How to Smooth Forehead Wrinkles & Prevent Them

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror only to frown over fine lines on your forehead, know that you’re not alone. For those of us 25 and older, forehead wrinkles are one of the largest skin care concerns and for good reason. 

If you’re becoming increasingly concerned about your wrinkles, I’ll go over some great information on forehead wrinkles, fine lines, and how to smooth them out, plus how to prevent more from forming. As an aesthetician, I love sharing my knowledge on skin so everyone can have healthy skin!

Below you’ll find out why your wrinkles are forming in the first place, whether or not you can really get rid of them, and a series of tips to make them look less visible in the meantime.

The Common Causes of Forehead Wrinkles

As with many skin care concerns, age plays a role in the development of forehead wrinkles. That said, just because the passing of time causes a reduction in collagen and elastin production, doesn’t mean there aren’t also other factors that come into play. Think: excessive sun exposure (which progressively slows the body’s natural production of collagen and elastin—thus contributing to laxity), facial muscle strength, repetitive forehead facial expressions (which are caused by the activity of the frontalis muscles, and those allow you to raise your eyebrows while expressing yourself), staring into screens, stress, gravity, pollution, behavioral habits, and genetics (which influence the onset at which a person starts to develop static wrinkles in the first place). 

Notice how we mentioned “static wrinkles”? While some people start to fret over forehead wrinkles the moment they see a picture of themselves smiling accompanied by a couple “11” lines, the truth is, wrinkles don’t become permanent (read: static), until they’re there when you’re not making a face at all. It’s a  concept referred to as dynamic vs. static wrinkles. Where dynamic wrinkles are a fleeting part of normal everyday expression, static wrinkles are those that leave their tracks while said expression is at rest. 

Can You Really Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles?

Just like the age-old question of whether or not you can make pores disappear, you can’t entirely vanish forehead wrinkles, but there are methods that quickly and effectively reduce their appearance.

First, you have to understand why this is the case. As we age, we lose collagen and elastin, which helps our skin bounce back, We can off-set or prevent some of this with topical applications of retinoid, antioxidants, ceramides, and other ingredients to help the skin perform its best. 

It all comes down to the severity and initial cause of your wrinkles. Very fine and superficial lines can be improved with good skin care, including strict sun protection, topical retinoids/retinol, peptides, and antioxidants. Antioxidant serums, such as those containing vitamin C, can also be beneficial for protecting the skin from further damage from free radical formation and improvement hyperpigmentation and fine lines (more on that below).

That said, if there are already heavy, static lines in place, heavier treatments can be an option for you depending on the severity of wanting to get rid of them, i.e. resurfacing or Botox injections.

How to Prevent Forehead Wrinkles 

Anyone asking me about this, I instantly start on how to prevent forehead wrinkles and that you have to implement an anti-aging skin care routine. The trick is to know which products and treatments to incorporate into your regimen, as well as when to put it into practice. As a general rule of thumb, you should begin your preventative anti-aging journey sometime between your 20s and 30s. It’s hard to nail down a specific age since, as I mentioned before, genetics play a role. That said, your best bet is to talk to your mom and grandma about when they first started noticing fine lines and wrinkles on their appearance so that you can get ahead of the game. 

Below I compiled several tips to prevent and smooth forehead wrinkles:

1. Apply Vitamin C and SPF Every Morning to Prevent Against Aging

Sun exposure plays a major role in the youthful appearance of skin. The more sun you get, the drier, spottier, and saggier your skin can become. As such, it’s important to add ingredients into your routine to reverse the damaging effects. That’s why you should always apply vitamin C (to boost collagen production, fight free radical damage, protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays, help fade the appearance of dark spots, and lend to a brighter-looking complexion) and sunscreen with at least SPF 30 protection to help shield against the sun’s daunting effects. 

And, for extra anti-wrinkle protection, wear sunglasses when outdoors which prevent you from squinting and frowning, which could potentially cause 11 lines and other forehead wrinkles.

2. Look for Products Loaded With Hyaluronic Acid to Plump the Appearance of Skin

Hyaluronic acid is one of the most coveted ingredients on the skin care market thanks to its ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water. While this is incredible from a hydration standpoint, it’s also great for minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles thanks to its plumping abilities. 

3. Start Using Retinoids at Night to Stimulate Collagen Growth

The necessity of retinoids in any anti-aging routine is #1 in my books. Retinoids are clinically proven to stimulate collagen growth, but retinol (AKA a vitamin A-derivative and weaker-form of retinoid) works best at night to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. This is largely due to the fact that 1) the skin repairs itself at night so applying this topical boosts the process, and 2) retinoids (and retinol under their umbrella) can often create mild irritation that will typically subside by morning.

4. Schedule a Professional Facial Treatment for Faster, More Noticeable Results

If you’re late to the anti-aging party and didn’t make it in time to work preventatively, head into your local spa for a professional facial—of which there are many kinds that can help with fighting wrinkles, including micro needling and micro current.

5. Boost Cell Turnover With Peptides

Next up: Peptides. These are proteins that stimulate the growth of new cells and facilitate cell turnover while you sleep. Peptides also stimulate the production of collagen, which is responsible for the skin’s firmness and suppleness.

6. Try Using an At-Home Toning Device to Smooth Skin

I’m all for jade rollers and gua sha tools, but when it comes to really preventing and (even more so) diminishing already-established wrinkles, you want to punch up the power. That’s where toning devices come into play. These devices can help increase the amount of absorption of active ingredients, so they penetrate into the deep layers of the skin – giving maximum benefits.

There are plenty of toning devices available on the market, but micro current devices, like those offered from NuFace, are my go to! These use low-level currents that mimic the body’s natural current to help reduce and reverse the signs of aging. In other words, you have options.

7. Consider Getting Injections for Immediate Results

At the end of the day, if updating your skin care routine with anti-aging ingredients, at-home treatments, and professional facials doesn’t work—and, most importantly, if you really want to put an end to your fine lines—it’s time to turn your attention to injections. 

But how does it work? 

When Botox is injected into the muscles, it binds to the receptors on the muscles so that your muscles don’t receive the signal to contract. Therefore, you won’t be able to make dynamic wrinkles (wrinkles you make when frowning. And if you’re making less dynamic wrinkles, then there’s less of a chance for static wrinkles to set in—hence the idea of preventative Botox in your mid-to-late 20s and early 30s. 

If you choose Botox, be prepared to schedule appointments every three to four months to maintain the results.

And, whatever you do, remember that, while there is no downtime as the result of injections, there are a few restrictions. Once Botox has been injected, one cannot massage the treated area for 72 hours and must keep your head upright for at least four hours post-injection. Rubbing the area of treatment can result in moving Botox to unwanted areas.

Since Botox is superficially injected, it needs an adequate amount of time without movement for it to dissipate appropriately. What’s more, you shouldn’t drink or partake in excessive workouts for 12 to 24 hours post-treatment. While bruising is unlikely, these activities can exacerbate the possibility. 

It’s important to know the ups and downfalls of injections, so you can make the right decision for you.

Botanica Spa Services

No matter what you choose, Botanica Day Spa has everything you need to smooth forehead wrinkles and prevent more from forming. Our wide range of facials are perfect for anti-aging concerns, and we even have monthly Botox events so keep an eye out for those by subscribing to our newsletter! To book your facial, call us at 727-441-1711 today!

Love,

Gen