How BOTOX® Works in the Forehead
The forehead muscles responsible for wrinkles in the uppermost part of the face are called the frontalis, corrugator supercilii, depressor supercilii, and procerus. The orbicularis oculi around the eyes also plays a part. The frontalis elevates the eyebrows and skin, causing lines that stretch horizontally across the forehead, while the corrugators, depressors, and procerus work as a team to draw the brows together or move them down, eventually resulting in what are known as glabellar lines or “elevens” above the nose. If you’re constantly looking tired or older than you really are because of these pesky creases, there are solutions. We often use BOTOX® injections for our New Jersey patients at South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center, targeting forehead muscles so that women and men alike can enjoy smoother, younger-looking skin.
But first of all: Why are these facial muscles actually necessary? The corrugators are sometimes believed to be vestigial muscles, as our ancient ancestors may have used them to portray dominance, aggression, and intimidation to competitors for their own survival. However, some scientists believe that the muscles around our forehead allow us to demonstrate a more nuanced, complex range of emotions to communicate with others in the modern world.
These muscles daily help you to make various facial expressions to show emotions like surprise, confusion, sadness, or anger. That being said, the repeated contractions of these muscles during everyday life—along with other factors, such as gravity, sun damage, and reduced skin laxity from aging—are factors that contribute to the dynamic wrinkles that appear whenever we make specific facial expressions.
BOTOX® minimizes the wrinkles on the surface by relaxing the muscles beneath. The prescription medication contains a safe, purified, small amount of botulinum toxin, which relaxes the muscles where injected. Patients are still able to make normal facial expressions, but certain areas won’t bunch together to form wrinkles because the muscles are weakened.
Also, if you’re starting to see the first faint wrinkles appear in your 20s or 30s, BOTOX® can work as a preventative treatment to stop the lines from becoming more pronounced later in life. Many wrinkles are etched into the skin and may soften, but patients want to use BOTOX® prior to that stage.
Our South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center team will help you find the solution to the problem of signs of aging. Patients in New Jersey and elsewhere can learn more about BOTOX® for forehead wrinkles by calling (856) 810-9888 or sending us a message.