Do you have laugh lines on your face even though you don’t feel like laughing? The good news is that many people feel this way. Because the fine lines around the eyes form all by themselves with age. But why is that? What helps preventively against it? And what can you do if they are already there? You can find the answers here.
Colloquially, we refer to the fine wrinkles on the sides and below the eyes as crow’s feet. The name comes from the fact that the lines spread radially from the eye. Quasi like a crow’s foot. That is, crow’s feet are nothing more than eye wrinkles or smile lines. The underlying orbicularis oculi muscle is responsible for its formation. It surrounds the entire eye in a circle from the nose, through the eyebrows and corners of the eyes, to the cheekbone. When we squint the eye, its muscle fibers contract and crow’s feet form.
If you laugh a lot, you will get crow’s feet – sooner or later. That much is certain. But does this mean, conversely, that crow’s feet automatically always get happy people? No. Because the frequent squinting of the eyes also promotes the development. If you can’t read a text well or you wear glasses and you’re not wearing glasses right now – what happens? You inevitably squint your eyes and crow’s feet and wrinkles appear between your eyebrows(frown lines).
Fine lines around the eyes when you laugh heartily are perfectly natural. Laughter lines have a sympathetic effect – studies have already proven this. But what if they no longer disappear? Then they are usually considered disturbing and called crow’s feet. In short, like all facial wrinkles, crow’s feet are also part of the natural aging process. Whether you like it or not. But when they occur varies. You’ll find out how to recognize them early and what you can do about them in a moment.
One thing is clear: crow’s feet are signs of aging. But why is that? The explanation is very simple. As we age, not only does the elasticity of the skin decrease, but so do the youthful fat deposits on the face. Especially those under your eyes. The result: first dark circles appear and fine eye wrinkles persist. Of course, your personal lifestyle influences the pace of development just as significantly. Stress, lack of sleep or smoking – all turbos for your wrinkle development.
Eye wrinkles come only in old age? Wrong thinking! Because the first fine wrinkles can already appear in your early 20s. Especially the eye region is particularly susceptible to the first signs of the aging process due to the thin skin and low fat deposits. As a result, dark circles may appear even before adulthood due to small fat pads. And these in turn favor crow’s feet. Because did you know: if you already have dark circles under your eyes, smile lines underneath your eyes are more visible because your lack of fat pads makes it harder to smooth out the wrinkles.
In a nutshell, the sooner the better – provided they bother you, of course. This is because as we age, fine lines become deeper and therefore more difficult to remove than when we were younger. So, even in your early 30s, a combination of treatments may be necessary to smooth out crow’s feet again. The options for treatment depend on the depth, location and how long the wrinkles have existed. Because there is a difference if the crow’s feet are on the side of the eyes or below them.
Last updated: 06.02.2023
