What gets rid of crow’s feet?
Start with daily SPF 30 and, if you’re not pregnant, a retinol cream. In a year-long trial, retinol improved fine crow’s feet lines by 44%. Injections work faster, but who gives them matters most.
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What is the best treatment for crow’s feet?
Crow’s feet are the fine lines at the outer corners of your eyes. Three things have good trials behind them, and they do different jobs.
Daily sunscreen slowed skin ageing in a long trial. Retinol, a form of vitamin A, softens fine ones slowly. Botox injections soften them fast, but the effect wears off.
| Option | What the trial found | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Daily sunscreen | 24% less skin ageing (back-of-hand skin texture) than using it now and then, in adults under 55. | 4.5 years of daily use. |
| Retinol cream (0.1%) | Fine crow’s feet lines improved by 44%. The retinol group did better than those on a plain cream. | 52 weeks of use on the face. |
| Botox injections | After 30 days, doctors rated 55% no or mild at a full smile (46% self-rated). Dummy jab: 3%. | Most see a change in 3 to 7 days. Lasts about 3 to 4 months. |
Sources: Hughes 2013; Randhawa 2015; Moers-Carpi 2015; AAD
Each was one trial. The sunscreen trial had some missing data, and the Botox trial was run by the drug’s maker.
Start with sunscreen every morning. Add retinol at night if you’re not pregnant.
What causes wrinkles around the eyes?
Crow’s feet show most when you smile. That’s why trials grade them at a full smile, and why Botox relaxes the muscles that crease the skin.
Sun adds to it. In a study of 186 pairs of identical twins, the twin with more sun tended to look older, and the gap grew with age.
Smoking showed up under the eyes. In 79 twin pairs where one smoked, the smoker had baggier lower lids. Their crow’s feet were not clearly worse.
Twins share genes, so these studies help rule genes out. But they only show a link, not proof of cause.
The part you can change today is the sun. Check the UV index on a weather app. If it’s 3 or higher, the NHS says consider protecting your skin.
Does retinol help under-eye wrinkles?
It has a year-long trial on crow’s feet behind it. In the trial, 62 people put 0.1% retinol or a plain cream on their whole face for a year.
After 52 weeks, the retinol group’s fine crow’s feet lines were 44% better. Gains kept coming with longer use.
No trial we found tested retinol on lines under the eye itself. So treat it as a sensible try there, not a proven fix.
How US skin doctors say to start retinol
- 1
Go gentle
Pick the mildest product you can find.
- 2
Every other night
At night only, to start.
- 3
Build up slowly
Use it more often over time.
- 4
Protect by day
Sunscreen, shade and a hat.
Source: American Academy of Dermatology
Don’t use it if you’re pregnant. If your skin is dry or prone to allergies, it’s probably not for you.
New to it? Our retinol for beginners guide covers the first month. For stronger creams a doctor can prescribe, see retinol and tretinoin.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Is there a best eye cream for crow’s feet?
None of the sources we read names one, or shows an eye cream beats a face cream. Price is no guide either. US skin doctors say dearer isn’t always better.
Any moisturiser can plump fine lines at once, like water filling a dry sponge. But that wears off, so the lines come back unless you keep using it.
What to look for is retinol on the label. Strength often isn’t shown. US skin doctors say labels don’t have to give it.
Your sun and skin routine
- Each morning, use SPF 30 or higher with at least 4-star UVA protection.
- Wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, and find shade from 11am to 3pm, March to October.
- Test a new cream on your inner forearm twice a day for 4 to 5 days before it goes near your eyes.
- Use one anti-ageing product at a time. Too many tend to irritate skin.
- Stop any product that stings or burns, unless a skin doctor prescribed it.
- Give a cream at least 6 weeks, and up to 3 months, before you judge it.
Sources: NHS: sunscreen and sun safety; AAD: wrinkle remedies
Which sunscreen? See mineral vs chemical sunscreen and sunscreen and skin ageing.
Is Botox for crow’s feet safe?
Side effects tend to be mild and short-lived. Think bruising for about a week, swelling, redness or soreness.
A mild headache is uncommon. A short-lived droopy brow or eyelid is rare.
Who injects you still matters most.
Between June and August 2025, 41 people in England got botulism, a rare muscle-weakening poisoning, after cosmetic jabs. Some needed help to breathe. Evidence so far points to an unlicensed product.
Botox is a prescription-only medicine. In England it’s against the law to give it to anyone under 18 for looks.
Before you book Botox
- 1
Medical setting
Not a party, salon or someone’s home.
- 2
Licensed product
Ask what it is, and never buy it online to use yourself.
- 3
Take your time
You should be offered a cooling-off period.
- 4
Watch for 4 weeks
Botulism signs can take up to 4 weeks to start.
Effects last about 3 to 4 months, and the NHS doesn’t routinely provide it, so budget for private repeats.
Hollows under the eyes are a different job. US skin doctors use fillers there, which also carry some risks. Ask about them at a consultation before you book anything.
When to speak to a GP
Wrinkles themselves aren’t a reason to see a GP. Get help if:
- You had Botox in the last 4 weeks and have trouble swallowing, slurred speech or trouble breathing. Get help straight away from NHS 111 or emergency services.
- A growth near your eye is getting bigger or has changed colour or texture. Or a patch of skin hurts, itches, bleeds, crusts or scabs for more than 4 weeks.
- A cream leaves skin itchy, blistered, dry and cracked, and it’s persistent, keeps coming back or is severe. A pharmacist can help with milder cases.
- You’re thinking about a procedure and want to talk through why. The NHS says a GP or mental health professional might be a good place to start.
For the rest of your face, see skincare for ageing skin.