As your skin starts aging, it will lose its natural glow and elasticity. Wrinkles will start appearing together with crow’s feet, a group of fine lines that radiate from the external corners of your eyes. Although they are a natural consequence of aging, many find them unaesthetic since they can make you look older than you actually are.
Since you cannot ultimately stop time, the best you can do is to prevent crow’s feet through skin care. Let’s have a look at a few tricks to make these wrinkles look a little less prominent.
What are crow’s feet and why they appear?
Your skin structure is sustained by a cushioning layer of connective tissue that keeps it soft and elastic. The main constituents of this tissue are elastin and collagen, two vital proteins that act as “bricks” and keep everything together. Water is found between these bricks and is used to nourish cells and add plumpness and resistance to the epidermis.
There are two main reasons why crow’s feet and wrinkles form: lack of collagen and elastin, and lack of water. The structural proteins are constantly produced by cells, but as you age, the number of cells which die becomes higher than the number of new cells which replace them. As a consequence, your body’s reserve of peptides will slowly wane. Other chemicals such as the free radicals might also contribute to the degrading processes that counter the replenishment of elastin and collagen.
Lack of water might happen for many reasons, instead. You may lose water from your skin because of exposure to sun, bad weather, wind or cold. You may apply a cream or a perfume which contain dehydrating chemicals, such as alcohol. Or you can simply fail to consume enough water every day from dietary sources.
The bottom line is that if water, collagen or elastin are not enough, your skin will lose its elasticity. In due time, it will start breaking up, and minuscule cracks and crevices will start forming. Those cracks are wrinkles. So what you can do about that?
- Wear a good sunscreen
The sun is the number one enemy of your skin. UV rays will not only produce free radicals, but also degrade connective tissue directly, and dehydrate your skin as well. There’s no other element that is able to age your skin quicker than sun itself. The simplest solution to preserve your youth is then to wear a good sunscreen and to avoid direct exposure during the hottest hours of the day, especially during the summer season.
- Wear a pair of sunglasses
Squinting constantly stretches your skin around the eyes, causing additional mechanical stress which will speed up the aging progress. If the sun is in your eyes, your will instinctively squint them to protect them from light. Wear a pair of good sunglasses to limit squinting as much as you can whenever you are exposed to direct sunlight.
- Use Moisturizing Creams
Dehydration is your enemy, so keeping the water inside the skin is just as important as providing additional one through diet. Moisturizing creams prevent cell shrinkage by preventing the water from evaporating outside the skin through perspiration. Apply those creams in the morning when you wake up, and before you go to sleep. They will keep your skin smooth and plump.
- Inject Wrinkle Relaxers
Wrinkle relaxers are a purified peptides of the same type which constitute your connective tissue. They are injected into facial muscles in small quantities, replenishing natural stock. The effect is slow, and will appear over 5-10 days. The longer they are used, the more crow’s feet and fine lines are prevented in the long run. Although these injections need to be performed by a qualified physician, there’s no need to use local anesthetics or sedation since they’re entirely painless.
- Use antioxidant cosmetics
You should avoid any source of free radicals, such as pollution, junk food and smoking. However, you cannot avoid all forms of exposure all the time, so, at least, you can counteract their effects with a group of substances known as antioxidants. Many natural cosmetics are packed with these chemicals, such as those which contain sweet almond oil, coconut oil, shea butter and sunflower oil.
- Massage your skin daily
Crow’s feet do not form only when we squint, but also when we smile. Every time the muscles around the eyes stay contracted, they will build up tension. Massaging the area surrounding the eyes, for example, whenever you apply your cream for five minutes every day will help loosen muscles. It’s a simple gesture that can help you preserve your youth!
Conclusion
Taking care of your look is the best way to take care of yourself. The healthier you are, the younger will skin will look. And effectively preventing crow’s feet is a terrific way to always look younger!