How to deal with crows feet

We love the sun and we love laughing but, let’s face it, both are a shocker at showing up crow’s feet.

The skin around our eyes is much thinner than on most of the rest of our body, so these fine lines are often one of the first signs we’re getting older. They develop when our bodies start to produce less collagen, which helps give our skin elasticity and firmness. Repeated use of the orbicularis oculi muscles from squeezing our eyes shut, smiling and squinting in bright sunlight is also a contributory factor.

Some things we just can’t change, but one thing we can do is take care of the delicate tissue around the eyes. UV light doesn’t just make you screw up your eyes; it also ages the skin. So wear sunglasses in all seasons and weathers and dab a high SPF sun cream up to the eye area (but avoiding the eyes—ouch!). These measures also help protect your skin from the kind of damage that can lead to skin cancer.

Sleeping on your face can exacerbate wrinkles. Try sleeping on your back or opting for the luxury of a silk pillowcase, which won’t pull on your skin or form creases that then etch themselves into your face. It also absorbs less moisture than other fabrics. And, of course, getting adequate sleep always makes you look younger and healthier, so try to get at least six hours a night.

You can help yourself squint less by wearing glasses if you need to, ensuring the prescription is up to date and increasing the font size when you’re reading on-screen. Don’t read from a screen for long periods of time without a break.

Eye creams can help and some people swear by face yoga, though the jury’s still out. But why not give it a go? Place your middle fingers on the inner corners of your eyes, your index fingers by the outer corners, squint hard upwards, hold for 15 seconds and relax. Do this three times.

But please don’t stop laughing—we like you like that!