Botox for Forehead Lines

As you'd expect, forehead wrinkles and lines are the horizontal forehead lines that appear on your forehead. As they form as a result of facial expressions but can also become more prominent as a result of losing skin elasticity and volume in a process of skin ageing. They can be dynamic, meaning they can only be seen when you raise your eyebrows, or static; present even when your face is at rest. They can be shallow or deep and may appear on their own or in a cluster. 

Forehead wrinkles are usually a common concern for women and men. They are caused by the repeated contraction of the Frontalis muscle, responsible for lifting eyebrows. They can also be caused by the repeated furrowing of the brow which contracts facial muscles, which causes permanent lines to form.

There are many factors that can contribute to forehead wrinkles. These include:

• Excessive muscles use: if you are particularly expressive with your face, raising your eyebrows a lot, frowning or smiling, then you may start to see wrinkles developing early. The more active the frontalis muscle, the more prominent the appearance of forehead wrinkles 

• Age: as you age the skin on your face becomes thinner and loses its collagen and elasticity; this leads to fine frown lines and wrinkles

• Sun exposure: a major contributor to the ageing face is too much sun; UVA rays damage the fibres that hold the skin together which, again, leads to lines and wrinkles

• Genetics: unfortunately, some people are just more predisposed to particular ageing concerns than others

Botox injections to treat forehead wrinkles are placed in the frontalis muscle on the forehead.

Treatment targets the frontalis muscle and involves a number of small injections into the muscle. Your practitioner will inject at a few points along your forehead wrinkles. The total amount will depend on the severity of the wrinkles and size of your forehead. It's also important to note that the amount will vary, depending on which brand of botulinum toxin is used.

Botulinum toxin injections are quick (less than 30 minutes) and relatively painless. Some practitioners will numb the forehead beforehand, so you'll only feel a slight prick of the needle. You may have some slight redness and swelling immediately after treatment, which will calm down after a few hours.

You can discuss how much movement you want to retain in your forehead beforehand; some people like wrinkles to show a little when they raise their eyebrows, while others prefer a completely frozen look.

Results last three to six months, so you will need to invest in regular top-ups if you want ongoing smoothness.

Side effects to Botox and other brands of botulinum toxin are rare, but can include:

• Headaches

• Swelling, bruising, redness, pain

• Allergic reaction

• Droopy eyelids

• Dry eyes or mouth

The most dangerous complications are double vision and difficulty breathing, but these are thankfully extremely rare.

If you experience any side effects or complications, contact your practitioner immediately.

An experienced medical practitioner should be top of your list!

We highly recommend that you only undergo treatment with a medically-qualified professional, who will have undergone training in anatomy and physiology, as well as be accountable to a regulatory body such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), or General Dental Council (GDC).

They should also be able to advise you of the risks of injectable treatment and be confident in handling complications if they arise.

Check out our handy guide for finding a practitioner you can trust for your Botox injections.