Contents
As we age, fine lines start to appear on the face. Crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, forehead lines, and more take turns showing up. There are many ways to improve fine lines, from home care and salon care to light aesthetic treatments and surgical options, so there is no need to be anxious about facial lines. But! There are also many comments online such as “I got Botox and it didn’t work!” and “I spent so much money and it was a total waste!” Why do these problems happen? This article analyzes “crow’s feet” and walks you through their types, causes, and ways to improve them. Let’s find out where your own problem lies!
How Do Crow’s Feet Form?
4 main causes of fine lines:
a. Intrinsic aging
The epidermis becomes drier and thinner, and keratin turnover slows; the dermis gradually atrophies, and the elasticity of the collagen and elastin within it declines. The fat beneath the skin gradually thins, atrophies, and even shifts with age.
Why do fine lines and wrinkles appear on the skin? The biggest cause is “sun exposure”: sunlight breaks the collagen and elastin in the dermis, which reduces the skin’s rebound and leads to fine lines.
b. Facial expressions
Facial expressions create many creases, and over time they turn into a permanent line, such as frown lines and crow’s feet, and so on.
c. Photoaging
For example, UVA, UVB, UVC, and indoor light can all cause skin aging, and this can already be observed in younger people. Unavoidable sun exposure during daily commutes and indoor light in the office both cause so-called photoaging.
d. Smoking
The skin contains many blood vessels, and smoking constricts them so the skin cannot get enough nutrients, which makes the skin sallow and dull, and keratin turnover also becomes abnormal. The skin can also take on an unusual color. All of these factors lead to premature skin aging and fine lines. Smoking also causes chronic inflammation, cutting elastin fibers one by one, so fine lines multiply and the skin gets drier and drier.
3 main causes of crow’s feet:
1. Lines caused by muscle pulling and contraction; they need to be improved by relaxing the muscles.
2. Lines caused by laxity and sagging; they need to be improved by lifting and tightening.
3. Lines caused by collagen loss and hollowing; they need to be improved by filling and replenishing.
Don’t Let Neck Lines Give Away Your Age! 3 Ways to Erase Aging Neck Lines
Botox for Forehead Lines Causing Brow Heaviness? What to Know Before Treating Forehead Lines
Muscle-Type Crow’s Feet (Dynamic Lines)
Muscle-type crow’s feet usually appear, or become more obvious, when you “squint”. Around the eye socket is a muscle called the “orbicularis oculi,” which looks like concentric circles. When it contracts, our eyes close, and when the outer part of the orbicularis oculi squeezes shut forcefully, it pulls on the skin at the edge and draws it inward, forming lines.
Western and Asian orbicularis oculi muscles differ greatly. In East Asians the orbicularis oculi is larger, so the area where lines form is wider and the crow’s feet are longer, which is why crow’s feet can extend to the apples of the cheeks and the temples. For these reasons, treatment differs from that for Westerners.
Crow’s feet appear in many forms. The four most common types are full/fan-shaped, upper-lid, central, and lower-lid, so the “dosage” also varies by location! Muscle-type crow’s feet are mostly treated with botulinum toxin. A surgical approach would remove part of the muscle around the eye and re-tighten the orbicularis oculi.
Quick guide to improving muscle-type crow’s feet:
Mild improvement: Botulinum toxin injections
Recommended botulinum toxin brands: Neuronox, BOTOX botulinum toxin
Long-lasting improvement: Facelift surgery
Laxity and Sagging-Type Crow’s Feet (Static Lines)
This type of crow’s feet is very common! It is the line created by drooping of the outer eye corner and brow tail, which is what crow’s feet are. The logic is like drooping apple cheeks causing nasolabial folds, drooping jowls causing marionette lines, and laxity of the zygomatic ligaments pressing out “cat lines”; this kind of crow’s feet is a “static line,” meaning it appears even without making an expression.
Marionette Lines Hard to Fix? Types and Causes Explained, Treat Them Accurately
Nasolabial Folds When You Smile? How They Form and How to Improve Them
Does Botulinum Toxin Work for Laxity and Sagging-Type Crow’s Feet?
The answer varies from person to person. If the sagging is mild or not obvious, Botox can lift about 1-1.5 mm, giving a slight improvement; but if the sagging is more obvious, an outer-eye-corner lift surgery is needed to improve the drooping eye corner and crow’s feet.
Quick guide to improving laxity and sagging-type crow’s feet:
Mild improvement: Botulinum toxin injections, HIFU ultrasound, and radiofrequency
Long-lasting improvement: outer eye corner lift, brow tail and outer eye corner lift surgery, endoscopic forehead lift
Hollow-Type Crow’s Feet (Static Lines)
The type most often overlooked! The face has three layers in total: the first is the subcutaneous fat and skin (superficial layer), the second is the fascial layer (middle layer), and last are the fascial compartments and deep fat pads (deep layer). There is also a deep fat pad near the eyes, located around the orbit and technically called the SOOF, which atrophies with age, and once it atrophies the outer eye corner becomes hollow, forming what is called hollow-type crow’s feet.
How to improve hollow-type crow’s feet
An effective treatment is achieved by combining an outer eye corner lift with fat grafting (to the hollow areas).
Comparing Ways to Improve Crow’s Feet
We have covered many improvement methods above. Next, let’s compare four aesthetic medicine options for improving crow’s feet:
| Aesthetic option | Botulinum toxin | Thermage FLX | Hyaluronic acid | Facelift surgery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Injected directly into the wrinkle to inhibit the muscle * Suitable for both dynamic and static crow’s feet | Uses laser light of a specific wavelength to treat fine lines and laxity around the eyes * Short recovery, noticeable results | Filler fills the hollow areas and promotes collagen growth, providing filling and hydration | Also called a wrinkle-removal surgery, it tightens the SMAS fascial layer to create a lifting effect. Because it works on the fascial layer rather than the skin surface, the results are longer-lasting and more natural |
| Duration | 6-9 months | About 2 years | 6-12 months | Permanent |
| Side effects | Mild pain, bruising, and headache at the injection site; recovery takes about a few weeks | Mild swelling, redness, and edema may occur after treatment, improving in about a week | Redness, swelling, inflammation, and pain at the treated area, usually resolving within 1 week after injection | 1. Stop taking supplements and herbal tonics before surgery, and keep blood pressure within the normal range 2. Pay attention to post-op diet, daily routine, and wound care 3. Follow your doctor’s instructions to avoid side effects |
Thermage FLX | Ruby Lin’s Secret to Reversing Time! Get a Firm, V-Shaped Face with Ease
Facelift Surgery: Restore the Firm Contours of 10 Years Ago
Neuronox: The Botulinum Toxin Korean Stars Use, the Secret to Natural Youth
This article is for general information only. Results vary from person to person; please consult a doctor in person before deciding on any treatment.
