Treatment for deep lines in forehead

Home / ASK THE DOCTORS / Treatment for deep lines in forehead

Wanting to know if the deep lines on my forehead can be helped with Botox and how it would look. I have had it once but did not love the results, not sure if the doctor did not do it right so I would like to talk to an experienced doctor. - M

Hi M,

So, for forehead lines, Botox (or Dysport) is definitely the mainstay of treatment. What we would do would depend on how deep your lines are. To talk a bit about Botox - Botox works by inhibiting the ability of the nerve to tell the muscle to contract. It takes about 3-7 days for the Botox to take effect. Botox is NOT a filler, so it does not make the lines go away immediately (especially if they are deeper). It takes time for the skin to turn over and have the lines diminish. This is one of the things that patients get confused about - so I always try to educate them. With deeper lines, it may take 2-4 treatments before you really notice the lines getting softer, or completely going away. Botox lasts, on average, 4 months. So you should do about 3 treatments a year for the first year, after that, you may be able to go to 2 treatments - depending on how long it lasts for you, and how deep your lines are.

If the lines are really deep, we can also try filler in them (Belotero, Restylane, or Juvederm) to soften them immediately and then continue treatment with Botox.

I would love to see you in consultation at Pacifc Dermatology & Cosmetic Center in either Seattle, or Renton. We have two offices. Please call 206-859-5777 to schedule a consult.

Thanks for the inquiry.

Dr. Reichel

Jennifer Reichel MD
Director, Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center
pacificderm.wpengine.com