What Causes Wrinkles Under the Eyes of Youth?

You don't have to be a senior citizen to get "crow's feet," the wrinkles around your eyes. Also called "smile lines" because they form when you grin, wrinkles under your eyes can make you look older than your youthful years. Depending on the cause of the wrinkles, you may be able to eliminate or significantly reduce your under-eye wrinkles.

Causes

Age is not the not the only thing that causes wrinkles under the eyes. Sun damage, squinting, smiling, smoking, acne, muscle movement, surgery, and injuries also cause facial wrinkles. If you notice more wrinkles under one eye, smiling or sleeping may be the culprit. You may smile brighter on one side of your face, or you may sleep more on one side than the other side, pressing that side of your face against the pillow, resulting in under-eye wrinkles.

Home Treatment

Over-the-counter wrinkle creams and moisturizes may help reduce your under-eye wrinkles. With warm tap water, apply a gentle, non-soap moisturizer to your face twice a day. MayoClinic.com recommends a wrinkle cream with retinol, which works by neutralizing the free radicals that cause wrinkles. Retinol is a milder version of tretinoin, a prescription cream approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of wrinkles.