When was the last time you met up with an old school friend or colleague in Marylebone, whom you haven’t seen in a few years? If you’re both in your 30s or older, the likelihood is that you couldn’t help checking out one another’s facial lines. In a society obsessed with looks and looking young, it’s natural to compare yourself with others to see who’s faring better in the ageing process. Was it you? Or was it your friend?
If it was your friend who appeared more youthful, with smoother skin, don’t despair. There’s a chance your friend has had an effective anti-wrinkle treatment to rejuvenate his or her looks and it’s possible for you to do the same. In order to truly make an assessment about which lines on your face make you feel self-conscious, smile at yourself in the mirror, you’ll make the lines stand out.
Crow’s feet are the cluster of lines that appear to the side of the eyes, as we grow older. The skin in this area experiences a lot of movement; when we screw up our eyes to protect them from the glare of the sun, when we laugh and when we frown. In fact, given that our eyes are so expressive, just about any expression we make causes a contraction of the muscles in this area.
When our skin begins to lose its youthful elasticity, and collagen levels drop in our late 20s, wrinkles at the side of our eyes become visible. Instead of snapping back into shape, your skin, in collagen-weak areas, will retain the lines that are made during expressions, even when your face is neutrally still.
There are two popular options for smoothing over crow’s feet wrinkles. These include anti-wrinkle treatments and dermal fillers. Both of these procedures are administered via injection under the skin but work in very different ways.
Anti-wrinkle treatments are temporary muscle relaxants, that by preventing muscles from contracting, prevents wrinkles from forming. Only a small amount is provided; enough to remove wrinkles, but not enough to prevent you from forming expressions. The effects of anti-wrinkle treatments last for 3-4 months, but top-up treatments will stop your skin from returning to its former state.
Dermal fillers, on the other hand, are gels containing hyaluronic acid. When injected under the skin, the fillers soak up water and create a cushioning effect, effectively pushing the fine lines out of your skin. Following Anti-wrinkle treatments or dermal filler treatments, you should find that your crow’s feet are far less visible, your skin smoother in this area and because of this, your whole face looks younger.
To find out more about removing your crow’s feet at our Mayfair & Harley Street skin clinic, please get in touch with one of our highly qualified and experienced practitioners. We’ll be able to book you in for a consultation to determine whether anti-wrinkle treatments or dermal filler would be more effective on your crow’s feet.
