Crows Feet

Crow's-Feet

Delay Fine Wrinkles Indefinitely

If you take twin sisters, and one becomes a lifeguard while the other takes a desk job, chances are that on their thirtieth birthday, the lifeguard will have more crow's-feet--tiny lines radiating from the corners of her eyes--than the office worker. And if the lifeguard smokes, the difference will be even more marked.

"Crow's-feet are usually the earliest wrinkles to appear on a woman's face," says dermatologist Debra Price, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and a dermatologist in South Miami. But they're not necessarily a sign that you're aging. "Crow's-feet are caused primarily by exposure to the sun--what we call photoaging."

Squinting into the sun contributes to the process as well, explaining why outdoor enthusiasts may be more susceptible to crow's-feet than less-exposed women, says Margaret A. Weiss, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Once the skin has been exposed to sunlight over the years, it loses its elasticity. Squint long enough and often enough, and temporary wrinkle patterns formed at the corners of your eyes eventually become permanent.

Women smokers may develop crow's-feet earlier than women who don't smoke. According to Dr. Weiss, smoking makes you unconsciously squint as your eyes try to avoid the smoke's irritating and drying effects.

TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT CROW'S-FEET

Women dermatologists agree: If you never smoke, squint or tan your face, you'll get fewer crow's-feet. So the sooner you take steps to prevent crow's-feet, the younger the skin around your eyes will look. If the damage is already done, there are ways to minimize their appearance.

Here's what women doctors suggest for preventing crow's-feet in the first place--or preventing existing lines from getting worse.

Go glycolic. You can minimize the appearance of existing crow's-feet by moisturizing the area with an eye cream that contains glycolic acid--one of a group of alpha hydroxy acids--originally derived from sugarcane, says Dr. Weiss.

Glycolic acid encourages wrinkled cells to slough off and newer ones to emerge. The moisturizing agents in the cream will prevent any wrinkling from dryness.

Not many over-the-counter eye creams contain glycolic acid, says Dr. Weiss. One is Murasome Eye Complex 10 by Murad (developed by a dermatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles). To find a store near you that carries Murad products, call 1-800-33MURAD.

Whatever you do, never use higher strength skin lotions with glycolic acid (10 percent strength formulated for use on the face and neck) around your eyes without the supervision of a dermatologist. You could get a nasty burn. Around your eyes stick with 5 percent strength.

Turn back the sun. Since crow's-feet appear only after sunlight has begun to destroy the skin's elastin and collagen fibers over time, the best way to prevent crow's-feet is to use a sunscreen around the eyes, says Dr. Price.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen made especially for the eye area. Dot it gently around your eyes, including your upper and lower eyelids. Reapply every few hours. Dr. Price suggests using only fragrance-free sunscreens in the eye area, since some people might find fragrances irritating to delicate eye tissue.

Wear sunglasses and hats. In addition to applying sunscreen, wear dark sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats that shield as much of your eye area as possible, says Dr. Price.

Avoid smoke. Chalk up another reason for giving up cigarettes: Smoking, or spending a lot of time in a smoke-filled environment, makes you squint, so avoiding tobacco smoke helps prevent crow's-feet, adds Dr. Weiss.