What Causes Forehead Lines
The frontalis is the broad, flat muscle that covers your forehead and lifts your eyebrows. Every time you look surprised, talk expressively, or open your eyes wider to fight fatigue, it contracts and the skin above folds into horizontal lines. Because it's a big muscle and it works all day, forehead lines are often the first lines people notice in the mirror, sometimes in their late twenties.
How Botox Treats Them
Small amounts of Botox are placed across the forehead to reduce how hard the frontalis contracts. Botox is FDA-approved for forehead lines. The art of this treatment is in the dosing. Too much, and the brows can feel heavy. The right amount softens the lines and keeps your expressions.
Forehead lines are almost always treated together with frown lines, because the two muscle groups work against each other. Treating only the forehead can let the frown muscles pull the brows down, so Dr. Bashian and Rachel Fey, PA will usually recommend both.
Will I Look Frozen?
This is the question everyone asks, and it's a fair one. The frozen look comes from over-treating the forehead. Our approach is to use the lowest effective dose, especially on a first visit, and to leave enough movement that you can still raise your brows. If we're conservative and you'd like a bit more, we can add units at your two-week check-in, so we'd rather start light.
Pricing
| Product | Non-Member | Member |
|---|---|---|
| Botox or Xeomin | $12 per unit | $11 per unit |
| Dysport | $5 per unit | $4 per unit |
Priced per unit. Forehead dosing varies more than most areas because foreheads vary so much in height and muscle strength. We'll confirm the count and your total before treating you. See Membership Pricing
What to Expect at Home
Dr. Bashian or Rachel Fey, PA will have you raise your brows, watch how the muscle moves and where the lines fall, and mark the points. Small bumps at the sites fade within a half hour. Skip lying flat, rubbing the area, and hard exercise for about four hours. Results start showing in three to five days, settle at two weeks, and last three to four months.
Who It's For
Adults with forehead lines that show when they raise their brows, or that are beginning to stay at rest. People with very low-set brows or heavy upper eyelids need a more careful approach, because they may use their forehead muscle to help hold the eyes open. Dr. Bashian or Rachel Fey, PA will assess this before treating. We do not treat anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding.
Risks and Side Effects
Bruising, tenderness and a mild headache the first day are the most common. The specific risk with forehead treatment is brow heaviness, a feeling that the brows are sitting lower than usual. It's temporary and it's why conservative dosing matters. Individual results vary.
