What we treat / Crow's feet
Crow's Feet
The lines that fan out from the outer corner of your eye are made by the muscle that closes the eyelid, which fires every time you smile, laugh or squint. A small amount of a neuromodulator relaxes the outer fibers of that muscle and softens the lines while your smile stays your own.
Why they happen
The muscle around the eye is a ring, and the part of it at the outer corner contracts every time your face does anything friendly. The skin over it is the thinnest on the body, so it creases sooner there than anywhere else.
That is why crow's feet usually arrive first, often in people who are otherwise years away from thinking about their face. It is also why they respond so well. The cause is one muscle doing one job, and the treatment is to ask it to do a little less of it.
How Dr. Mauer treats it
The main treatment
Botox & Neuromodulators
A few units into the outer fibers of the muscle at the corner of the eye. Dr. Mauer doses each side to what your own muscle is doing, which is why patients keep their expressions and still look like themselves.
Read about BotoxSometimes, afterward
Laser & Skin Resurfacing
If the lines are still visible when your face is completely still, the crease has etched into the skin itself and resurfacing treats that. It is a separate conversation and it comes second.
Read about laser and skin treatmentsWhat to expect
- Appointment
- 15 to 30 minutes
- Discomfort
- Most people describe a mild pinch
- Downtime
- None that stops you going back to work
- Visible
- 7 to 14 days for the full effect
- Lasts
- About 3 to 4 months
Results for this concern
Individual results vary. Photographs are published only with each patient’s written consent.
Questions about crow's feet
Will I still be able to smile properly?+
Yes. The muscles that lift the corners of your mouth are different muscles entirely. What is relaxed here is the ring around the eye, and only its outer part. Dr. Mauer treats the fibers making the line and leaves the rest working.
Is the skin around the eye too delicate for this?+
The skin is thin, which is exactly why the dose is small and the placement matters more here than almost anywhere on the face. It is one of the areas where having the doctor hold the needle is worth the most.
How far before an event should I come?+
Two weeks. The effect builds over 7 to 14 days, and two weeks leaves room for a review appointment if one side settles differently from the other.
I have had this done somewhere else. Does that matter?+
Tell Dr. Mauer at the consultation. Knowing what was used, how much and where it went changes what he does next, particularly if the result settled differently from what you were expecting.
