How to Get Rid of Deep Frown Lines Without Surgery
Years of squinting and frowning can lead to wrinkles and deep lines on your forehead and between your brows. Though some people embrace these signs of aging, others try everything to cover them up to improve their confidence.
There's hope if you're unhappy with your frown lines and wrinkles. Various injectable medications can help you achieve smoother, younger-looking skin and boost your self-esteem.
Monique Petteys, FNP-C, is our expert in aesthetic injectables for frown lines at the Women's Center at Life Point Medical. She provides Botox® and Xeomin®, which are types of botulinum toxin that improve frown lines and wrinkles.
The facts on frown lines
Everyone wants perfect skin, but unfortunately, it changes throughout your life. As you age, it's common for your skin to become less elastic and for wrinkles and deep lines to appear.
Frown lines are one of the common complaints among older adults, alongside wrinkles and sagging skin. Frown lines often appear between the eyebrows as vertical deep lines. Doctors also refer to frown lines as worry lines.
Most people develop frown lines from muscle contractions when they frown or scowl over time. The constant muscle contractions cause the skin to form lines, especially as they age and their bodies produce less collagen and elastin.
Young people can make faces, and their skin returns to being tight and unscathed. But over time, certain facial expressions lead to unsightly frown lines that not everyone wants to manage.
Another reason for prominent frown lines is a decrease in the strength of the cartilage and connective tissues under the skin. When they weaken, it's easier to see the facial changes caused by long-term muscle contractions and facial expressions.
Do I need surgery to correct them?
The good news is that you don't necessarily need a facelift or other cosmetic surgical procedures to rid yourself of frown lines. Plenty of home treatments and professional-grade products can help.
If you're looking for an easy way to smooth out frown lines or prevent them from getting worse, there are some tips you can try, including:
- Wear sunscreen every day
- Eat healthy and drink water to hydrate the skin
- Moisturize your face daily
- Exfoliate your skin two or three times each week
- Sleep on your back and get plenty of rest
Even though these remedies won't eliminate deep frown lines, they can help lessen their appearance and keep them from becoming more noticeable. However, the best way to eliminate frown lines for a flawless appearance is through injectables like Botox or Xeomin.
Botulinum toxin for frown lines
Botulinum toxin is the active ingredient in several injectables, including Botox and Xeomin. It's a cosmetic medication that comes from the same bacteria that leads to botulism, a severe form of food poisoning.
Botulinum toxin is used in safe doses in these injections and helps reduce the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, frown lines, and fine lines. The FDA has approved purified botulinum toxin for cosmetic treatments and medical remedies.
Xeomin is a neurotoxin that explicitly targets frown lines between the eyebrows. It's a double-filtered neurotoxin, meaning you only get the pure botulinum toxin that reduces frown lines and the signs of aging.
Botox injections are also helpful in eliminating unwanted wrinkles, fine lines, crow's feet, and frown lines. Both injections are similar and contain botulinum toxin, but Xeomin is twice filtered to give a purer product.
How do injectables work?
When you're embarrassed about deep frown lines, our team evaluates your goals and needs to determine which treatment is best for you. Xeomin and Botox are both great options, and both contain botulinum toxin—but how do they work?
Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin that reduces the signs of aging by blockingchemical messengers from nerves to muscles. The chemical signals tell the muscles to move and contract, which causes frown lines over time.
After Botox or Xeomin injections, the nerves temporarily stop sending signals to the muscles, allowing them to relax and the skin to smooth out. You may notice results within a few days, with optimal results within a week.
The best part is that the results can last several months, meaning you only need a few injections a year to maintain wrinkle and frown line-free skin.
Injectables are also relatively safe, with minimal side effects compared to surgical procedures or other more invasive treatments.
To learn more about our injectable options, call the Women's Center at Life Point Medical today, or request a consultation using our online scheduling tool.