Dr. Jennifer Lee gives expert advice on addressing crow’s feet at any age in the March 2014 issue of InStyle Magazine.
Stressing over the signs of aging on the tender skin near the corners of your eyes? Keep calm and smile on. Our age-by-age tips will hold bigger lines at bay for years to come.
20s
Collagen-zapping sun exposure now (and to lesser extent repetitive motions such as squinting) will speed perma creases in your 30s, says Los Angeles dermatologist Jessica Wu. Commit to sunglasses year-round, and pick up SPF in a stick form, which you can swipe beside eyes. But first apply a vitamin C serum under them to ward off skin-aging free-radical damage from UV rays.
30s
Slightly thinning skin makes fine lines more noticeable, says Jennifer Lee, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Firm up by stimulating collagen production daily with an OTC retinol eye cream layered under suncreen. At night, moisturize with an eye cream that contains fortifying fatty acids from ingredients like avocado.
40s
The feet have landed. Swap your OTC retinol for an Rx formula like Renova to get a bigger colagen boost, says Dr. Lee. Too harsh? Creams with growth factors can help you hold onto wrinkle-resisting elasticity. At night reverse damage while you sleep with a product like Frownies patches. Seriously. “They prevent you from scrunching your eyes, which helps soften the creases you have,” says Dr. Wu.
50s
Just when you need them most, those Rx retinoids can start irritating thin, crepey skin. Eye creams packed with peptides, which gently stimulate skin-firming collagen production, are a safer bet, says N.Y.C. dermatologist Debra Jaliman. And applying products with a sonic device that micro-massages them into the skin can help them be absorbed more deeply.