Crow’s feet carry personality. They crease when we smile and squint, and for many of us they show the first sign that our skin is losing spring. When those lines settle in deeper than you like, Botox for wrinkles around the eyes can soften the pattern without flattening your expression. The difference between a smooth, natural finish and a result that fades too quickly often comes down to what happens after the appointment and how the treatment is planned around your facial habits. I have treated thousands of eyes over the years, and the same fundamentals hold true: precise dosing, thoughtful technique, and small aftercare habits that compound over time.
What Botox does at the corner of the eye
Crow’s feet are created by the lateral fibers of the orbicularis oculi, the ring-like muscle that closes the eyelids. Each time you smile or squint, that muscle tugs the skin outward, folding it like an accordion. Botox injections interrupt the chemical signal that tells the muscle to contract. Less pull, fewer creases, smoother skin.
The goal isn’t to paralyze the muscle. If you freeze the orbicularis completely, your smile looks odd and the cheek can bunch. Good cosmetic botox aligns with normal expression, so we treat the outer fibers and spare the central eyelid and cheek elevators. Most patients see the first change in 3 to 5 days, with full effect by 10 to 14 days. That timeline can vary if you are highly athletic, have a faster metabolism, or if your last appointment was many months ago.
Common dosing for crow’s feet ranges by anatomy and gender. Lean, delicate orbicularis fibers might respond to 6 to 8 units per side. Stronger muscles often need 10 to 12 units per side. People who squint for work, photographers for instance, sometimes need a touch more. When we talk about baby botox or subtle botox, we are usually referring to smaller, more frequent doses to preserve some crinkle while smoothing the fixed lines.
How treatment planning affects longevity
Consider two patients. One, a 35-year-old teacher with early fine lines and light squinting, wants a softening that keeps dimples and warmth. She will do well with 6 to 8 units per side, placed in a fan pattern, and she may enjoy a 3 to 4 month duration. The second, a 52-year-old avid runner with etched wrinkles and a stronger muscle, may need 12 units per side, possibly supported by a tiny brow lift dose to balance the upper face. She might still get 3 months, occasionally 4, but repetitive sun exposure and squinting can shorten the arc. Dosing to threshold matters: under-treating in a strong muscle can yield a pretty week three and a quick fade by week eight.
A handful of variables influence how long botox results last:
- Muscle strength and baseline animation. Bigger, more active muscles burn through toxin faster. Dose and diffusion. Adequate units placed at the right depth produce a reliable block. Scattered micro-droplets look elegant on paper but can under-deliver in sturdy tissue. Metabolic rate and exercise intensity. High-intensity interval training several times a week can correlate with shorter duration. You do not need to change your healthy habits, but expect a realistic timeline. Product handling and technique. Freshly reconstituted toxin, appropriate saline volume, and a steady hand reduce variability. Interval between sessions. Regular maintenance trains the muscle to relax, often stretching the window between visits over time.
When patients ask how long botox lasts, I give a range for crow’s feet: typically 10 to 16 weeks. Some see a faint effect into month five, especially after several cycles. Outliers on either end are rare but real.
The appointment: what to expect and what to ask
Your botox consultation should be as important as the injections themselves. A face-to-face evaluation establishes your goals, reviews medical history, and sets boundaries. We discuss prior treatments, any eyelid surgery, dry eye symptoms, and baseline brow position. Photos taken at rest and with a full smile help guide the plan and become useful for botox before and after comparisons later.
The botox injection process for crow’s feet is quick. After cleaning the skin, your provider asks you to smile so the lateral lines stand up. A few small injections, often three to five points per side, are placed in a shallow arc starting about a centimeter from the lateral canthus and extending slightly downward toward the zygomatic arch. The needle is fine, and most people rate the sting as a 2 or 3 out of 10. The entire botox procedure for this area takes under five minutes.
If you are exploring add-ons, a subtle botox brow lift involves a couple of units under the tail of the brow to allow the frontalis to lift it, creating a brighter eye. This must be balanced carefully, especially if you also treat the forehead, because over-treating the forehead can drop the brow.
Questions worth asking during a botox consultation:
- How many units do you recommend per side and why? What is your plan to keep my smile natural? Do I need a brow support dose or to avoid certain forehead points because of my brow position? What is your touch-up policy at two weeks if there is asymmetry? How often do you like to schedule maintenance, and how will we adjust dosing over time?
If you feel rushed through answers, consider a second opinion. Expert botox injections come from licensed botox treatment providers who examine, explain, and document.
Aftercare that protects your result
Immediately after botox cosmetic injections, the product is still diffusing and finding the neuromuscular junction. The aim is to minimize movement that might spread it to a neighbor muscle you do not want affected, and to allow consistent uptake where it belongs.
For the first 4 hours, avoid lying flat, bending forward, or compressing the area with goggles or tight masks. Keep your head upright, go for a relaxed walk, and let the product settle. Skip makeup brushes that press and sweep over the outer eye for the rest of the day. Light fingertip dabbing is fine if you must apply concealer.
Heat, vigorous activity, and massage can change the way botox sits in the first day. Saunas, hot yoga, long-distance runs, and facials are better postponed until the next day. You can cleanse with your usual gentle wash tonight but pat dry instead of rubbing.
Bruising, while not common with careful technique, can happen. Tiny punctures near blood vessels sometimes leave a pinpoint bruise that fades over several days. Arnica can help, and cool compresses for a few minutes at a time can reduce swelling. If you take aspirin or naproxen, your risk of bruising increases, and that is worth discussing prior to your appointment. In general, acetaminophen is the safer pain reliever around cosmetic treatments.
As the days pass, you will feel the lines resist. The first marker is often that you need to try harder to squint. That is exactly what you want. Do not chase early asymmetries before the 10 to 14 day mark. Muscles take up botox at slightly different rates, and what looks uneven at day five often balances by day ten.
Longevity habits that make a visible difference
The best botox anti aging plan for crow’s feet includes non-injection habits. Sun is the biggest accelerator of lateral eye lines. Every unprotected hour spent squinting into bright light is a workout for the orbicularis. Keep sunglasses with real UV protection in your bag, and use a mineral SPF around the eyes that does not sting. I like zinc-based formulas patted along the orbital bone. If sunscreen drips into the eye, you will squint, and that piece of aftercare gets lost.
Hydration and barrier support matter too. Thin eyelid skin loses moisture quickly. A lightweight eye cream with glycerin or hyaluronic acid improves the look of fine lines, botox or not. Retinol near the eye can be helpful for collagen over time, but go slow and stay outside the lash line to avoid irritation. If you already use a retinoid, pause for a day or two if the injection sites feel sensitive, then resume.
Schedule your botox maintenance while you still see good control, ideally at the point you notice the muscle coming back rather than after full return. Waiting until everything has worn off retrains the muscle to bulk up again. I see excellent longevity in patients who keep a 12 to 14 week cadence in the first year, then stretch to 14 to 16 weeks if their lines stay quiet.
Finally, balance the face. Over-treating the crow’s feet while leaving deep frown lines untouched can create a mismatch in expression. Many patients benefit from a small dose for botox frown lines or a conservative botox forehead plan that preserves brow movement. The goal is harmony.
Natural-looking results, not a frozen smile
Botox face treatment succeeds when friends say you look rested, not “done.” A natural looking botox result at the eyes keeps some crinkle in the outermost skin with a big grin, but removes the etched lines that linger at rest. That balance comes from dose and placement.
Baby botox earns its reputation here. Using smaller units spaced a bit further apart allows micro-movement and can avoid the flatness that some people fear. It also pairs well with preventative botox in those late twenties to mid-thirties patients who are starting to see fine squint lines but do not have fixed wrinkles yet. The trade-off is duration. Smaller doses typically fade a couple of weeks earlier. If you value expression over efficiency, that is a fair compromise.
Subtle botox goes beyond dose. It also means respecting lateral cheek movement. Injector experience counts. Angling too low risks weakening the zygomaticus complex, which lifts the corner of the mouth during a smile. That leads to an odd, slightly lopsided grin. An experienced, certified botox provider understands these borders and keeps injections high and lateral, above the zygomatic arch projection, especially in those with short lower lids.
Safety notes that rarely get discussed
Medical botox and cosmetic botox share the same active ingredient, but the safety discussion should be tailored to the area. With crow’s feet, the main risks are bruising, eyelid heaviness if product spreads to the mid-lid orbicularis, or a “shelf” where skin above the injection looks smooth and the cheek below looks crinkled. The latter is aesthetic, not dangerous, and usually a sign of a low injection that snuck into cheek territory.
Dry eye sufferers need special care. The orbicularis helps with blinking. Weakening it too much can reduce blink strength and worsen dryness. If you have dry eye, use lower doses and consider spacing points farther apart to preserve blink function. Keep lubricating drops on hand the first two weeks.
Rare headaches can occur as botox kicks in, especially if you also treated the forehead or glabella. They generally pass within several days. If you have a history of migraines, tell your provider. Some patients who receive botox for migraines find their headache frequency improves with treatment, but dosage and mapping differ between botox headache treatment and aesthetic plans. Do not assume that one pattern covers both problems.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding remain contraindications. While botox safety data in these populations is limited, we do not recommend cosmetic treatment. Also be transparent about any planned events or photos. If you are three days out from a wedding shoot, this is not the time to try something new. Plan your botox wrinkle reduction at least two to three weeks before important occasions.
The two-week check and touch-up logic
I invite every new crow’s feet patient back at two weeks. This is where the art gets fine-tuned. Maybe the left side still pinches deeper with a big smile. Maybe the tail of the brow dips slightly. A tiny touch-up of 2 to 4 units can achieve symmetry. Resist the urge to “top up” everywhere just because you are in the chair. More is not always more. Over the years, patients who stick to one precise adjustment at a time tend to keep the most natural results.
If you did not get a check-in scheduled, watch for early clues that suggest contact: the eyes should close fully without strain, the smile should feel even, and the lower lid should not feel heavy. If something feels off, send your provider a well-lit, straight-on and angled photo while smiling naturally and another with a full squint. Good documentation guides a safe, minimal fix.
Pricing, value, and the myth of cheap units
Botox pricing varies by geography and expertise. Some clinics charge per unit, others per area. Crow’s feet often cost less than the forehead and frown because the dose is smaller, but the range is wide. Affordable botox that is done well is possible, especially during seasonal events, but extreme bargains should raise questions. Botched placement here is obvious every time you smile.
Value lives in the longevity and quality of your result. If a lower price means under-dosing to keep costs down, you may see a quick fade and end up paying the same annually through more frequent visits. Professional botox also includes the extras that matter: sterile technique, fresh product, proper reconstitution, and a two-week follow-up. Ask what is included. The best botox treatment is the one that gives you the look you want, lasts as expected, and feels consistent from cycle to cycle.
If you search for botox near me, use the consultation to assess credentials. A licensed botox treatment with a certified injector who performs these procedures daily sets you up for fewer surprises. Crow’s feet seem simple, but they sit next to delicate structures, and small errors show.
When Botox is not enough on its own
Some crow’s feet are two problems layered together: dynamic lines from muscle movement and static lines etched in the skin. Botox handles the dynamic piece. If the static creases persist at rest, pairing botox with skin-directed therapies helps. Microneedling, light fractional lasers, and collagen-stimulating topicals can thicken the dermis. For very etched radiating lines, a low-risk peel or laser near the lateral eye, handled by someone who understands ocular safety, can soften the canvas. Hyaluronic acid fillers near the crow’s feet are rarely used today because the area swells and moves; when considered, they must be placed carefully and away from the eyelid.
Lifestyle still pulls weight. Sunglasses, SPF, not smoking, controlling allergies that make you rub your eyes, and addressing screen glare all reduce the repetitive motions and inflammation that age the skin at the corner of the eye.
Beyond the eyes, a glance at balance
Patients often ask about other related areas once they see what crow’s feet treatment can do. The same principles guide botox forehead smoothing and botox frown lines softening. A small dose for a botox brow lift can complement smooth crow’s feet by opening the lateral eyelid. For broader facial balance, some consider botox jaw slimming in the masseter if clenching makes the lower face square, or botox neck bands in the platysma for a more defined jawline. These are optional but can make the upper face result feel integrated.
Not every trend fits every face. A botox lip flip, which relaxes the upper lip to show more pink, looks youthful in some and awkward in others with a shorter philtrum or gummy smile. Treat gummy smiles with caution near the levator labii, since weakening it can overlap with crow’s feet dynamics and change the smile footprint. With each add-on, the margin for error narrows. Build your plan stepwise.
Botox has medical roles as well, from botox hyperhidrosis for sweating in the underarms, hands, or feet to botox for migraines. Those therapies use different dosing and mapping, and they remind us how SincerelySkin Medical Spa botox near me versatile the molecule is. The common denominator across cosmetic and medical botox is thoughtful assessment and precise placement.
Troubleshooting: real-world scenarios and fixes
A few situations come up repeatedly in practice:
- The lines softened but the outer eyelid looks slightly heavy. This often means the injection sat too close to the mid-lid orbicularis or the dose was too high for your blink strength. At the two-week visit, small supporting doses above the tail of the brow can lift the lid a touch. Next cycle, reduce the lateral lower injection and move points a hair higher. One side fades faster. Most people have a dominant smile side. If your right cheek lifts higher, the right orbicularis may reanimate sooner. Plan for a small unit differential next time, for example 8 units on the right, 6 on the left. A shelf of smooth skin above a wrinkled cheek. The injection line fell too low. Nothing to do mid-cycle. When the effect wears, redraw the map, keeping all points at least a finger’s breadth above the zygomatic crest. Consider smaller units across a wider arc. Bruising that lingers. Crow’s feet skin is thin, and small vessels are common. Give it time, use arnica, and switch to mineral-based concealer. Plan your next treatment earlier in the day, hydrated, and avoid alcohol and blood thinners in the 48 hours prior if medically appropriate.
These are routine in busy practices and manageable with measured changes. Perfection in one visit is rare. Consistency over several cycles is the real benchmark.
How to stretch the life of your result without sacrificing safety
You can influence duration more than you might think. The formula is simple: protect, plan, and pace. Protect the area from excess sun and strain. Plan the dose and map using your photos and prior response. Pace your maintenance so you catch the muscle on the upswing rather than the rebound. Clean nutrition, adequate sleep, and steady hydration support skin quality, which makes every botox aesthetic treatment look better.
Some ask about combining botox with skin boosters that hydrate the dermis, or with biostimulators elsewhere in the face. These do not extend the botox mechanism itself, but they improve the backdrop. In the eye area, stick with safe, conservative options. The eyelid is not the place to chase trends.
A final habit that helps: keep a simple record. Jot down the date, units per side, and your day-14 impression. Bring it to your next appointment. Data drives better results than memory.
A quick, practical checklist for the best crow’s feet outcome
- Schedule your appointment at least two weeks before events and block 20 minutes for a calm consult and injections. Protect the area for the first day: upright head, no heavy exercise, no heat, no rubbing. Wear UV-blocking sunglasses and a mineral SPF near the eyes every day. Book maintenance at 12 to 14 weeks initially, adjusting by how your muscle rebounds. Photograph your smile at rest and full with each cycle to guide precise adjustments.
Finding the right provider
If you are standing at the crossroads of convenience and expertise, lean toward the latter. A search for botox near me will return many options. Narrow the list by looking for a certified injector who performs botox cosmetic injections daily, posts consistent botox results with faces similar to yours, and welcomes questions. Licensed medical professionals who treat both aesthetic and therapeutic cases often bring a deeper understanding of facial function. Ask about their approach to botox safety, botox side effects, and their policy for botox touch up visits. The best fit is someone who aims for the least product that achieves your goal and is willing to tweak, not just add, when needed.
A well-executed crow’s feet treatment does not erase your stories. It edits the punctuation so your smile reads the way you intend. With sound aftercare and smart maintenance, most people enjoy smooth, natural corners for the better part of each season. And when the day comes that you catch yourself squinting again, that is just your reminder to revisit a plan that already works.