How to Prevent and Visibly Reduce Crow's Feet
Our faces naturally receive the imprint of our facial expressions throughout the years, from smiles to frowns. Unfortunately, as we age, those imprints become more prominent. Wrinkles may be a mark of wisdom, but they can appear long before our golden years. In particular, crow’s feet can make us look haggard or older than we are. The good news is, it’s possible to reverse crow’s feet and other facial wrinkles.
What Causes Crow’s Feet?
Our skin contains several layers of elastic, connective tissue. Two major components include collagen, which gives our skin its springiness and resilience to injury, and elastin, which provides flexibility and stretchiness. When we smile, laugh, pout, or frown, our facial skin naturally wrinkles. Over time, the amount of collagen and elastin in our skin decreases. This means that our skin doesn’t “bounce back” from these temporary wrinkles, and the effects remain even after the facial expression is done.
The skin around our eyes is particularly delicate — it is 40 percent thinner than other parts of our faces. With so little elasticity, it’s prone to gain wrinkles before the rest of your face does. Even the simple act of blinking causes micro-wrinkles that add up over time — resulting in crow’s feet.
So, how can we minimize or avoid crow’s feet?
1. It Starts with Skin Care
Our faces are particularly vulnerable to sun damage. UV radiation, which occurs naturally during daylight, can alter the structure of your cells. While this causes cancer in extreme cases, these micro-changes also harm your cells’ ability to regenerate. Prolonged sun exposure contributes to wrinkles by damaging skin’s collagen- and elastin-producing cells.
That means that sunscreen should always be the center of your skin care routine. Follow it up with moisturizers that infuse vitamins and retinol into your skin. These stimulate new cell activity and can prevent your skin from losing its elasticity. Try an all-in-one solution with Rosy Radiant’s Secret Essence eye cream.
2. Massage It Out
Throughout the body, poor circulation and inactive tissues can cause pain and dullness. That’s particularly true around the delicate eye area. Fluid that naturally occurs within your face tends to pool around your eyes, causing dark circles. Many people who have “bags” under their eyes or chronic dark circles also get crow’s feet at a younger age. It’s simply a matter of the skin and tissues not performing their regenerative duties.
The solution is to improve circulation. While typical massage therapists don’t work the eyes, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it yourself. With a tool such as the GraceAllure Anti-Aging Eye Massager, you can conduct a “micro-massage” around your eyes, stimulating new cell activity and helping your skincare products to be absorbed more thoroughly.
3. Nurture Your Health
For centuries, green tea has been cherished for its healing properties. It contains natural antioxidants, which ward off harmful UV damage, and antibacterial agents, which prevent harmful microbes from building up on your skin. It’s also been shown to reduce inflammation both within the body and when applied as a topical treatment. If you’ve ever witnessed the positive effect of green tea bags on your eyes, you know what we’re talking about.
Green tea has also shown to have hormone-regulating properties, which makes it an appealing choice for fighting acne. However, aging involves hormonal activity as well, as our estrogen levels decline and our body stops receiving as many signals for new cell growth.
Wrapping Up
The best way to prevent crow’s feet, however, is simply to nourish your body and skin. Some wrinkles are inevitable, but by taking care of your facial skin and giving it a chance at rejuvenation, you can prevent premature wrinkles. Plus, you’ll enjoy a dewy glow that will make you look youthful — even if a few crow’s feet appear! It all starts with self-care.