Crow's feet are the fine lines that fan out from the outer corners of the eyes when you smile, laugh or squint. They are often among the first expression lines people notice, partly because the skin around the eyes is thin and partly because the muscle beneath it works all day. For many people they are a sign of a face that smiles a lot. For others they start to make the eyes look tired, or begin to stay even when the face is at rest.
Botox is one of the most common ways to soften them, and when it is placed well the result is subtle: the lines relax while the smile still looks like yours.
What causes crow's feet
The lines are made by the orbicularis oculi, a ring of muscle around each eye that closes the eye and tightens when you smile or squint. Every time its outer part contracts, the skin at the corner of the eye folds. Several things make the lines more noticeable over time:
- Expression. People who smile, laugh or squint a lot crease the area more often.
- Age. As skin loses collagen and elasticity, creases that once disappeared start to linger.
- Sun exposure. Sun damage thins the skin and makes fine lines more visible, and squinting in bright light adds to the movement.
- Thin skin. The skin around the eyes is among the thinnest on the face, so lines show early.
How Botox softens crow's feet
Botox relaxes the muscle that makes the lines. Small amounts are placed into the outer part of the orbicularis oculi on each side, which reduces how strongly it contracts at the corner of the eye. The skin creases less when you smile, and with regular treatment the lines can become less noticeable at rest too. The goal is not to stop you smiling, but to soften the fan of lines while your expressions still look natural.
Crow's feet are often treated together with the forehead and frown lines, and sometimes with bunny lines on the sides of the nose. The Botox guide covers the other treatment areas and how treatment is priced.
What treatment involves
Treatment starts with watching you smile, squint and relax, so the injection points match how your own muscle moves and where your lines actually form. The injections take a few minutes with a very fine needle, and most people describe a brief pinch. There is no recovery time. Botox aftercare explains what to do and avoid in the first day or so.
Results and how long they last
Most people notice the lines softening within a few days, with the full effect after about two weeks. Results usually last a few months. Because the muscle around the eye is in near constant use, crow's feet can wear off a little sooner than some other areas. As the effect fades the muscle gradually recovers, and treatment can be repeated.
What a natural result looks like
A good result softens the lines without changing the character of the smile. Too much product, or product placed too close to the cheek, can make a smile look flat or uneven, because the smile involves the cheek muscles as well as the eye. Many injectors prefer to start conservatively and add a little at a review if needed, rather than over treating.
Risks and side effects
Small bruises and tenderness at the injection points are common, and the thin skin around the eyes bruises a little more easily than other areas. These settle within days. The more important risk is spread to nearby muscles. If the product affects the muscles that lift the upper lip and cheek, the smile can look slightly uneven, and less commonly the lower eyelid or eye area can feel or look different. These effects wear off as the product does, but careful placement by someone who knows the anatomy well is what keeps them rare. Any difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing after an injection needs urgent medical attention.
Lines that stay at rest
Botox works on lines caused by movement. If crow's feet are still visible when your face is completely relaxed, the skin itself has changed, and a muscle relaxer will only partly soften them. Treatments that improve the skin, such as laser skin resurfacing or microneedling, can help those lines, often alongside Botox. Daily sun protection and sunglasses help slow them returning.
Who it suits
Botox for crow's feet suits people who dislike the lines at the corners of their eyes when they smile, or who notice them starting to linger. It is less suited to concerns that come from excess skin or heaviness around the eyes, such as hooded eyes, which a muscle relaxer does not change. Those are often better assessed for surgical options such as blepharoplasty.
The short version
Crow's feet are made by the muscle around the eye when you smile and squint. Small amounts of Botox relax its outer part so the lines soften, with results in a few days that last a few months. Careful, conservative placement keeps the smile natural, and lines that remain at rest may also need a skin treatment.
Thinking about Botox for crow's feet?
A consultation looks at how your eyes and cheeks move when you smile, explains what Botox can and cannot change, and talks through other treatment areas before anything is booked.
Request a ConsultationRelated reading: Botox in Beverly Hills, bunny lines, Botox aftercare, hooded eyes, and brow lift.