One of the first signs of aging skin is the appearance of horizontal forehead wrinkles. As we age, the appearance of forehead wrinkles deepens, making you look tired or old. However, forehead wrinkles can be addressed with several cosmetic procedures that involve nothing more complicated than an injection.
Neurotoxins (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin) and dermal fillers (Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero) are the most popular products for facial wrinkles and fine lines. While people often talk about these products interchangeably, they’re actually extremely different products. Besides having different properties, they also affect your facial skin in different ways.
Botox and other neurotoxins are generally used to address forehead wrinkles and lines caused by the overuse of facial muscles. Dermal fillers are generally used to restore facial volume and “fill” wrinkles and fine lines caused by the loss of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin. Finding the right treatment for your wrinkles can be challenging.
This article aims to help you decide if you need Botox or dermal fillers for your forehead wrinkles.
Dynamic Wrinkles
Dynamic wrinkles appear due to the overuse of certain facial muscles. When you laugh, frown, or raise your eyebrows, you induce facial muscle contractions that raise the creases of your skin. They appear when you’re expressing certain emotions, such as happiness, fear, worry, etc., and they fade away when your face resets to neutral.
However, the dynamic wrinkles deepen as you continue using your facial muscles over extended periods. As you grow older, your dynamic wrinkles deepen so much that they remain on your face even when you’re not actively using the relevant facial muscles, i.e., even when you’re in neutral mode.
The following are common examples of dynamic wrinkles:
- Vertical frown lines or “glabellar lines” between your eyebrows appear while frowning or concentrating.
- Horizontal forehead lines appear when you raise your eyebrows.
- Crow’s feet or laughter lines appear around your eyes when you smile or laugh.
Static Wrinkles
Static wrinkles are the fine lines and wrinkles that appear on your face even when you’re not actively emoting, i.e., when your facial muscles are relaxed. The appearance of static wrinkles is particularly frustrating when it happens during your 20s or 30s because it makes you look significantly older.
Static wrinkles occur due to your body’s declining reserves of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Collagen and hyaluronic acid are crucial components that make your skin appear smooth, supple, hydrated, and youthful. Collagen makes your skin appear firm and taut. Hyaluronic acid retains water and moisture to make your skin look hydrated.
As you grow older, your body’s ability to produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid declines, hastened by factors like sun exposure, smoking, genetics, etc. As your skin loses its collagen and hyaluronic acid components, it starts looking dry, hollow, gaunt, and lax, leading to the prominence of static fine lines and wrinkles.
Static wrinkles and fine lines initially appear around the mouth, cheeks, and neck. However, the decline of collagen and elastin, combined with the overuse of facial muscles, gradually turns dynamic wrinkles into static wrinkles as well. As such, over time, your dynamic forehead wrinkles may become ever-present static wrinkles.
Neurotoxins (Botox) Treat Dynamic Wrinkles
Botox belongs to a class of cosmetic injectables called “neurotoxins.” It’s made of botulinum toxin type A, a component that blocks the communication between targeted facial muscles and nerve endings. As such, when injected into targeted facial muscles, it temporarily prevents muscle contractions.
Botox is an effective treatment for all dynamic wrinkles, including forehead lines. When injected into the targeted forehead muscles, it blocks muscle contractions in the region, minimizing or preventing the appearance of forehead lines. The results usually appear within a week and last for about 4 months.
As mentioned earlier, the overuse of facial muscles combined with the loss of collagen may turn the dynamic forehead wrinkles into static wrinkles. It’s best to intervene before that happens and start your Botox treatment before the forehead wrinkles set deep within the skin.
Dermal Fillers (Juvederm) Treat Static Wrinkles
Dermal fillers, like Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, etc., are the ideal solutions for static wrinkles caused by declining collagen and hyaluronic acid. There are several types of dermal fillers with various compositions and qualities. Some of them inject your skin with hyaluronic acid, while others encourage your body to produce its own collagen.
The most popular dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring and biocompatible gel that binds moisture to your skin, adding volume and freshness. Hyaluronic acid fillers restore lost facial volume, fill the wrinkles and fine lines, and smoothen your skin. It takes several weeks for the hyaluronic acid to metabolize, so you can maintain the results for a few months.
Dermal fillers only target static wrinkles, i.e., permanent wrinkles visible even at rest. However, they can also smoothen forehead wrinkles in some cases. You should trust your doctor’s opinion on the subject.
Choosing the Right Treatment for Forehead Wrinkles
There are several factors to consider when choosing the right treatment for your forehead wrinkles. You need to consider the dynamics of the facial muscles, the type of deep forehead wrinkles you have, and the root cause of your forehead wrinkles, i.e., if they can be categorized as dynamic or static wrinkles.
Botox can address dynamic forehead wrinkles. And dermal fillers can address static forehead lines. In most cases, forehead wrinkles are caused by a combination of both factors — overuse of facial muscles AND loss of collagen. In those cases, you may even need a combination of Botox and dermal fillers.
At Avalon Laser, we provide treatment plans that suit your unique needs, whether that’s Botox in Sand Diego, dermal fillers, or both.
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