Skin Care

Can You Really Get Rid of Crow's Feet?

We asked a top plastic surgeon and skin-care innovator to break it down

by Amanda Montell | COMMENT

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It's happened to all of us: That one fateful morning when you wake up, catch yourself in the mirror and notice a pair of crow's feet -- those telltale wrinkles that branch out from the corners of your eyes. Welp, it finally happened, you say to yourself, deciding whether to accept your crinkly lines or start obsessively Googling how to get rid of crow's feet.

Crow's feet are among the first wrinkles to appear on our faces, and they decorate the complexions of almost everyone over 30. The skin around the eyes is thin and delicate, unlike some of the fattier, more buoyant skin on the face, which is why these lines show up sooner.

So what causes these pesky crow's feet of ours? Oh, a number of inevitable things. The habitual squinting you do over the years eventually catches up with you, as well as all that time spent in the sun. In fact, photo-aging and free radical damage from too much sun exposure are primary causes of crow's feet. (Curse those summers by the pool.) Sleep deprivation can also contribute to crow's feet.

So what can we do about it now? To find out, we chatted with two skin-care authorities: Double Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon Dr. Richard Swift, MD, and Rachel Edlich, Co-Founder of Radical Skincare and Author of "Get Radical: Secrets To Creating A Life You Love." Look no further for your essential guide to preventing and treating crow's feet.

Image via urbanoutfitters.com

SEE NEXT PAGE: Crow's Feet Tip No. 1: Catch Some Z's

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