Priorities
Fine lines and wrinkles
Forehead lines, frown lines, and crow's feet, and the treatments that soften them.
Starting at $10 a unit
The short version
Expression lines commonly appear on the forehead, between the brows, and around the eyes. If lines appear primarily with facial expression but soften at rest, a neuromodulator may be an appropriate option.
These are muscle lines. Lines that remain when your face is relaxed are skin lines, and each type responds to a different kind of treatment.
Why it happens
Where expression lines come from
Lines on the upper face usually begin with the way you move. Each frown, squint or raised brow creases the skin in the same spot, and as collagen thins and sun exposure adds up over the years, some of those creases stay put even when your face is relaxed.
Expressions crease the skin
Small muscle contractions behind every frown and squint fold the skin into forehead lines, 11s and crow's feet.
Thinner collagen holds the crease
With age, the deeper layer of the skin thins, so a crease lingers longer before it smooths out.
UV breaks down support
Sun exposure wears down collagen and elastin ahead of schedule, which is why sunscreen is part of every plan.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, wrinkles
Your options
How we'd approach it
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Step 1We'd start with
Botox or Dysport
Starting at $10 a unit
About Botox or DysportIf the lines fade when your face is still, a neuromodulator is usually the right treatment. We offer Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau, and Daxxify. Our nurse practitioners map out your treatment. It starts working in 3 to 7 days, and we'll review your result at day 14.
-
Step 2If you need a little more
Microneedling or Morpheus8
From $347
About Microneedling or Morpheus8If a line is still visible when your face is relaxed, toxin can help keep it from deepening but won't fill the groove. For that, we may recommend microneedling to rebuild collagen beneath it, or Morpheus8 if the skin has also thinned and loosened.
Side by side
Your options side by side
A line that moves and a line that stays need different treatments. Here's how ours compare.
We'd start with
Botox and other toxins
Starting at $10 a unit
- Best for
- Lines that soften when your face is still
- Appointment
- 10 to 20 minutes, no numbing cream
- Downtime
- Bumps for 20 minutes, possible pinpoint bruise
- First results
- 3 to 7 days
- Sessions
- One, repeated every 3 to 4 months
If you need a little more
Microneedling
From $347
- Best for
- Fine lines still visible at rest
- Appointment
- 45 to 60 minutes including numbing
- Downtime
- Pink for 24 to 48 hours, dry and tight for 2 to 3 days
- First results
- Hydration and glow within days
- Sessions
- 1 for glow, 3 to 6 for lines and marks, 4 weeks apart
Morpheus8
From $1,200
- Best for
- Lines at rest that come with some laxity
- Appointment
- 60 to 90 minutes for the face, more with the neck, numbing included
- Downtime
- 2 to 5 days of redness, grid marks, and fine scabs
- First results
- Some tightening in the first few weeks
- Sessions
- 1 to 3, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart
Prices are starting prices from our menu. Your provider will confirm the plan and total cost at your consult. Individual results vary.
What to expect
What to expect after toxin
The first few days look the same. It starts working in 3 to 7 days, and we review your result at day 14.
Day 0
Small bumps for about 20 minutes, then back to your normal day.
Day 3 to 5
Frowning takes more effort, and the 11s soften first.
Day 7
Many people see the change by now. 74 percent had responded at this point in Botox's trials.
Day 14
Full effect. We'll compare your photos and touch up if needed.
Month 3 to 4
Movement returns gradually. Rebook once you notice it.
Daxxify
Median 24 weeks in trials, so half of patients got less.
Timeline for toxin, from our treatment page. Individual results vary.
Our reasoning
How we evaluate fine lines and wrinkles
We’ll evaluate your face both at rest and in motion, with one relaxed photo and one animated photo taken in natural daylight. Comparing them shows how much of each line comes from muscle movement and how much is in the skin itself.
For muscle lines, we use Botox and the other neuromodulators. Botox and Xeomin are approved for frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet. Dysport, Jeuveau, and Daxxify are approved for frown lines only, and using them anywhere else is off-label. In Botox Cosmetic’s glabellar trials, 74 percent of people had responded by day 7 and 25 percent were still responding at day 120, per the prescribing information. Daxxify held a none-or-mild result for a median of 24 weeks in its pooled trials, per JAAD, which means half of people had it for less time. Individual results vary.
Skin lines call for a texture treatment. Microneedling with hyaluronic acid is our starting point: three to six sessions four weeks apart, and you’ll be pink for a day or two. Morpheus8 adds radiofrequency through the needles and is FDA-cleared for contraction of soft tissue. We recommend it when lines come with laxity. If you have a few etched lines without much laxity, microneedling is usually the better first step.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and a neuromuscular condition rule toxin out, so we’ll ask you about these first.
Your questions, answered
Can I go back to work right after Botox?
Yes. You may have small bumps at the injection points for about 20 minutes and possibly a pinpoint bruise, and after that there's usually nothing to see. The lines won't change for 3 to 7 days, which is expected. Strenuous exercise should wait until the next day.
How much does Botox cost?
Tox starts at $10 a unit here, whether you choose Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau or Daxxify. Most first visits treat the forehead, the 11s and crow's feet, about 40 to 56 units, so starting at $400. We'll give you your count and total at your consult, and our Botox cost guide walks through how pricing works.
Is it too early to treat faint frown lines?
Not if they linger for a moment after you stop frowning. Preventative dosing is lower and less frequent, and the goal is to keep the line from etching in without freezing your expression. If they clear right away, treatment isn't necessary yet. Wear sunscreen daily, and we'd suggest a follow-up visit in about a year.
What causes forehead lines?
Forehead lines come from the muscle that raises your brows. Every time you lift them, the skin folds, and over the years those folds can start to show even at rest as collagen thins. Treating them while they still fade when you relax gives the smoothest result.
Does sunscreen help with wrinkles?
Yes. UV light breaks down the collagen and elastin that keep skin smooth, so daily broad-spectrum sunscreen slows the lines that come from sun. It won't stop the ones from expression, which is what toxin is for.
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