Los Angeles patient before and after her Botox treatment for crows feet*
To find the best crows feet treatment, it is important to understand how these wrinkles develop. There are two basic dynamics involved.
Facial Muscles
Crows feet result from the contraction of facial muscles around the eyes. Specifically, these are called the orbicularis oculi.
Initially crows feet wrinkles only appear when a person smiles or laughs. Over time, they develop into etched creases on the skin. At first they manifest as fine lines. In later years, they become deeper and quite visible when the face is at rest.
Crows feet treatment options such as Botox and Dysport help the muscles relax. Both injections are derivatives of botulinum toxin type A. These molecules block the release of acetylcholine, which is secreted by nerve cells to cause muscles to contract.
Without acetylcholine, the crows feet muscles around the eyes remain relaxed.
Which is a better crows feet treatment, Botox or Dysport?
Los Angeles patient before and after using Dysport to improve the appearance of crows feet.*
Botox and Dysport are chemically very similar. However Dysport has fewer proteins attached to the core part of the molecule. In many cases this helps it to be accepted by the body more easily than Botox.
One research study found that Dysport was a better crows feet treatment compared to Botox.
A Fine Touch Dermatology patient experienced quicker onset of Dysport. Prior to this, he was a long Botox user. He also reported that Dysport was able to get rid of stubborn frown lines between the brows.
Overall, different people will respond differently to both. If one doesn’t work well, the other should be considered.
Skin Laxity
When the skin loses its firmness and elasticity it is not able to bounce back to its original form. Due to skin laxity, the activity of facial muscles becomes quite visible. A comprehensive crows feet treatment can include skin procedures to get rid of wrinkles that persist after using Botox or Dysport.
Although getting older is an inevitable fact of life, research shows that most signs of aging on the skin are caused from sun damage. UV rays instigate a chain reaction causing oxygen molecules in the skin to lose an electron and become unstable. They will scavenge other tissues to recover this electron, perpetuating an oxidative reaction that damages collagen fibers.
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Crows feet treatment in modern dermatology will often incorporate fillers to improve the skin’s laxity. This can help remove the appearance of static lines that radiate outwards from the eyes. Hyaluronic acid fillers can work quite well. These include:
- Juvederm
- Restylane
- Belotero
Their effects often depend on the depth of the crease and the doctor’s injection skills. Because Belotero can be injected superficially, it is a good recourse for fine lines that remain after using a botulinum injection to relax the crows feet muscles.
Fraxel Lasers
Fraxel lasers offer a more indirect form of crows feet treatment. Results in this area may not be seen right away, depending on the severity of the static wrinkles. These lasers use specialized wavelengths of energy to trigger the skin’s natural process for synthesizing collagen.
Los Angeles Crows Feet Treatment
In Los Angeles, crows feet treatment procedures are offered at Fine Touch Dermatology.