute to crow's feet including sun exposure, squinting, smoking and menopause, though sun exposure is probably the most important. Over years, solar radiation, in the form of UVA light, damages elastin and collagen leading to lax skin that hangs loosely instead of clinging tightly to the underlying muscles. The result is sagging, wrinkled skin.
The more natural pigment you have in your skin, the more you are protected from harmful ultraviolet radiation. This is why people with darker skin tend to have fewer crow's feet than those with lighter skin.
Squinting contributes to crow's feet as a result of countless contractions of the muscles around the eyes. Crow's feet overlie the large muscle that surrounds your eye called the ocularis orbis. When you squeeze your eyes tight, you are contracting this muscle, forming wrinkles that radiate from the corners of your eyes to your temples. Under constant tension, as in an afternoon at the beach, the skin becomes fixed in that wrinkled position, and over years, changes in the collagen make these wrinkles permanent.
Smoking causes wrinkles by damaging collagen and elastin fibers and by depriving the skin of blood flow and oxygen. It also contributes to dynamic wrinkles like crow's feet because you squint to keep smoke out of your eyes.
Estrogen helps prevent wrinkles by maintaining your skin's collagen, elasticity and hydration. Since estrogen is decreased following menopause, it can worsen your crow's feet. In fact, studies have shown that women lose 1 to 2 percent of their collagen every year after menopause. Fortunately, hormone replacement therapy might help maintain women's skin's thickness and elasticity, minimizing wrinkles.
The best way to treat crow's feet is to prevent them. I advise patients to always wear sunglasses when outdoors (even if it's cloudy), to minimize squinting and to always apply a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB light.
Unfortunately, you don't have to be a lifeguard to develop crow's feet. Women don't realize that they can be squinting 8 hours a day at their desk. Therefore, make sure there is no glare on your computer monitor and that your glasses or contacts are optimal so you don't squint.
And of course, don't smoke. Ever.
There are many creams that promise to smooth wrinkles, but few can deliver on that promise. Topical retinoids have been proven to help minimize crow's feet by inducing new collagen growth in the skin. They are available in over the counter creams labeled as retinol and in prescription strength such as tretinoin.
The most efficient way to treat crow's feet is with Botox, which works by partially paralyzing the obicularis orbis. Because you cannot contract this muscle, the wrinkles don't appear (although if the Botox is overdone, you can't even smile about your wrinkle free face).
Injectable fillers work by plumping up the crow's feet lines, giving you a smoother look. Finally, surgical treatments such as chemical peels and lasers can improve crow's feet by inducing a significant regrowth of collagen.
Generally speaking, the more dramatic the treatment, the more dramatic your results will be.
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