The lines that fan out when you smile are one of the most common concerns there is — and one of the most misunderstood. The reason nothing seems to fully fix them is that they're really two problems wearing one appearance. Sort them, and the right tool for each becomes obvious.
If lines appear around and under your eyes when you smile, you've noticed the single most useful clue about how to treat them: they show up with movement. That tells you the primary driver is a muscle — and it means the concern has two separate components that respond to completely different tools. Treat it as one problem and you'll always feel like something's missing. Split it into the muscle-driven fold and the skin-quality crease, and a clear plan appears: one tool relaxes the fold, a stack of others improves the skin, and a few procedures accelerate the skin side. Here's the whole map — including exactly where red light and microneedling fit.
A ring-shaped muscle surrounds each eye (the orbicularis oculi). Every time you smile or squint, it contracts and gathers the skin into folds — the fan of crow's feet at the outer corner and the creases under the lower lid. Two things make this area show lines earliest: the skin here is the thinnest on the body, and it moves constantly. Over years, a line that started as a temporary fold gets etched in, so it becomes faintly visible even at rest. That's the key split:
The direct — and really the only — answer for the fold that appears when you smile. A neuromodulator relaxes the orbicularis muscle so it stops gathering the skin into crow's feet; softening lateral crow's feet is one of the most common, well-established uses of Botox. It's temporary (typically ~3–4 months) and, crucially, the area demands a skilled injector — the lower-lid/under-eye zone is delicate, and over-treating it can affect how the lower lid works. So this is very much a "qualified dermatologist or experienced injector assesses your face" intervention, not a casual one. But if the smile lines are the main concern, this is what addresses them at the source. No cream, device, or procedure relaxes muscle — so nothing else touches the dynamic fold.
Everything here improves the static component and slows lines from etching in — worth doing regardless of whether you ever use Botox, and the two sides compound.
UV is a leading driver of crow's feet specifically, so daily SPF around the eyes is the highest-leverage prevention there is. And sunglasses do double duty — blocking UV and cutting the squinting that mechanically folds the skin. Less squinting, fewer folds. Unglamorous, most effective.
The best-evidenced topical for building collagen and softening lines over time. Around the thin eye skin, use an eye-formulated or gentler retinoid and start slow (a couple of nights a week) to avoid irritation. The strongest non-procedural active for the static line.
Yes — red/near-infrared light genuinely helps the skin-quality side. It's absorbed by the mitochondria in your skin cells, boosting the energy that fibroblasts use to produce collagen and elastin, which over weeks improves peri-orbital fine lines and texture. Honest scope: it works on the skin, not the muscle — so it softens the etched crease and improves quality, but won't stop the smile-fold. Use eye-safe devices and protect the eyes (closed eyes / proper shielding). Modest and cumulative, and it stacks cleanly with retinoids (energy + signal).
Vitamin C (antioxidant + collagen cofactor) and peptides support the collagen side; a hydrating eye cream plumps the skin so fine under-eye lines look softer fast (appearance, not structure — but the quickest visible win).
These push the collagen/skin-quality side harder than topicals — done by a professional, especially given the delicate area.
Yes — microneedling helps. It creates controlled micro-injuries that trigger collagen remodeling, improving fine lines, crepiness, and texture around the eye over several sessions. Near the eye it must be done carefully by a professional at appropriate depth. RF microneedling adds heat for extra tightening — a step up for skin quality and mild laxity. It improves the skin, not the muscle fold.
Light peels refine fine lines and texture; fractional laser is a stronger collagen-remodeling/resurfacing option for peri-orbital lines. Both carry more downtime and require caution on deeper skin tones (risk of pigment changes) — a professional should match the method to your skin.
Worth flagging because it's often confused with lines: if the under-eye issue is a hollow or shadow (a volume/structural problem), filler addresses that — but it's not a treatment for the smile lines themselves. Different tool for a different concern; mixing them up leads to the wrong choice.
Because the concern has two parts, the best result comes from addressing both: relax the fold (Botox, if you choose it) and build the skin (retinoid + red light + sunscreen, optionally accelerated by microneedling or laser). They compound — and consistent long-term muscle relaxation genuinely makes the line etch in less over the years, while the skin-quality work keeps the surface smooth. Start with the low-risk foundation (sunscreen, sunglasses, retinoid, red light, hydration); add procedures or Botox as bigger steps with a professional.
This is manageable, not curable in the permanent sense — the causes (movement, sun, time) never stop, so results are maintained, not one-and-done. And a gentle reframe: crow's feet when you smile are the sign of a real smile — nearly everyone develops them, and they're among the most universal, normal expression lines there are. This is firmly "optimize if you want to," not "something is wrong."
Smile lines around and under the eyes are two problems in one: a dynamic muscle fold (only Botox/Dysport relaxes it) and a static etched crease (built back with retinoids, red light, sunscreen, and procedures like microneedling or laser). Red light and microneedling genuinely help — but on the skin-quality side, not the muscle. The best outcome combines relaxing the fold with building the skin, started early and kept consistent. And crow's feet are normal — this is optimization, not repair.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Neuromodulators (Botox, Dysport), injectable fillers, microneedling, chemical peels, and laser treatments are medical procedures with real risks that must be performed by qualified, licensed professionals; the eye area is especially delicate. Topical and device results vary and are often modest. Individuals with deeper skin tones face specific pigmentation risks with some procedures. Consult a qualified dermatologist to match any treatment to your skin and goals. Nothing here recommends a specific product, device, or procedure.
This lesson relates to these health systems — health works as a connected system, not isolated topics.