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eyes-with-and-without-crows-feetWhile the fountain of youth remains ever elusive, we must face the reality that we are all getting older. Even so, there are some ways we can prevent or at least slow down certain symptoms of aging. Crow’s feet, or wrinkles at the outer corners of the eyes, can be prevented or minimized by making the following things a part of your lifestyle.

Wear Sunglasses

Sun exposure can cause your skin to dry out and become damaged. Too much sun can eventually lead to wrinkles. Wear sunglasses to protect your delicate eye area from excessive sun exposure. Sunglasses also lessen the brightness of the sun so that you do not have to squint, which eliminates another cause of wrinkles around the eyes.

Wear Sunscreen or Sunblock

Sunscreen and sunblock help keep your skin hydrated and protect it from the harmful rays of the sun. By wearing sunscreen or applying a daily moisturizer that includes sunscreen, you protect your skin against the potentially damaging sun exposure that could lead to crow’s feet and other facial wrinkles.

Take Care of Your Skin

Skin care is not just for teenagers. An effective skin care regimen can help keep your skin youthful, healthy, and vibrant. Appropriately customized skin care products can be used to help minimize and prevent wrinkles for individuals of all ages.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking accelerates aging in ways that you may not realize. In addition to causing lung cancer, smoking inhibits blood supply and prevents organs (like your skin) from receiving essential oxygen and nutrients. Avoid smoking to prevent premature aging and to protect your skin and your health.

Avoid Eyestrain

The common warning to children that “If you keep making that face, it will stick like that!” isn’t as farfetched as you might think. One of the primary reasons we develop crow’s feet is due to frequent contraction of the muscles near the eyes. Repeated muscle movement in this area, such as squinting, can gradually cause lines to become permanently etched into your skin. Eyestrain caused by neglecting to use glasses, staring at small print, or looking at a phone or computer screen for too long can accelerate the formation of crow’s feet and other wrinkles around the eyes.

Be Gentle With Makeup

If you wear eye makeup, every morning you most likely pull and push at the skin around your eyes so that you can apply your makeup exactly as you desire. At the end of the day when it is time to remove eye makeup, the skin is usually treated even more roughly. The skin around the eyes is thin, delicate, and soft, and this harsh manipulation of the tissues can perpetuate wrinkles.

Don’t Rub Your Eyes

Rubbing your eyes can be hard on your skin and may lead to crow’s feet. If you have a tendency to leave your eye makeup on too long, a habit of not getting enough sleep, or itchy eyes due to allergies, seek out ways to improve these issues so that you are less likely to rub your eyes.

Erase Crow’s Feet With Facial Injectables

If crow’s feet have already found a home on your face, facial injectables can help. Dr. Pollack offers BOTOX® Cosmetic, XEOMIN®, and BELOTERO BALANCE® as effective treatments for crow’s feet. Each of these injectables can minimize wrinkles around the eyes and give you a more youthful appearance.

To learn more about skin care and anti-aging treatments, schedule your consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Larry H. Pollack. Call (858) 450-9100 or fill out our online contact form to request your personal appointment today.