Kayla Young
Every time you look in the mirror, there they are, staring back at you — your crow’s feet. Those pesky little lines that fan out from the outer corners of your eyes are one of the most common signs of aging.
Also known as smile lines, these fine wrinkles are usually the first to turn up on our face, reminding us that we won’t be young forever. The anti-aging industry offers many ways in which to keep you looking younger, though, and if you’re not afraid of needles, you may just be considering botox for your crow’s feet.
So the question that you may now have is: Does botox work for crow’s feet?
Contents
Does Botox Work For Crow’s Feet?
The answer to this is yes, Botox does work for some types of Crow’s Feet. This depends on the type of crow’s feet you have whether. There are two types of crow’s feet, and wrinkles in general — dynamic and static.
1. Dynamic Crow’s Feet
Dynamic crow’s feet are the result of underlying facial muscle contractions. These happen when you smile, frown, grin, laugh, wink, or raise your eyebrows.
If you have an expressive face, then you may have noticeable crow’s feet that hang around when you give poker face.
Botox works great for crow’s feet caused by dynamic wrinkles because it relaxes and paralyzes the underlying muscles that cause crow’s feet to develop.
It doesn’t affect the skin on top, though, so if you find after repeated injections that you’re not getting the results you want, a strategically placed filler might need to be added.
2. Static Crow’s Feet
Gravity and the breakdown of our skin’s protein matrix are the causes of static wrinkles. Static crow’s feet are usually deep and are always visible on your face, even when you sleep.
If your crow’s feet are caused by static wrinkles, then botox may not give you the full effect that you’re after. In this case, further on in this blog, we’ll let you know the other options available to you.
If you do decide that you want to get botox to tackle your crow’s feet, then know that it will work best if you’re over 30 before any deeper wrinkles develop.
The Process
As you probably know, Botox is a drug that has been used by doctors for years to help smooth out wrinkles. It is also used for other purposes, such as treating headaches and excessive underarm sweating. Botox is derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and is considered a highly toxic substance.
The drug is injected into the muscles of the face, which then blocks the nerve signals causing the muscles to relax. A small needle is used to inject the botox into the muscle, with the average dosage being 15-20 units.
Typical treatment of crow’s feet will last about 20-30 minutes.
So, now that you know what kind of wrinkles you have, it’s time to do some more research.
Don’t just make your decision to have botox based on someone you know whose cousin cured her crow’s feet.
Although word of mouth is a great reference point, you need to make an informed decision, especially since someone will be injecting what is technically poison into your face.
Search the internet for certified dermatologists and cosmologists in your local area, who should be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Ask to book a free consultation with them so that you can have your questions answered and feel the vibe of the clinic.
If after the consultation now know that botox is right for you, then you’ll also need to be aware of what could go wrong.
Side Eye
Like with anything that’s injected into the body, there’s a chance that things might not go exactly as planned. And because the botox will be injected close to your very sensitive eye area, you need to be aware of any dangers.
You should expect a bit of bruising or swelling around the eye where the needles were injected, but that’s about all.
However, because the area around the crow’s feet is so delicate, you will want to watch out for these side effects:
- Allergic reactions
- Droopy eyelids and other muscle weakness
- Double vision
- Alternative Treatments For Crow’s Feet
Botox isn’t for everyone.
And especially if you have static crow’s feet, you might want to consider the following cosmetic procedures, which may be more suitable for your situation. Note that many of these are available in MediSpas and beauty clinics, and many have at-home versions as well.
Dermal fillers
These work great for static wrinkles.
If your crow’s feet are a permanent feature around your eyes, then fillers will do the job that botox can’t. Fillers plump up the lines to smooth out the skin and are also injected by a needle. Remember to do your research before consulting a certified dermatologist.
The most popular filler used is Juvederm. Fillers can last for between three and 12 months.
Microdermabrasion
Kind of like using fine sandpaper, microdermabrasion uses tiny aluminum oxide crystals that slough off the outer skin cells of your face. The treatment is great at reducing crow’s feet, and the results are boosted when retinol-based cream is used after the procedure.
See also:
- Is Microdermabrasion Good for Blackheads?
- Best Microdermabrasion Machine
- PMD Personal Microderm Pro Review
Chemical peels
This cosmetic procedure involves removing the other layers of old skin, which leaves behind smoother, and younger-looking skin.
Superficial peels are apparently relatively painless, but deeper peels can even require an anesthetic to be used, along with a painful healing process.
See also:
- How To Speed Up Peeling After a Chemical Peel
- What To Use After The Ordinary Peeling Solution
- Best Chemical Peel For Hyperpigmentation 2022
Laser treatments
Lasers and light therapy are used to stimulate the production of collagen, which will help to thicken the skin and smooth out crow’s feet so that they are less visible. The heating up of the skin’s surface from the laser is what stimulates the collagen and tightens the skin. Results can last for up to 10 years.
See also:
Retinoids
The anti-aging favorite of many! Retinol, an over-the-counter type of retinoid, is very effective at increasing the rate of cell turnover, producing more collagen, and leaving plumper, smoother skin behind.
Retinoids taken by prescription, such as tretinoin, have been scientifically proven to reduce the appearance of crow’s feet after use.
See also:
- Retinol and Sun Exposure: What’s The Deal?
- Should You Use Retinol Before or After Moisturizer?
- Can Retinol Make Dark Spots Worse?
Conclusion
So now you know that if you’re dealing with dynamic wrinkles, then botox does work for crow’s feet to reduce their appearance.
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