This is a very commonly asked question.  To recap, crows feet (also called eye wrinkles) refer to the fine lines radiating outwards, upwards and downwards from the corner of the eyes, usually when one is smiling or squinting into the sun.  Although often called smile lines, they can be a bit of a bother as they can make you look older than you want.  These are called dynamic wrinkles as they appear only when the muscles around the eye (the orbicularis oris) are contracting, but over the years they can form deep creases that do not disappear.  These crow’s feet initially are fine lines especially when they first appear around the age of 30 years, but later become more pronounced.  Certain other factors contribute to the development or worsening of crow’s feet, such as sun exposure, smoking and age.

When the crow’s feet first appear, they are rather fine, and the amount of botox needed is not much, even as low as 2 units per side.  This is sufficient to weaken the muscles on the skin enough to reduce the wrinkles.  The approach to reducing wrinkles depends on society.  Caucasians are happier to have a complete disappearance of crow’s feet, thus needing higher dosages of botox spread out over a wider area.  Asians tend to want to preserve the ability to still look natural with some very superficial wrinkles in their expression, hence the dosage for Asians tends to be a lot less.  Over the years, especially for men with bigger muscle bulks, the dosage for botox to reduce or eliminate crows feet tends to be higher, even up to about 24 units for both sides.

Wrinkles are divided into two types: the dynamic wrinkles (due to muscle overactivity, and disappear when the muscles are not active, or rested) and the static wrinkles (which form because of prolonged muscle activity, causing semi-permanent creases in the skin).  It is the dynamic wrinkles which we are concerned about now, as these are the ones that can be helped by botox cosmetic injection, which is given in the form of tiny injections into the muscles.  Static wrinkles can be helped only by injection of fillers, or in more extreme cases, by surgical facelifts.  It is primarily because prolonged contraction of muscles around the eyes tend to convert dynamic wrinkles to static wrinkles that early treatment with botox cosmetic injection is considered necessary.  (Think of a piece of paper that you keep folding again and again – these creases in the paper become permanent).

Botox cosmetic injections given directly into the appropriate muscles will cause the muscles to stop contracting.   The skin thus does not crease.  Usually you will feel the skin tightening at the injection site within 1/2  hour from the time of injection.  The effect of wrinkle elimination will be very obvious after 4 days or so, and is expected to last between 4 to 6 months.

Look at yourself in the mirror before the botox cosmetic injections, without smiling.  Then smile naturally and note the creases form by the outer corners of your eyes.  These are called crow’s feet.  These are the wrinkles that will disappear after your Botox cosmetic injection.  The disappearance of these wrinkles are what will make you look 10 years younger.

See your local aesthetic doctor for your injection.  These are professionally trained personnel who will know best how, where and when to give you your botox cosmetic injection.