Facial Injections: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

FOrehead wrinkles are formed due to repetitive muscle action, specifically raising your eyebrows. When we are younger, these wrinkles are dynamic meaning that they are only present when we raise our eyebrows.

However, with time/ aging, after years of dynamic wrinkles, ie. just with raising your eyebrows, the dynamic wrinkles become imprinted to our skin and are static, meaning that they are present all the time.

Botox works to paralyze the muscle so you can make then wrinkles since you can’t raise your eyebrows- therefore, with ongoing treatment, you would not see static wrinkles.

Alternatives to soften these wrinkles would be using filler to physically fill them OR consider some type of resurfacing to help soften/ efface them.

Types of resurfacing include peels, dermabrasion, and CO2 laser, with the laser being the most popular/ effective for fine lines/ wrinkles. (Sapna A. Patel, MD, Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Two alternatives to Botox that work very similarly to Botox are Dysport and Xeomin. All three of these products are considered neurotoxins.

If you are not interested in a neurotoxin to treat forehead wrinkles you may want to consider other cosmetic treatments such as cosmetic lasers, chemical peels, or even surgery to decrease lines and wrinkles. (Scott Chapin, MD, FACS, Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon)

Botox and its alternatives

Botox and Dysport, the newest FDA approved neurotoxin, are both effective ways to reduce the muscle movement and therefore smooth the wrinkle that is present or prevent further wrinkling. Botox has been FDA approved since the early 90’s and is the most common cosmetic procedure performed worldwide.

It has a 98% satisfaction rate. This statistic is reassuring because if there were significant associated risks it would not be used with the frequency that it is. Laser resurfacing is another option that can smooth existing wrinkles.

Fractionated co2 laser resurfacing (we use the Mixto) is a relatively quick and easy procedure that will soften existing wrinkles.

Laser will not prevent further wrinkling but can increase collagen production to help keep them softer looking.

The recovery time is about a week. There are NO creams or exercises that will give you a similar improvement. (Armando Soto, MD, FACS, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

When it comes to wrinkles/lines that are created from muscle movement such as we see on the forehead and in the crow’s feet area, there really is no substitute for Botox. Nothing else can relax the muscles that causing the problem. (Steven E. Rasmussen, MD, FAAD, Austin Dermatologist)

Botox alternatives are Dysport and the next generation toxin called Xeomin

There are 2 alternatives to Botox. Dysport and Xeomin. Xeomin is a next generation toxin that is a pure form and hence risk of reactions and developing tolerance to the product are low. The other alternatives are to surgically weaken the ‘frown’ muscles.

Crows feet and the forehead are hard to treat surgically. (Naveen Somia, MBBS, PhD, FRACS, Sydney Plastic Surgeon)

Botox or Dysport alternatives

Both Botox and Dysport relax muscles by blunting nerve stimulation for these muscles to contract involuntary. As far as wrinkles caused by excessive muscle contraction on forehead, between eyebrows and crows feet, there is really no good alternative.

There may be less need for botulinum toxin if adequate volume is restored in temple and eyebrow areas via fillers by a trained board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. (William Ting, MD, Bay Area Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botx Alternatives

There are certainly other products on the market, that can successfully remove facial wrinkles. Botox works differently than products such as Radiesse and Juvederm, which are dermal fillers, and therefore used on different areas of the face.

This makes dermal fillers similar to Botox – both wrinkle removing injections – but does not make them actual alternatives to each other. Botox is the best treatment for forehead wrinkles, the frown line, and Crow’s Feet.

This is because Botox paralyzes the muscles, causing them to relax and therefore not wrinkle up. Dermal fillers, such as Juvederm, work to plump up areas that are creased or wrinkled, like the Nasolabial Folds or around the lips.

These places need to be filled out, rather than have the underlying muscle relax. I wonder why you are hesitant to use Botox; if you are worried about having results that are unnatural or a ‘frozen’ face, think again.

Botox administered by a skilled professional (trained and experienced in Botox injections), will provide a smooth forehead, a less worried expression (no more frown line between the brow’s), and a refreshed, younger look. Always have your Botox administered in the doctor’s office, by a medical professioinal; never at the mall or at someone’s house.

This will ensure positive results. (Narin (Joe) Apisarnthanarax, MD, Houston Dermatologist)

Best Botox alternatives

For wrinkles on the forehead, Botox can work quite well, but there are other options. First and foremost, the two injectable medications that are very similar to Botox but made by other companies include Dysport and Xeomin.

Both of these are nearly identical to Botox on a molecular level and work in a similar fashion (by relaxing the muscles in the affected area). Other alternatives for forehead wrinkles include fillers, skin resurfacing, and surgery.

I do not commonly use fillers in the forehead simply because Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin work so well and give a very nice result, but fillers can be used to fill in certain deep, static lines in the forehead in select patients.

Skin resurfacing (peels or lasers) can work well in the forehead area and other areas of the face as well. To get a significant improvement, there is generally some down-time involved, which is not the case with an injectable treatment like Botox.

The advantage of skin resurfacing is that the result is essentially permanent and can produce a dramatic improvement. Finally, surgery is an option, often performed in conjunction with a brow lift. I do not typically try to remove the muscles that cause horizontal forehead lines because this can give an unnatural appearance and affect brow position.

I do think that a brow lift can sometimes help to soften horizontal brow lines because the brow is no longer feeling heavy and needing to be lifting by the forehead (frontalis) muscles. Also, during a brow lift, the muscles between the eyebrows in the glabella area that cause frown lines or the vertical “11” lines can be weakened.

This does not require any extra incisions or recovery time. Even when this is performed, it does not typically cause an improvement that is dramatic enough to no longer see benefits from Botox (meaning that some motion will typically return over time). (Matthew Richardson, MD, Frisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Toxin mechanism of action

So, there is often a misconception of the role of toxin for forehead lines. The toxin paralyzes the muscle. So that stops the active wrinkling of muscles. Many patients come in and they want the forehead wrinkles that are present in repose.

So for those lines the best treatment is a combination of laser surgery and fat transfer in my hands. (Benjamin Caughlin, MD, Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon)

There are a range of possibilities. The most basic would be skin care treatments like lotions or peels. Alternatively, you could try laser skin resurfacing. Fillers are not a good option for the forehead area. (Mahsa Sohrab, MD, New Haven Oculoplastic Surgeon)

There Are Botox Alternatives

As most people know, Botox is a neuro toxin or a neuro modulator, which is meant to temporarily weaken the activity of certain muscles, whose activity are felt to be detrimental to appearance. This is the cosmetic use of Botox.

There are alternative molecules to the actual Botox molecule, but they have the same type of effect. Their time of onset and duration of effect vary, and are different from each other and from Botox.

However, all of these use a neuro toxin to achieve their effect.

If you are concerned about forehead transverse or horizontal forehead lines and the vertical “11” glabella lines, the best way to deal with this, besides injections, is, if you are a candidate, for different types of surgical brow lifts and forehead lifts.

The forehead lift can weaken and soften the frontalis muscle that causes the horizontal forehead lines, and those lines can also be injected with injectable materials like hyaluronic acid, better known as Restylane or Juvaderm.

With regard to the “11’s”, the small muscles that cause the “11’s” better known in medical terms as glabella frown lines, can be actually removed during a brow lift or procedure. This may eliminate the need for Botox permanently or dramatically limit its need.

These are surgical procedures which often require anesthesia, but they also serve to reposition the brows and restore the brightness and freshness to the face and forehead, so they are very valuable procedures. The way to sort this all out is with a one-on-one consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. (Richard A. D’Amico, MD, FACS, Englewood Plastic Surgeon)

You could use Dysport or dermal fillers.

An alternative to Botox is Dysport, which is another type of neurotoxin with a similar molecular composition to weaken the muscles that create wrinkles on the forehead. Other than neurotoxins, other options for improving wrinkles on the forehead include dermal fillers or laser resurfacing. (Ava Shamban, MD, Santa Monica Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox is safe, effective, works quickly, and has little to no downtime or side effects

Botox is generally considered the best treatment option for wrinkles on the forehead. It’s safe, effective, works quickly, and has little to no downtime or side effects when injected properly. You could try Dysport or Xeomin, but these are also injectable neuromodulators that work the same way that Botox does.

As long as you visit a board-certified dermatologist with experience and good knowledge of facial anatomy, there is no reason to be hesitant about trying Botox. (Jordan Fabrikant, DO, San Diego Dermatologist)

Neuromodulators are generally considered the best treatment for expression lines on the forehead.

Neuromodulators are generally considered the best treatment for expression lines on the forehead, between the brows, and around the eyes. Alternatives to Botox include Dysport and Xeomin, but both of these treatments work the same way that Botox does, by relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles.

If your forehead wrinkles are especially deep, laser resurfacing or possibly a thin filler injected carefully by an expert could help, but generally most dermatologists will recommend Botox for forehead lines. Botox is extremely safe when performed by a board-certified dermatologist, with minimal to no side effects.

I suggest visiting a board-certified dermatologist for a consultation and discussing with them your hesitations about Botox and asking any questions you need to. (Kory Kitagawa, MD, Honolulu Dermatologist)

Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin Are Effective for Forehead Wrinkles.

Botox, Xeomin and Dysport are all safe and effective for forehead wrinkles. Properly used, they are all highly effective and have very few side effects. (Luke J. Curtsinger, MD, Savannah Plastic Surgeon)

Botox alternatives include laser resurfacing, dermal fillers, other neuromodulators

There are three FDA approved neuromodulators that can help treat dynamic wrinkles in the forehead: Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin. Each of these works in the same way, however, so if you are hesitant about Botox then you would most likely be hesitant about Dysport and Xeomin as well.

There are other alternatives to treat wrinkles on the forehead, such as dermal fillers for static lines or laser resurfacing, but neuromodulators are really the best option for treating dynamic wrinkles in the forehead.

If you visit a board-certified, expert dermatologist who has experience injecting Botox, you should not need to worry about typical concerns such as a “frozen” expression. (Margaret Weiss, MD, Baltimore Dermatologic Surgeon)

Alternatives to Botox

Botox works in a unique way to relax the muscles which cause wrinkles on your face.

There are currently two other FDA-approved products- Xeomin and Dysport- which work in a similar manner to Botox. I use a lot of Xeomin in my Denver practice.

It is a more pure form of the medicine without some of the additional proteins that come bound to Botox. Usually Botox or one of the other products mentioned above is the best choice for forehead wrinkles.

Sometimes fillers such as Juvederm can be used in the forehead. Another alternative might be a surgical brow lift, but that is much more invasive. (Richard Ort, MD, Lone Tree Dermatologic Surgeon)