The skin can become permanently damaged by repetitive motions, which means the collagen matrix below the skin has been damaged to a point where the skin is no longer able to “bounce back.” This results in sagging skin and wrinkles, often the result of aging. Fillers, lasers, microneedling, and other collagen-building technologies can restore volume and structure to the skin to reverse damaged, aging skin,
Top Asked Questions About Frown Lines
- Are forehead wrinkles attractive?
Some people view forehead wrinkles as a positive, such as for certain men, since attractiveness in men is often tied to experience. For this reason, many of our male patients purposefully have us lighten, but not erase, their forehead lines.
- Can forehead wrinkles be removed naturally?
It depends on what you mean by “naturally.” Hyaluronic acid naturally exists in your skin, so dermal hyaluronic acid fillers just replace it. For some people, that satisfies their standards for what’s considered natural. Botox isn’t natural, but it doesn’t last very long in the body, just a few months before being processed by the body. Both of these treatments do create natural-looking results.
- What causes the 11 wrinkles on the forehead?
So-called “11 lines” are most often formed due to repeated frowning or squinting that damages skin and breaks down underlying collagen support. As skin becomes more damaged, wrinkles deepen. As wrinkles continue to deepen, fat cells directly below that part of the skin (all of our skin has a thin fat layer of support beneath it) become damaged or pushed away and when that fat is gone, it becomes deep folds or creases – commonly referred to as "11 lines." This is the point at which filler is needed, along with Botox, to correct the folds and prevent the muscles from making it worse.
- Can you massage away frown lines?
In short, no. It’s highly unlikely you can simply massage frown lines away. Any enhancement in the appearance of these wrinkles would be due to a temporary result from swelling, not by reducing muscle activity or providing support and volume.
What Causes Wrinkles on the Forehead?
“Don’t Make that Face – It’ll get Stuck That Way!”
-moms everywhere
Unfortunately, our mothers were right about this one. The expressions we repeatedly make become deep-set lines and wrinkles as we age. Whether you furrow your brow while lost deep in thought, or you frown at your children as a silent signal to behave in public, or lift your brows to communicate excitement when your girlfriend tells you an interesting story, the vertical lines between your brows and horizontal wrinkles across your forehead create a lasting look of anger and stress. The good news is this is a relatively easy problem to fix.
What Causes Forehead Wrinkles and Frown Lines?
Frown lines are the deep, horizontal lines between your brows. Simply put, all lines, creases, and wrinkles on your forehead and around your brows are caused by repetitive motion, repetitive compression from side sleeping, or traumatic scarring. We have other pages that cover side sleeping and scar revisions, so on this page, we’ll be focusing on the most common cause of forehead lines – repetitive motion.
Scroll to Treatment OptionsOur Favorite Treatments For Frown
Lines & Forehead Wrinkles
There are only 2 technologies that we feel create satisfactory results for these concerns and they are wrinkle-relaxing agents like Botox and fillers. Lasers, RF Microneedling, Ultherapy, and other skin tightening and resurfacing treatments can make the skin more resilient to future damage (i.e. able to stand up to repetitive motions for a bit longer than usual), but these technology-based treatments won’t erase wrinkles in the same way Botox and fillers can. There is only 1 exception that we’ve seen, which is very aggressive CO2 laser treatments combined with Botox maintenance for long-term results.
Botox relaxes overactive muscles to protect skin from the damage that causes frown lines to become deep-set wrinkles. In the hands of our skilled injectors, Botox is a gentle relaxing of these muscles, to soften, not freeze, expressions since natural movement is part of a natural-looking result.
Botox
Botox is just one brand of botulinum toxin injectables; others include Dysport, Xeomin, & Jeaveau. All work equally well in this area and our doctors are experienced with all of them. We price them so that our patients would pay the same amount to get the same dosage strength between these products, because we want you and your doctor to choose the one that’s right for you, without price skewing that decision.
You’ve probably heard of Botox for 11’s or frown lines. But did you know Botox isn’t the answer for deep-set lines?
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
There’s a difference between lines that appear when you frown (dynamic wrinkles), and those that are there all the time (static wrinkles). When you frown or squint deeply and create lines, you are compressing the skin’s underlying support structures. Over time, those structures are damaged permanently, leading to lines that are there all the time. At first, the lines are soft and faint, but as you continue to damage the collagen and fibers that support that skin, the lines become deeper set and eventually lines turn to wrinkles and then into folds. To smooth these folds, a hyaluronic acid filler will be needed since Botox will not be enough to completely erase them. These dermal fillers will restore volume to the area and plump the skin to hide your deep-set facial folds.
View More Frown Line Treatment Before & After Results
More Before & Afters
“About two weeks after her injections, she saw softened lines and wrinkles without the “Spock brows” of her previous treatments. “He hit a home run,” she says of Dr. Chasin’s Botox injections. “I’m so happy with it already, and it’s only been two weeks.” (please note: Botox takes 2 weeks to take full effect).”
View My Story
“He (Dr. Chasin) also explained that if done well, BOTOX should help me to look refreshed. Well, that is an understatement. I look great and those frown lines are gone.”
View My StoryA Word About Safety & Potential Side Effects With Injections in the Forehead
This is not an area you want a novice or non-physician to be injecting. Botox is of course everywhere these days but there are patients for whom the amount of Botox required to completely erase these lines would be a dose that would drop their brows completely, creating an ugly drooping effect that they would have to wait 3-5 months for it to wear off.
Filler side effects can be much more dangerous and long-term. There are many incredibly important blood vessels that run through these areas. The biggest risk with any filler injection is that you create an “embolism” of sorts with filler in the blood vessel and block blood flow, either right where it’s injected, or somewhere else, potentially hidden from view, down the line. This can be successfully dissolved by a trained and experienced physician but injectors who do not know the facial anatomy as well, or who don’t have the dissolving expertise that our doctors do, could end up with a very bad result from this complication.
Why Choose Reflections Center For Frown Lines
Each of our physicians has at least 5 years of injecting experience and together, our team of 4 has over 50 years of experience with injectable treatments for the forehead. This is one of the most commonly performed procedures in our offices, and we are so prolific in our injectables that we have been in the top 250 practices in the nation for over a decade. This is why our doctors are sought-after as trainers for other injectors as well.
In all this time, we’ve maintained a pristine safety record among our highly satisfied patients for forehead wrinkle procedures and other injectables. There is always a potential for bruising with any injection – though it is fairly uncommon with Botox or fillers when they are injected with a cannula – but should you have a bruise, we do offer free Vbeam laser sessions, which break up the bruise and help it clear in a matter of 1-3 days, as opposed to weeks if left untreated.
We know you want to save as much money as you can on Botox and fillers, which is why we not only offer loyalty rewards, but you can stack them with Alle and Aspire Rewards Programs to earn even more free treatments and discounts!
Frequently Asked Questions About Forehead Lines
- What role does collagen and elastin play in the forehead?
Collagen and elastin are two proteins in the skin that give it structure and support. As we age, collagen production slows down which leads to sagging skin. In the forehead, this creates folds and loose skin without a smooth appearance.
When talking about treating forehead wrinkles and frown lines, using anti-aging treatments that are focused on stimulating collagen and elastin (like microneedling and laser skin rejuvenation) will not address the root cause of the wrinkles. The muscles that cause these wrinkles are very strong and they will continue making wrinkles no matter how much your skin cells are stimulated.
This is why using wrinkle-relaxing ‘tox and hyaluronic acid fillers, which work at the root cause of the wrinkles, are the preferred choices for enhancing the appearance of the forehead. Some studies have even suggested that the act of injecting filler can stimulate collagen to a small degree, so you can benefit from both skin rejuvenation and wrinkle reduction with an injectable treatment.
- Can you prevent forehead wrinkles?
While the effects of aging occur to all of us, there are some ways to prevent wrinkles if you start early and stay consistent. Our aesthetic experts know that starting to use Botox in your late 20s and no later than 30 can help prevent the appearance of wrinkles that occur due to frequent muscle movement, including lines and wrinkles throughout the upper face. You should also wear sunscreen and sunglasses to prevent skin damage and unnecessary squinting in the sun. Other than wearing sunscreen, these are behaviors you can adopt to help prevent and improve these wrinkles and other signs of aging:
- Invest in high-quality skincare – there’s a big difference in the impact of a 0.1% retinol from Olay vs. a 1% Retin-A prescription, both in cell turnover and skin quality. The same goes for other results-focused skincare products. You don’t need to invest in a ton of different products either, just 4 quality skincare products can make a huge difference in your appearance.
- Treat early with Botox and be consistent – you can get away with longer between treatments when you’re younger, but as you age, if you want to prevent frown lines and forehead wrinkles from needing filler as well as Botox, you need to be retreating every 4-5 months, max.
- Try to retrain your muscles to not make as intense or frequent facial expressions. Frowning and raising your brows are things you can improve upon with dedicated effort. Both frowning and squinting are often signs you need to wear darker, larger sunglasses (or you need a Rx change on your glasses). Consider how you can make this a part of your “new normal” – Botox can help you along this path, if you are intentional about using it to help retrain those muscles.
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Dr. Mitchell Chasin founded Reflections Center for skin & body as a place where physicians specializing in cosmetic medicine could focus on helping empower patients to feel their most beautiful. Dr. Chasin believes strongly that the best cosmetic physicians are those who are dedicated to mastering their craft through continuing education and collaboration with the industry’s top doctors.
