We’ve all seen them – those fine lines and wrinkles stretching out from the corners of the eyes: crow’s feet. Even the name for them isn’t pleasant. But when they framed your grandparents’ eyes they were endearing. When you saw them take up residence your parents’ faces, they were a sure sign that time was passing. And now you wonder if you can avoid them at all.

First of all, let’s take a look at what crow’s feet are and what they are not. The single biggest contributor to the onset of crow’s feet is sun exposure. According to clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and South Miami dermatologist Dr. Debra Price, "Crow`s-feet are usually the earliest wrinkles to appear on a woman`s face [and] are caused primarily by exposure to the sun – what we call photoaging." This is why many outdoor enthusiasts develop crow’s feet earlier in life than their office-dwelling counterparts.

Smoking is also another leading contributor to the onset of crow’s feet. According to Dr. Weiss, smokers unconsciously squint their eyes to avoid the irritation and drying effects of the smoke. Your skin has a learned behavior. Think about your favorite pair of jeans. Wherever the fabric wrinkles when you move, not only does it hold a memory of the movement, making it much more likely to wrinkle again in the same place, but it also shows signs of wear in these areas. The skin around the eyes is similar in that she more it is exposed to sun and smoke – and the more you squint as a result – the sooner crow’s feet will appear.

If you have made in a priority to protect your skin from the sun and never smoked, then you are already ahead of the curve. Your eyes are arguably the most expressive feature of your face, so the act of smiling and squinting can actually etch the lines in place as well, although without the sun and/or smoke exposure, the lines are less likely to form early on.

Of course you cannot completely avoid smiling and even squinting, but there are some steps you can take to slow down the onset of crow’s feet as well as some strategies to make them less noticeable if you have already seen evidence of their presence in the mirror.

Avoid sun exposure

Use sunscreen everywhere, but do not forget the delicate skin around your eyes (look for SPF 50 to be safe). And don’t forget to apply it to your eyelids. Also invest in a pair of large dark glasses that cover not only your eyes, but the skin around them. These will cut down on sun exposure and also keep you from squinting in the bright sunlight.

Use moisturizer

Using a good moisturizer can help keep your skin soft and supple and lessen the appearance of crow’s feet. Look for a moisturizer that includes glycolic acid as an ingredient. These moisturizers may be harder to find (read: cost a little more), but they can be worth it in the fight against crow’s feet. Glycolic acid is one of the beneficial alpha hydroxy acids and can help your skin exfoliate the wrinkled surface cells and replace them with new ones. These moisturizers won’t erase crow’s feet, but they can make them much less noticeable.

Avoid smoke

Even if you don’t smoke, avoid spending extended amounts of times in smoky places like restaurants, bars and clubs. Smoke in the air makes you squint and squinting can accelerate the formation of crow’s feet, so avoid it at all costs.

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