Can You Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles? Here are Your Options!
Frown lines can be a matter of concern when they start appearing in your 20s. They are caused not just by age, but several other factors.
On Apr 22, 2023 – 11 minutes read
Many quickly dismiss the search for how to get rid of forehead wrinkles as a need to reverse or delay signs of aging. If forehead lines are indeed merely signs of aging, why would a person in their late 20s try to find ways to remove forehead wrinkles?
Because those stress lines, 11 lines, forehead lines or wrinkles, or whatever you want to call them are not just a part of natural changes in the composition of your skin as you age. They could be a result of your habits and lifestyle changes as well. Ever thought about that?
In this article, learn about forehead wrinkles, their causes, preventive tips, and treatment options to minimize their appearance or remove them altogether.
Forehead Wrinkles: Causes and Treatment!
Forehead wrinkles, or the horizontal lines over your forehead, are not uncommon. If you have them in your late 20s, you are not alone. They are one of the common and top skincare concerns of women over 25. If you want to get rid of forehead wrinkles, you are not alone either. No one likes those obvious pesky lines mocking you every time you look in the mirror.
So, you just want them gone for good! Who wouldn’t want forehead creases gone anyway? Especially when they dramatically age your appearance as they get more pronounced over time. There is no shame in wanting to remove or reduce wrinkles.
Just like there is no shame in wanting to delay or reverse any sort of aging signs. If you are fretting over those forehead creases folding over the skin next to them, keep reading and learn more about it!
Why Do I Have Lines on My Forehead?
What causes forehead wrinkles is not a mystery. Besides it being a sign of aging when your skin requires more collagen to fill in the gaps, other causes of forehead wrinkles also must be factored in. Here are some of the main causes you should first know before you try and get rid of forehead wrinkles:
A Direct Effect of Aging
Of course, the most common cause of forehead wrinkles is aging. As you age, collagen and elastin production decrease. Those two essential structural proteins are responsible for keeping your skin elastic and supple.
But when there is a loss of collagen and elasticity, your skin starts to sag. And, when there is not enough collagen to fill in, your skin develops wrinkles.
Excessive Sun Exposure
This is one of the common reasons why forehead wrinkles form as early as the 20s or 30s. The harmful UV radiation breaks down or slows down your body’s natural production of collagen and elastin, contributing to skin laxity and photodamage. So this is something you want to avoid if you are looking to prevent or get rid of forehead wrinkles.
If you already have wrinkles, sun exposure worsens them especially when your skin is not protected.
Active Muscle Movement
While making facial expressions, such as repetitive frowning, raising eyebrows, or even smiling, your frontalis muscles are active. This contraction of muscles settles your skin into the same position over and over again, creating furrows that eventually turn into wrinkles.
So, this factor depends on how much you use the muscles and the strength of your facial muscles —some people have their muscles frozen up.
Smoking and Alcohol Consumption
These unhealthy habits affect your skin’s ability to stay hydrated and repair itself. As a result, they contribute to the worsening of wrinkles on your skin.
Other causes include poor skincare regimen, genetics, stress, gravity, pollution, and behavioral habits. Sure, the impact of these factors on a daily basis may not be terrible. But over the course of years, these contribute hugely to creating noticeable changes in your otherwise healthy skin. This reason alone makes these causes important to take note of for those in their early 30s and younger so you prevent rather than try to get rid of forehead wrinkles as they begin to appear.
One important difference to keep in mind is the contrast between dynamic and static wrinkles. While dynamic wrinkles (temporary) are a transient part of everyday facial expressions, static wrinkles (permanent) are those that remain on your skin even when your face is at rest. Unless your wrinkles are static, I don’t think there is a reason to fret over the 11 lines you see in a picture of you smiling.
Treatment Options to Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles
How can you get rid of forehead wrinkles? Obviously, you cannot stop facial expressions as your eyebrows are responsible for many expressions. And, massaging your forehead 10 times won’t help you get rid of them, as “influencers” suggest.
Then, the obvious choice would be those expensive and scary injectables or other cosmetic procedures, right? Or you thought so. Before you go straight to the complicated stuff, or even before cutting bangs to cover up those deep forehead wrinkles, let’s talk about the forehead lines treatment options. There are other options too.
Lifestyle Changes
The first step in making wrinkles appear less is bringing changes in your current lifestyle. And some of these lifestyle changes listed below can also be considered as preventive tips for forehead wrinkles. You have to bring these changes into your lifestyle even before any wrinkles appear on your forehead. This means you can start them as early as possible.
- Limit the time you spent in the sun.
- Do not step out of the house without sunscreen —at least SPF 30.
- Wear sunglasses and a hat to protect your skin from UV rays.
- Exercise regularly to improve blood circulation and skin elasticity throughout your body.
- Get enough sleep to prevent the breakdown of skin cells.
- Manage stress through yoga, meditating, journaling, or whatever it is that you do.
- Follow a healthy and balanced diet with adequate vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.
- Stay hydrated both internally (8 glasses of water a day) and externally (use moisturizer daily).
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption to prevent premature aging.
- Wear glasses with the correct prescription to avoid squinting.
Quick Tip: To disguise forehead wrinkles, you can use your primer or change your hairstyle (bangs) to draw attention away from your forehead.
Skincare Products to Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles
Before going under the needle, you have to consider adding dermatologist-recommended skincare products into your facial skin care regimen. There are several over-the-counter products and prescription medications available to end the search on how to get rid of wrinkles on the forehead.
You have to look for collagen production products with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that help keep your skin hydrated. The following are the best anti-aging topical options for you:
Hyaluronic acid
This is one of the most common ingredients used in skincare products. Its ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water makes it incredible for keeping the skin hydrated, which in turn, helps with minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
It enhances skin elasticity and firmness while decreasing the depth of wrinkles. Many choose this over injectables as it is a less aggressive option.
Retinol or Retinoids
Retinol and retinoids are commonly used for skin cell turnover and collagen production, both of which helps with how to get rid of lines on the forehead. You have to be patient with consistent use to see the result.
Try using ROC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Filler to get rid of forehead wrinkles. The best time to use these products is at night. Those who are pregnant and breastfeeding should avoid these.
Peptides
Peptides help with collagen and elastin production along with the stimulation of growth of new cells and skin cell turnover. All of these together help with smoothing forehead wrinkles.
Try using Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum with Peptides.
Vitamin C
This is an important antioxidant that boosts collagen production, fights free radical damage, and protects the skin from harmful UV rays. So, when you are wearing sunscreen, use a vitamin C product, too.
Glycolic acid
This is an alpha hydroxy acid used to exfoliate the skin to reveal healthier skin.
It is also one of the main ingredients in chemical peels used to get rid of forehead wrinkles. Be sure to wear sunscreen after using glycolic acid products as it may cause sun sensitivity.
Sunscreen
This goes without saying. Anyone who wants to take care of their skin (and health) has to wear sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun. You have to wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or above to prevent wrinkles in the first place.
Home Remedies For Forehead Wrinkles
To answer how to get rid of deep forehead wrinkles naturally, some suggest applying coconut oil or olive oil to the wrinkled area and massage it, applying topical line-erasing creams, exfoliating skin at least twice a week, trying citrus face packs, and massaging aloe vera.
But there is no scientific evidence to prove any of these remove forehead wrinkles. You also have at-home toning devices (Conture Kinetic Skin Toning System), microcurrent devices, and high-tech lasers to smooth wrinkles at home.
Cosmetic Procedures to Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles
If nothing of the above measures helps you and you want to go for the big guns, you have several options. And they help you get rid of wrinkles completely, meaning immediate results. If your wrinkles aren’t too deep, injectables can smoothen forehead wrinkles effectively.
Botox
This is a popular treatment for obvious, deep wrinkles that is FDA-approved, among other neuromodulators. If you have no idea what botox is, it is a medication made from the botulinum toxin used to inject into specific muscles to temporarily paralyze them. As a result, your muscles won’t receive the signal to contract, effectively stopping dynamic wrinkle formation.
But of course, know all about botox before you choose, as it comes with both pros and cons. The pros are it is fast, easy, safe, and mostly considered as a preventive measure. The cons are hefty price tag, multiple treatments (every 3 to 4 months), potential bruising, pain, swelling, loss of efficacy over time, among other strange symptoms. There are a few post-treatment restrictions you have to keep in mind, like rubbing the area of injection, not drinking alcohol, or intense exercising for 14 hours.
Other Injectables
Botox is not the only injectable option available to get rid of forehead wrinkles. Like Botox, you have Dysport, Xeomin, and recently Jeuveau.
All of these work the same way though —preventing the muscles from contracting, allowing the overlying skin to relax and smoothen.
Laser Treatments
Some laser skin tightening treatments press the muscles in place from the surface down (Ematrix) while some (like Fraxel and PicoSure) stimulate collagen production to smooth the forehead lines from within(1).
They cause controlled damage to the skin by taking advantage of the skin’s ability to heal itself. Besides smoothing forehead wrinkles, they help with skin discoloration as well. But these are highly expensive.
Skin Resurfacing Laser
To get rid of forehead wrinkles, this particular laser treatment involves directing energy from a laser to your forehead. The intense light will remove the top layers of the skin, creating an invisible wound.
This triggers the natural production of collagen and, in turn, smoothes forehead wrinkles.
Light-based Devices
Those who want to stay clear of needles can consider some in-office treatments with certain devices. However, they are not as effective at removing wrinkles as injectable neurotoxins.
Professional Facial Treatments
Besides laser treatments, you have thermage(2) that works on all skin types. This forehead line treatment uses radiofrequency technology to deliver heat to the innermost layers (to the tissues) of your skin. As a result of the heating, there will be a stimulation of collagen, which smoothes the texture of your skin.
Another option is vampire facelift, which includes a combination of micro-needling and PRP (platelet-rich plasma). Lastly, you have microcurrent facials that use low-level electrical currents to trigger your body’s skin enhancement chemicals and get rid of forehead wrinkles.
Micro-needling
An invasive procedure that uses a roller-like device studded with tiny needles on the outside. The device is rolled on the skin after applying numbing cream, penetrating the outer layers of your skin(3).
This prick of needles is believed to trigger your skin’s natural healing process along with boosting collagen and elastin production. This is a safe, effective, and painless treatment for forehead wrinkles.
Acupuncture
Like micro-needling, this facial cosmetic acupuncture is done by inserting needles in the muscles of the face and neck. It increases facial elasticity(4).
Chemical Peels
They help to get rid of forehead wrinkles by deeply exfoliating the top layers of the skin to stimulate the natural healing process. As a result, your wrinkles will be minimized significantly with a youthful texture.
These come with many other skin benefits as well. However, these take several weeks to heal.
Dermabrasion
Another forehead line treatment involves improving the appearance of the top layers of the skin with mild chemical crystal and a vacuum device. This may not remove wrinkles completely but can minimize their appearance.
Dermal Fillers
These are gel-like fillers inserted into certain parts of your face. Although these cannot remove wrinkles permanently, dermal fillers soften forehead creases while restoring volume and fullness.
PDO Thread Lift
Another invasive and intensive in-office cosmetic procedure is PDO threads. However, some say it is not the best option to get rid of forehead wrinkles.
It works by placing threads under your skin and anchoring cones to lift and reposition the skin. Those threads are made of materials that increase collagen, so you get two wins in one shot —lifting and rejuvenation. Plus, its recovery time is short.
Disclaimer: All of these aforementioned cosmetic procedures must be performed by a certified professional after an in-depth consultation.
Final Thoughts
Forehead wrinkles are common but unwanted. But unless you go beyond topicals, you cannot get rid of them completely. Sure, you can minimize their appearance with skincare products, but not reduce them to none. This is why you have to be careful to not cause premature aging by following those lifestyle changes listed above.
If none of them work, take comfort in knowing that wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been, unless you have spent your life with raised eyebrows!
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