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What Causes Crow’s Feet (and What You Can Do about Them)

Written by Dr. Min S. Ahn · Updated June 16, 2026 Facial Plastic Surgeon · Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery · Diplomate, American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

The term “crow’s feet” describes the fine lines and wrinkles that form around the outside edges of your eyes. As one of the top facial plastic surgeons in the country, Dr. Min S. Ahn has helped many patients to improve their appearance by minimizing these undesirable lines. Here, he explains how crow’s feet develop and what you can do to prevent and treat them.

Contents

1 What Causes Crow’s Feet
2 Preventing Crow’s Feet
3 Minimizing Crow’s Feet
4 Make an Appointment

What Causes Crow’s Feet

Certain facial expressions (e.g., squinting, smiling, frowning) cause the muscles in your face to contract and this can alter the appearance of your face. Specifically, the muscles immediately surrounding the eyes cause tiny crinkle lines to appear. On younger skin, these creases disappear almost instantaneously once the expression is complete. However, on older, laxer skin, these crinkles can become deeper set and linger for longer. With time, these lines may be permanently visible, even when your face is making a neutral expression.

Although crow’s feet are primarily caused by muscle movements, other factors such as smoking, exposure to UV rays and your genetics can accelerate the development of crow’s feet or make them appear more deeply in the skin.

Preventing Crow’s Feet

Crow’s feet cannot be avoided altogether. Just about everyone has visible crow’s feet after middle age. Fortunately, you can help delay the aging process or minimize the appearance of crow’s feet by using sunscreen, moisturizing, not smoking and wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection that cover the sides of the eyes.

Minimizing Crow’s Feet

If aging has caught up with your face and made crow’s feet appear even while your face is at rest, you may benefit from certain cosmetic treatments to rejuvenate your face and eyes. The best surgery for this flaw is eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty. By tightening and removing excess skin around the eyes, crow’s feet often look less pronounced. Some patients also see an improvement to their crow’s feet after having a brow lift.

Botox is another great solution. This minimally invasive treatment temporarily freezes the muscles next to the eyes. Since the frozen muscles will no longer move when you smile or squint, the lines soften and fade from visibility. You will need to undergo this treatment every three to four months to maintain the results.

Fractora is a radiofrequency treatment that uses energy to tighten and brighten aging, damaged skin. Following this treatment, you should notice that lines and wrinkles have been reduced, including your crow’s feet beside your eyes.

Make an Appointment

For a surgical or non-surgical procedure that tackles those small lines next to your eyes, make an appointment at the Aesthetic Wellness Center. Please call (508) 426-8622 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ahn in his Boston office at your soonest convenience.

About Dr. Min S. Ahn

Facial Plastic Surgeon · Ahn Point Center

Board certification

American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (verify)
American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (verify)

Education and training

Harvard University, B.A. in Biology, cum laude
George Washington University School of Medicine, with distinction; Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
University of California, San Francisco, Head and Neck Surgery (Internship/Residency)
Research at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Department of Surgery
Medical degree, George Washington University School of Medicine, with distinction
Bachelor of Arts in Biology cum Laude, Harvard University (1985–1989)
Degree in medicine, with Distinction, The George Washington University School of Medicine (1990–1994)
Internship in General Surgery, The University of California at San Francisco (1994–1995)
Residency in Head and Neck Surgery, The University of California at San Francisco (1995–1999)
Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of California at San Francisco (1999–2000)

Hospital affiliations

UMASS Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA

Memberships