Crow’s feet are one of the more common signs of aging. They are the finer wrinkles around the eye that simply deepen as we age. They begin to show up reliably somewhere around the late twenties, but are seldom particularly noticeable if you’re taking care of your skin. Good skin care will generally keep them unnoticeable for years after that, This is especially true with makeup. But why do they happen in the first place? Aging or “Life” are over-simplifications of the answer. We wish to give a relatively complete explanation of the different causes of crow’s feet. You’re never going to fully escape them, but you can contain them and keep your skin healthy to ensure you age gracefully into them.
Sun Damage
One of the primary causes of all kinds of wrinkles is sun damage. There is a constant stress put upon the use of sunscreen when it comes to skin care. If you’re going out in the sun, then you should be wearing some form of protection. The general rule of thumb is nothing lower than SPF 30 and that the protection should be broad spectrum. This will protect you from all parts of the sun’s rays while still allowing you to happily enjoy the sun for hours. You need to be especially careful when it comes to the skin around your eyes. This skin is thinner and less robust than the rest of your skin. As a result, it has fewer protective layers and is more easily damaged than the rest. Never forget your sunscreen.
All Smiles
The common wisdom of guardians for ages has been that if you keeping making a particularly silly face that it will eventually stick. This isn’t actually true, but what is true is that every expression you make has an effect on your skin. You scrunch your skin up one way or bunch it up another to show how you feel constantly. The only time you’re not doing that is when you go out of your way to relax your face entirely. Technically, your facial muscles are still tensed to a degree to give shape to your face, but you probably won’t be making an obvious expression then. When you smile, squint, or otherwise makes an expression that involves the skin around your eyes moving, you’re slowly wearing at its elasticity and capacity to keep a smooth shape. The normal process of living, laughing, and loving will give you crow’s feet. We urge you to not let this be a reason to stop smiling. Just take good care of your skin and keep enjoying life.
Sleeping Position
There is some connection with wrinkles and sleeping position as well. Sleeping on your side stretches and pulls the skin of your face just like making expressions. This will vary depending which side you’re sleeping on, but the cumulative effects will still be the same. In some ways, this can be a bit worse since the position is sustained longer than most expressions. Sleeping on your back is a better option for your face. Not everyone can do this though and you do still need sleep. Remember that just because sleeping on your side can cause crow’s feet doesn’t mean that you need to give up the only way you can sleep comfortably. Lack of sleep routinely will do far worse to your skin in the long run.
Crow’s feet, like all wrinkles, are something we try to avoid for as long as possible. We can’t stop them forever though and there is no shame in that. Time and age deplete how well our skin can keep its shape and it shows. The skin around the eyes is particularly difficult due to its sensitivity and comparative lack of resistance. If you are worried about crow’s feet, we recommend you always wear your sunscreen and sleep in such a way that the skin of your face isn’t stretched or pulled during the night. Don’t forget to keep smiling, though.
