Crows feet refer to the wrinkles and lines that radiate outwards from the outer corners of the eyes.
The appearance of the lines look resemble the feet of a crow and hence, the name.
Interestingly, the Chinese refer to the crows feet as fish tail lines given their similar appearance.
Wrinkles are one of the signs of aging skin and can start to develop in the late 20s. They form due repeated skin movement from muscular contractions that produce facial expressions.
In the eye area, the main muscle of focus is the orbicularis oculi. When we smile, the outer rings of the muscle contracts which causes crows feet wrinkles and lines to appear.
As we age, the skin gradually loses collagen and elastin, making it more susceptible to the formation of wrinkles and lines.
Other factors such as UV exposure and sun damage, smoking and lifestyle stressors may worsen the appearance of wrinkles.
Crows Feet Botox treatment targets and relaxes the orbicularis oculi muscle which is the cause of wrinkles around the eyes when one smiles.
Once this muscle is relaxed, the number of muscular contractions will decrease and the skin relaxation time is increased, thereby resulting in the improvement of wrinkles and lines.
Botox relaxes the muscle by interfering with the conduction of nerve impulses. Less nerve signals reaching the muscle = less muscular contraction
Botox injections are one of the world's most popular anti aging aesthetic treatment and is extensively studied with very high levels of safety and efficacy for the treatment of wrinkles and lines.
Although there are many different brands of botox and neurotoxins, Dr Edwin prefers to use the botox brand from Allergan. However, due to google search engine restrictions, the website is unable to spell out botox in full.
During the consultation, Dr Edwin will examine your skin and recommend an ideal botox treatment plan by discussing the points of injection and botox dosage required.
Prior to each injection, the treatment area will be “iced” to minimize discomfort and the risk of bruising.
Rest assured that botox injections are done using a tiny needle, hence, discomfort is minimal and may feel like tiny ant bites at most.
Immediately after treatment, there will be small bumps present at the injection site. These bumps contain the botox which has just been injected and will typically disappear after 4 to 6 hours.
It is important that patients refrain from massaging or pressing on these botox bumps as it may cause botox to spread to other areas.
The risk of bruising is slightly higher around the eyes compared to other parts of the face because the skin is thinner and there are more small blood vessels in the area.
If there is bruising, Dr Edwin recommends the application of the intensive recovery cream to hasten the recovery process of the bruises.
In steady hands, the discomfort is little to none. Furthermore, Dr Edwin uses tiny needles combined with ice application to keep discomfort to a minimum.
Crows feet botox typically lasts around 3 to 4 months for those who choose a "natural dose" and between 4 to 6 months for those who request for higher doses.
Crows feet wrinkles after botox typically takes between 3 to 10 days to improve with results appearing gradually.
If needed, more botox can be added after 2 weeks.
No, when done correctly, botox Crows Feet should not make you look fake.
An experienced doctor will be able to recommend the ideal botox dosage to achieve your desired look.
For example, those who prefer a more "natural" look will receive a lower dosage of botox compared to those who prefer a more "frozen" look.
Those opting for a more natural look will still retain around 30-40% of muscle movement. However, retaining a certain degree muscle movement would mean that some wrinkles and lines may still be present.
For those who prefer minimal wrinkles, Dr Edwin will recommend a higher dosage to keep muscle movement to a minimum. However, minimal muscle movement translates to lesser facial expressions and hence a more "frozen" appearance.
After Crows Feet botox, patients may experience mild bruising and swelling at the injection sites.
The swelling from Crows Feet botox usually disappears in a few hours whilst bruising tends to fade after a few days.
Crows Feet botox is often combined with botox treatments for other areas to improve wrinkles in the upper face.
Learn more about botox treatments for other areas here
Every clinic offers different Crows Feet botox treatment options. No one clinic is same as the other. If you want to make sure that the Crows Feet botox treatments are performed safely and effectively, make sure that the clinic is experienced in Crows Feet botox injections. The clinic should also offer information on the various types of Crows Feet botox treatments before proceeding.