Fast facts

Botox 


What it is: Cosmetic injection to relax wrinkle-forming facial muscles intended to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Botox injections typically last up to 4 months.


What it addresses:

- Lines between eyebrows
- Furrows on forehead
- Crow's feet
- Smile lines
- Neck wrinkles
- Bell's Palsy
- Facial Asymmetry
- Excessive sweating


 
MORE INFORMATION
Question

Do new wrinkles require dermal fillers or just Botox?

I am in my mid-30s and have just noticed some new wrinkles on my forehead as I tend to raise my eyebrows a lot. If they are new, slight wrinkles and not deep do you think I will need a filler or should Botox be enough?


Asked by: ElleW

Answers (8)

Sort by: Most recent | Most helpful
1
October 16, 2008

If gentle manipulation erases the offending wrinkle, Botox is your treatment

Shepherd Pryor, MD
Shepherd Pryor, MD
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon

One quick trick to try is identify if you can delicate smooth out the wrinkles completely between your fingers.  If gentle pressure is all it takes Botox will provide complete correction.  Those individuals with deeper lines that cannot be gently cooerced into receding typically benefit from both Botox and filler.  Based on your description at this early stage you will likely find that a lovely response is obtained with Botox only.

2
October 14, 2008

If they are not there at rest, Botox is all you need

Richard P. Rand, MD
Richard P. Rand, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

When you have totally relaxed the muscles, if the wrinkles are absent then Botox is all you need. After years of practicing making the wrinkles, the skin folds preferentially like an accordion. In these people, even when the muscles are relaxed, there are still lines on the face. These people also need a dermal filler.

3
October 14, 2008

Start Botox Early to Prevent Deeper Wrinkles

Wrinkles are caused by bending and folding of the skin in response to the underlying muscles contracting. With repeated folding over years the collagen in the dermis atrophies (thins) and a static wrinkle is formed - leaving wrinkles even when the muscle is not contracted. By starting Botox early, you prevent the years of strain on the skin which leads to deep wrinkles.

Botox works by paralyzing the underlying muscles, which prevents the muscle from contracting and folding or bunching up the skin. The face has several dynamic muscles which are all in balance. When Botox is injected, it needs to maintain an aesthetic balance, which minimizes the look of paralaysis while maintaining natural animation.

If you have deep wrinkles, Botox can prevent the worsening of the wrinkles but a filler may be required to support the atrophic (thin) dermis causing the wrinkle.

I think it is best to address the skin at the cellular, structural and mechanical levels.

From a cellular level, you need to have good nutrition, skin moisturizers and a SPF containing product to prevent sun damage.

From a structural level, may you need to boost the integrity of the skin with a retinoid such as Retin-A. Additionally, you need to address the texture of the skin with a peel or an alphahydroxy acid (AHA) containing product. Finally, you may need to address the tone of the skin with an evening agent such as hydroquinone.

From a mechanical level, you need Botox to relax the muscles causing your current wrinkles and to reduce the stress on the skin to prevent new wrinkles.

With the above approach you can see dramatic changes in your current skin and you are making an investment in your future appearance.

4
September 13, 2008

Botox will work for you

Kamran Jafri, MD
Kamran Jafri, MD
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon

Based on your age and description of the culprit wrinkles,  Botox should provide you with very satisfying results.  It is very important that the injections are at least one centimeter above your brow line so that you maintain natural brow movement and expression while improving the forehead wrinkles. 

Botox is indeed known to be preventative, however in my opinion this occurs more frequently with the crow's feet wrinkles (side of the eyes) and glabellar area (between the eyebrows).  The frontalis muscle (which causes horizontal forehead wrinkles) is in most cases a thick muscle or very strong muscle due to its dense interactions with surrounding cranial and temporal fascial layers.   Therefore the preventative benefit may not be as great in this area.

Good luck and good Botox to you!

5
September 4, 2008

Botox for lines of Movement

Edgar Franklin Fincher, MD, PhD
Edgar Franklin Fincher, MD, PhD
Board Certified
Dermatologist

We all get wrinkles for various reasons.  The ones that tend to dramatically worsen over time are usually caused by muscle movements and these are amenable to Botox.  Botox softens the muscle contractions and shifts the stress from muscle movement to other areas preventing the constant wrinkling in the same spots.

Botox can be used on the forehead lines, the frown lines between the eyes, the wrinkle lines on the nose, around the lips if done carefully, around the eyes for crow's feet.  Some lines that also bother people and are caused by muscle movement are the semi-circular lines out on the cheeks that become more obvious when we smile. These fine to medium lines can not be controlled with Botox without causing a droopy face.  These lines are best treated by laser resurfacing, either fractional, plasma or CO2 lasers.

6
August 25, 2008

Botox might be the treatment of choice

Ronald Shelton, MD
Ronald Shelton, MD
Board Certified
Dermatologist
In my opinion, Botox might be the treatment of choice for the forehead. At your young age it should give you a very nice result. Fillers often create a beaded appearance in these creases, especially if the muscle moves a lot without Botox treatment. Sometimes the vertical lines between the eyebrows are treated with both Botox and fillers if the lines have been there for a long time.
7
August 2, 2008

Botox is the answer

Payman Simoni
Payman Simoni
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Answer by Payman Simoni

Fillers do not work as well as Botox for forehead lines. I also recommend good skin care along with the use of Botox.

I would recommend you get your Botox done with a certified (facial) plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

8
August 2, 2008

Botox for forehead wrinkles

Edmond A. Zingaro, MD
Edmond A. Zingaro, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

The forehead wrinkles you describe on your forehead should respond very well to Botox alone.  Deeper wrinkles that give that "etched into the skin" appearance tend to need filler, +/- Botox, depending.

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