How Can I Reduce Forehead and Frown Lines? Causes and Options
Updated: 3 days ago
By Marina Kostadinova-Yankova, NMC-registered nurse and founder of Juvenology Clinic, Maidstone. Clinically reviewed November 2026.
Forehead lines, also called forehead wrinkles, are the horizontal lines that form when you raise your eyebrows. Frown lines are the vertical lines between the brows. Both are a normal part of expression and ageing. You can often soften them, but deep lines that stay visible when your face is relaxed rarely disappear completely. Which approach makes sense depends on the type of line, how your brows sit and what you want to change. One sensible option is to do nothing. A wrinkle-relaxing consultation is where you find out which options suit you. Some options are not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with certain medical conditions and medicines, which we check at the consultation.
The short answer comes first. After that, this guide looks at what causes forehead wrinkles, what helps at home, how professional treatments compare, what a consultation should cover and when a change around the brows or eyes needs medical help.
What forehead wrinkles and frown lines are
"Forehead lines" usually means the horizontal lines across the forehead. "Frown lines" are the vertical, sometimes slightly angled, lines between the eyebrows, in an area called the glabella. Some people also have a short horizontal crease across the top of the nose. These lines sit close together, but they are formed by different movements and do not always have the same cause. [1, 2]
Dynamic lines appear when you move your face and fade when you relax. Raising your eyebrows creases the forehead horizontally, while frowning or squinting draws the brows together and creates lines between them. These lines show that your face is moving normally. [1]
Static lines stay visible when your face is completely relaxed. They develop as the skin loses collagen and elastic fibres with age and sun exposure, and folds more readily in the same places. Because the skin itself has changed, reducing movement alone may not make a deep static line disappear. [1]
There is no fixed age at which forehead lines appear. Some people have visible lines in their twenties, others very few in their sixties.
How to reduce forehead wrinkles: the short answer
Protect against further damage. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen helps limit further sun-related ageing. It does not remove established lines. [6]
Soften fine, dry-looking lines. A good moisturiser makes some fine lines less noticeable while you keep using it. [3]
Improve skin quality gradually. A cosmetic retinol product or professional microneedling can improve fine lines and texture over months, but neither changes how your muscles move. [14, 21, 22]
Lines that appear mainly with expression come from muscle activity, and the options for them depend on a face-to-face assessment.
Deep creases at rest usually soften rather than disappear.
What causes forehead lines?
Forehead lines come mainly from years of raising the eyebrows, which folds the skin in the same places, combined with the loss of collagen and elastic fibres that comes with age and sun exposure. Genetics, the shape of your brows and smoking also play a part, and the balance differs from one person to the next.
Facial expression. Each time the forehead muscle lifts your brows, the skin above folds along the same lines. Over many years, and as the skin ages, those folds can become visible at rest. [1]
Ageing. With time, the skin loses collagen and elastic fibres and springs back less after folding. [1] These changes are partly genetic and happen at different rates in different people. [4]
Sun exposure. Cumulative ultraviolet exposure is one of the main external causes of skin ageing, alongside smoking and air pollution. [5, 4] In an Australian trial of 903 adults under 55, people who applied broad-spectrum sunscreen every day showed no detectable increase in skin ageing over four and a half years, and their skin aged about a quarter less than that of people who used sunscreen as they wished. Ageing was measured on the back of the hand rather than the face, but the same principle is likely to apply to other sun-exposed skin. [6]
Genetics and anatomy. The shape of your brow bone, how your brows sit, skin thickness and muscle arrangement are partly inherited. That helps explain why two people of the same age can have very different forehead patterns.
Smoking. In a study of identical twins, the twin who smoked, or who had more sun exposure, tended to look older than their sibling. [7]
Hydration, hormones and sleep. Dry skin makes fine lines more noticeable, but the evidence that drinking extra water improves skin hydration in healthy people is weak. [8] Skin changes around the menopause can make lines more noticeable, as explained in Juvenology's guide to perimenopause skin changes. "Sleep lines" come from pressure against a pillow rather than muscle movement, and they sit in different places from expression lines. [9]
How the forehead muscles shape lines and brows
A small group of muscles pulling in different directions shapes your forehead lines, frown lines and brow position. [10]
The frontalis, the broad muscle across the forehead, is the only muscle that lifts the eyebrows. When it contracts, horizontal forehead lines appear. [10, 11]
The corrugator supercilii muscles draw the brows down and together when you frown, producing the vertical lines between them. [2]
The procerus, over the top of the nose, pulls the inner brows down and can crease the bridge of the nose.
The orbicularis oculi closes the eyelids, and its outer part pulls the tail of the brow down. [12, 11, 10]
Why brow position matters
Because the frontalis is the only brow-lifting muscle, some people use it constantly, often without realising, to hold up low-set brows or lift heavy upper eyelids out of their line of sight. [11, 13] For them, forehead lines are partly a sign that the forehead is doing useful work, and reducing that activity can let the brows settle lower and make the upper face feel heavy. [11] Telling who is compensating in this way needs an examination at rest and in movement.
Brow, eyelid or skin?
"Heaviness" can mean three different things: brow ptosis (the eyebrow sits lower than it used to), eyelid ptosis (the upper eyelid itself droops) or dermatochalasis (extra, loose eyelid skin folding over the crease). [13] They can look alike but have different causes and management, and a photograph cannot tell them apart. [11, 13] Juvenology's guide to uneven eyebrows explains this in more detail.
How to get rid of forehead lines naturally: what skincare can do
Skincare works on the surface and on long-term skin health. It will not change how your forehead muscles move or remove a deep crease. Within those limits, a simple routine is worth getting right. Cleanse gently, moisturise, use broad-spectrum sunscreen every day on exposed skin including the neck, and avoid routines that sting or peel. [6, 3] Juvenology's neck lines guide explains why the neck is easily missed, and the guide to the skin barrier and microbiome covers keeping skin comfortable. If you would like help choosing products, Juvenology also offers a nurse-led skin consultation.
Moisturisers and hyaluronic acid. Moisturisers help the skin hold water, which can make fine lines less noticeable while you keep using them. [3] Hyaluronic acid in a cream is not the same as injected hyaluronic acid and does not fill an established fold.
Retinoids. Vitamin A derivatives can improve fine lines over time. Cosmetic retinol and retinaldehyde are less irritating than prescription retinoids but generally less potent, and burning, scaling and irritation are common reasons people stop, so introduce them slowly. [14] UK pregnancy guidance advises against retinoid creams and gels in pregnancy. [15] If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, ask a pharmacist or doctor first.
Vitamin C. Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with promising laboratory findings, but clinical studies are small and results depend heavily on the formulation. [16]
Exfoliating acids. Glycolic and lactic acids can make skin feel smoother, but frequent or strong use irritates the skin and increases sun sensitivity. [17]
Facial exercises and facial yoga. A systematic review found too little good-quality evidence that they work. [18] In a small study of 20 weeks of facial exercises, forehead lines at rest and in movement did not change significantly. [19] Since forehead lines are made by muscle activity, it makes little sense to expect that working those muscles harder would reduce them.
Home devices. A 2022 review of home dermatology devices found few high-quality trials. Home radiofrequency devices showed some benefit for wrinkles, but the review found no trials of LED devices for wrinkles. [20] Avoid any home device that punctures the skin, because of the risk of infection, scarring and lasting discolouration. [21]
Treatments for forehead lines compared
Professional treatments act on different things. Some improve the skin, some change muscle activity and some fill or resurface, so the useful question is whether a treatment addresses the concern that actually bothers you.
Professional microneedling
Microneedling makes tiny, controlled punctures in the skin, and as the skin repairs them, wrinkles and texture can improve. [21] A 2025 systematic review of 21 studies (723 patients) reported high satisfaction and few side effects, but the studies measured results in different ways, so the improvement any one person can expect is uncertain. [22] It does not stop the forehead muscles contracting, so it will not reliably soften lines that appear mainly with expression. Redness, or darkening on darker skin tones, for a few days is common. Infection, scarring or long-lasting colour change are less common. [21]
Every microneedling treatment at Juvenology is carried out by the founder. The microneedling page explains the options and prices, the microneedling guide covers the evidence, microneedling before and after looks at realistic results, and the patient guide to preparing for microneedling covers before and after.
Skin boosters and other skin-quality injectables
Profhilo and polynucleotides are different products, and neither is a dermal filler. Both are used to improve skin quality, and neither reduces muscle movement. Juvenology's guides to Profhilo and polynucleotides explain each one.
Lines that appear mainly with expression
In the UK, the options for lines that appear mainly with expression are prescription-only. They need a face-to-face assessment by an independent prescriber and cannot be advertised to the public, so this guide does not describe them. What is worth understanding before any consultation is how your forehead works.
Because the frontalis is the only muscle that lifts the brows, reducing its activity can lower the brows or make them feel heavy, especially in people who rely on it to hold their brows or eyelids up. [11]
Less often, the effect spreads to the muscle that lifts the eyelid and causes the lid to droop. [26]
Whether any option is suitable is a clinical decision, not something to choose from a website or a price list.
Energy-based treatments
Resurfacing lasers are used to lessen wrinkles and improve texture. After ablative resurfacing, healing typically takes 10 to 21 days, with risks of infection, scarring and colour change. [23] None of these devices changes muscle movement. Laser resurfacing is not among the treatments Juvenology lists.
Dermal fillers for selected lines
Filler is sometimes used for a single deep line that remains at rest, but it is not a routine forehead treatment. Loss of sight after filler is rare, but the forehead and glabella are among the areas most often involved in published cases. [24, 25] These areas are not among the filler areas Juvenology lists.
Surgery and specialist assessment
A low brow that affects vision, a drooping eyelid or heavy eyelid skin may need an eye specialist or plastic surgeon. Juvenology does not provide surgery, but a consultation can help work out whether a referral is the right next step. [13]
Comparing the options
Main concern | Details |
Fine, dry-looking lines | Options to discuss: Moisturiser, sunscreen; possibly a cosmetic retinol product What they aim to change: Hydration and long-term skin quality Important limitations: Gradual and modest; does not change movement |
Lines that appear mainly with expression | Options to discuss: Face-to-face assessment; or no treatment What they aim to change: Understanding what is causing the lines Important limitations: Anything that reduces muscle activity can affect brow position; not suitable for everyone |
Lines visible at rest | Options to discuss: Skincare; microneedling; sometimes other professional treatments What they aim to change: Skin quality and texture Important limitations: Unlikely to remove an established crease completely |
Rough texture | Options to discuss: Skincare; microneedling; chemical peels What they aim to change: Surface and texture Important limitations: Recovery and risks differ by treatment |
Heavy brows or eyelids | Options to discuss: Examination; medical or specialist opinion What they aim to change: Identifying the cause Important limitations: Forehead treatment can make heaviness worse |
Any of these | Options to discuss: Waiting, skincare alone or no procedure What they aim to change: Nothing, or the skin's long-term health Important limitations: Lines continue to change naturally over time |
Can forehead lines be removed completely?
Rarely, and it should not be promised. Lines that appear only with movement may soften a great deal, but established creases usually remain to some degree. A good result means different things to different people. For one person it is a softer line with expressions that still look like their own, for another smoother texture, or simply understanding why their brows feel heavy. Feeling satisfied and a measured reduction in wrinkle depth are not the same thing, and studies report them separately.
How long any improvement lasts depends on the approach. Skincare benefits last only while you keep it up, and changes from microneedling develop over several months while the skin continues to age. [21] More sessions or combined treatments do not automatically mean a better result. If a result disappoints, go back to the clinician who treated you. A review should establish whether it reflects the expected limits of the treatment, a weaker response or a possible complication.
Brow heaviness and uneven brows after treatment
A brow that feels heavy after forehead treatment can mean a feeling of heaviness without any measurable change, a brow that has actually moved lower, more noticeable eyelid skin, a drooping eyelid, [26] or swelling unrelated to the muscles. Brows can also look uneven because they always were, or because the two sides responded differently. Careful assessment helps identify who is more at risk, but no assessment can guarantee a result. If you notice an unexpected change, contact the clinic that treated you promptly, with the date, area and product details ready. The warning signs below always come first.
What a good forehead consultation covers
The point of a consultation is to understand your face and what you want to change. Choosing a procedure comes later, if at all.
Your concern. Expression lines, creases at rest, texture, brow position, eyelid heaviness or a change after previous treatment.
Your medical history. General health, any neurological or muscular condition, medicines, allergies, previous procedures and reactions, healing, active skin problems, pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Your face at rest and in movement. Brow position, natural asymmetry, eyelids and skin, and whether your forehead is helping to hold your brows up. A photograph cannot show this.
Honest options. Likely benefits and limits, side effects, recovery, alternatives, total cost, follow-up and the option of no treatment.
Informed consent. Time to think and ask questions before you agree to anything or sign a form.
A good consultation can end with reassurance, a skincare plan, a referral, a decision to wait, or no procedure at all.
When to get medical help
New changes around the eyes and brows are not always caused by an aesthetic treatment. A new eyelid droop, eye symptoms or neurological symptoms need medical assessment, whatever their cause. [27]
If you notice | What to do |
In the 4 weeks after an injection treatment to the face: drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, slurred speech, or new muscle weakness | Call 999. Tell them about the treatment and the product if you know it [28, 29, 30] |
Face drooping on one side, arm weakness or speech problems | Call 999 (possible stroke) [31] |
Any loss or change of vision, or severe eye pain, during or after a filler injection | Call 999 immediately. Do not drive yourself [25, 32] |
Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, or sudden severe eye pain | Go to A&E or call 999 [32] |
Double vision with a severe headache or a widened pupil | Go to A&E or call 999 [33] |
An eyelid that droops suddenly, or an eye you cannot open or keep open | Get help the same day: an urgent GP or optician appointment, or NHS 111. Do not wait for it to settle. Call 999 or go to A&E if it comes with a severe or sudden headache, a change in pupil size, double vision, pain in the eye, face or neck, face drooping, weakness, or difficulty speaking or swallowing [34, 27, 33] |
Double vision that starts suddenly | Urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 [33] |
Skin that becomes painful, hot and swollen after a skin procedure | Contact the treating clinic straight away, or ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111. Call 999 or go to A&E if you also have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, have a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, purple patches on the skin, or cold, clammy or pale skin, or feel dizzy, faint or confused. Swelling around the eye is especially serious [35] |
A cosmetic change without the symptoms above | Contact the clinic that treated you for advice and a review. Juvenology patients can see when to contact the clinic after treatment |
Warning signs. Rare cases of botulism have been reported after some cosmetic injections, in which the effect spreads beyond the treated area. Symptoms can include drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, breathing difficulties and muscle weakness. They usually start 4 to 8 days after treatment but can take up to 4 weeks, and they need immediate medical attention. [29, 30] Botulism is rare, and a lower brow on its own is a recognised local side effect rather than a sign of botulism.
An aesthetic consultation is not the right place to investigate unexplained eye, skin or neurological symptoms. Unless it matches a warning sign above, see your GP, an optician or NHS 111 first if something new and unexplained has appeared.
Costs
Current prices are on the wrinkle-relaxing consultation page. A consultation is an assessment, not a treatment, and treatment is not guaranteed at the first appointment. Before agreeing to anything, ask for the total expected cost, including any course and review appointments.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get rid of forehead wrinkles?
Fine lines often soften with daily sunscreen, a moisturiser and possibly a cosmetic retinol product. Lines from expression come from muscle activity and need a face-to-face assessment to discuss options. Deep creases at rest usually soften rather than disappear. [3, 6, 14]
Why do I have forehead lines even when my face is relaxed?
Lines that stay visible at rest reflect changes in the skin itself, such as less collagen and elasticity and the effects of sun exposure, as well as years of folding in the same place. [1]
Why do I have forehead lines in my 20s?
There is no fixed age for forehead lines. How much you raise your brows when you talk, inherited features such as brow shape, skin thickness and muscle arrangement, sun exposure and smoking all play a part. Some people also lift their brows constantly, without realising, to hold up low-set brows or heavy eyelids. [1, 4, 7, 11]
What are the lines between the eyebrows called?
They are usually called frown lines, or glabellar lines, after the glabella, the smooth area between the eyebrows. They come mainly from the corrugator muscles, which draw the brows together, and the procerus, which pulls the inner brows down. [2]
Can I improve forehead lines without injections?
Sometimes. Sunscreen, moisturiser, a cosmetic retinol product and microneedling can improve fine lines and texture. None changes muscle movement or reliably removes deep creases. [3, 14, 22]
Will reducing forehead lines change my expressions?
It can. Anything that reduces muscle activity changes how that part of the face moves and can affect brow position. Discuss which expressions matter to you before deciding.
I have heavy eyelids. Should I have my forehead treated?
Not before an assessment. Some people use their forehead to lift heavy lids, and reducing forehead activity can make heaviness worse. Some causes need a medical or specialist opinion instead. [11, 13]
Can I choose not to have any treatment?
Yes. Forehead and frown lines are normal, and living with them is a perfectly reasonable choice.
Next step
If your lines bother you, my wrinkle-relaxing consultation page explains how I assess the upper face and what happens next. Come and see me at my clinic on King Street in Maidstone, and I'll tell you honestly whether treatment is worth it for you.
Related reading: Why is one eyebrow higher than the other?
About the author
Marina Kostadinova-Yankova is the founder of Juvenology Clinic in Maidstone, Kent. She is a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and has more than 25 years of nursing experience. She is listed with the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), is a member of the Royal College of Nursing, and has trained in aesthetic injectables with ACE Group and Derma Medical. Read more about Marina.
This article is general information and does not replace individual medical advice. If you have any of the warning signs above, seek medical help at the level shown.
References
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Yu M, Wang SM. Anatomy, head and neck, eye corrugator muscle. StatPearls. Updated 14 August 2023.
American Academy of Dermatology. Wrinkle remedies. Accessed 21 October 2026.
De Jong R, Hohman MH. Brow ptosis. StatPearls. Updated 15 September 2025.
US Food and Drug Administration. Alpha hydroxy acids. Content current as of 22 November 2022.
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Laser resurfacing for aging skin.
King M. Management of ptosis. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(12):E1–E4.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Safety update on GOV.UK, 15 July 2026.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Drug Safety Update, 15 July 2026.
Juvenology Clinic. Clinic policies. Accessed 21 October 2026.
