Frown Lines
- Skinfinity+
- Jun 17
- 7 min read

Frown lines, also known as ‘eleven’ lines (or ‘glabellar lines’) are the vertical creases that appear between your eyebrows. We make these creases when we knit our brows together while frowning and, as we age, our skin loses the ability to bounce back and the lines set in (particularly if frowning has become such a habit that we hardly know we’re doing it!). If you want to soften these lines, there’s a lot that can be done both with skincare and with treatments.
Treatments:
Radio Frequency
FAQ - FROWN LINES
Why do I have frown lines?
The forehead is expressive and we use it to communicate a great many emotions to the people around us: frowns, raised eyebrows, sympathetic looks, brows raised in delighted surprise – a whole range. The muscle movements involved in such facial expressions are known as ‘dynamic’ movements because they move the skin on top of them, forming creases where the skin folds to accommodate these movements. If you are always pulling your eyebrows together when you frown, creating the vertical ‘eleven’ lines between your eyebrows, these wrinkles start to set in.
These lines will become entrenched as you age because your skin becomes gradually less firm and springy due to the levels of collagen (the protein that keeps your skin firm) and elastin (the one that keeps your skin springy) drop as you get older. Then, when the skin is continually squashed into a crease, it loses its ability to bounce back.
What skincare can I use at home to reduce frown lines?
Firstly you need a moisturising sunscreen you need to wear it every day if you want to get rid of your frown lines. This is crucial because ultraviolet light, which the sunscreen protects against, really hastens ageing and the wrinkling process.
Secondly, dry skin wrinkles more quickly than well-hydrated skin, so consider adding a moisturising serum containing hyaluronic acid into your skincare routine. Despite technically being an acid, this is one of the gentlest ingredients you can use, and we naturally have it in lots of places in our bodies, including the skin. It’s incredibly hydrating and sinks into the upper layer of the skin, where it hangs on to water (each molecule of hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its own weight in water!) and plumps up the skin. Use it under moisturiser, sunscreen, make-up as it works best when sealed into place with a product on top of it.
A third tip is to add a vitamin A cream for regeneration into your skincare regime. Retinol (part of the retinoid family) is one such vitamin A derivative, and an ingredient that you’ll see cropping up everywhere. It works to kick-start collagen production, and simultaneously reduce the rate of collagen breakdown in your skin. This means that existing collagen lasts longer, and new collagen is made faster. It also speeds up the rate at which ageing skin cells renew themselves, which has an exfoliating effect on the skin, and has additional effects (unclogging blocked pores and reducing excess pigment production) that make the skin look clearer and less wrinkled as a result.
It’s important to know that retinol can easily irritate the skin, particularly if you use too much of it too quickly. Side effects of overuse of retinoids include redness, dryness, itchiness and skin peeling. That said, there are new types of active retinoids being launched all the time which are really effective at improving the skin, and are much less irritating than some of their older siblings.
Because of this potential for irritation, when you start using a retinoid cream, use it twice a week only, and no more, for two weeks. Your skin needs a while to get used to it, and you need to work out what kind of dose your skin can tolerate. This is also important because it takes three days for a reaction from a retinoid to show up in your skin, so you have to be very cautious and wait to see what the irritation’s like before you reapply the cream. Everyone’s skin is different, and tolerance of retinoids is no exception. Before you get overzealous with use of a retinoid, remember that with skincare you are running a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s better to be gentler to your skin and build up slowly than crashing in headfirst. If you’re finding the retinoid a bit drying, pop a moisturiser over the top of it. As well as just being moisturising, this can have the added benefit of helping to ‘buffer’ the retinoid and soften its effects.
Most retinols and retinoids should be applied at night. This is because they’re sensitive to daylight, which makes them break down and lose their effectiveness. There are, however, some new forms which have been engineered to not be affected by daylight in this way so, whichever product you use, follow the instructions when you apply it. Lastly, using a retinoid will make your skin more sensitive to daylight, so using sunscreen is more important than ever here. You want to protect the fresher, clearer skin that the retinoid is giving you, not waste it.
What treatments can I do to treat frown lines?
Anti-wrinkle injections are made from botulinum toxin A commonly referred to as 'Botox' and is the primary way of softening lines on the forehead. It works because Botox is a diluted form of nerve toxin. When injected into the facial muscles that help pull expressions, it interferes with the nerve signals which tell the muscles to contract. This stops these muscles from folding the skin up and causing wrinkles, giving the skin a chance to renew itself, softening the appearance of these wrinkles or lines. It’s quick and effective, and the results will last for several months. Once the effects of the toxin have worn off (this typically takes a few months), the muscles fully regain their function. You can also always ask for just a gentle dose the first time you have treatment if you’re nervous about it – ask for ‘baby Botox’.
These are exfoliating treatments using acids to loosen the chemical bonds that hold the dead skin cells onto the surface of your face, so those old cells can be swept away, revealing the fresher skin beneath. While this treatment won't stop the use of the muscles causing frown lines, it is a great anti-ageing treatment for fine lines.
Dermal Filler is a gel-like substance made from hyaluronic acid that is injected into the skin to fill in facial wrinkles, provide targeted facial volume or to contour and augment facial features to restore a younger and smoother appearance. A fine superficial filler is injected just beneath the skin to restore lost volume and fill in deeper lines. It is worth noting treating this area with dermal filler is a higher risk area due to the intricate blood vessels in this area and we would recommend treating the area with anti-wrinkle injections first. You would only want this to be done if your frown lines are really deep grooves. Otherwise, when your forehead is relaxed and not pulled into a frown, the fine lines of filler may be visible on the surface.
This treatment uses tiny, micro needles to create multiple punctures in the surface of the skin and these minute wounds stimulate the wound-healing response that floods the skin with growth factors and creates new collagen and elastin, creating a fresher, smoother and firmer surface.
Skin Boosters also known as 'Injectable moisturisers' are lightweight gels made of (or at least containing a good deal of) Hyaluronic acid - a substance that is naturally produced by the skin and has the ability to hold many times its own weight in water. Injecting this gel just below the surface of the skin gives long-lasting hydration by replenishing and hydrating your skin from within. Injectable skin boosters improve the density of the skin, diminish fine lines and give the complexion a youthful glow. Unlike a dermal filler, these treatments are not designed to create volume so the effect is more subtle and is suitable for all. The resulting effects are younger looking, radiant skin while collagen production tackles the signs of ageing.
Radio Frequency
This skin tightening treatment creates heat in the skin, to convince the skin cells that they have been injured to kick-start the wound healing response that freshens and tightens the skin. While laser works mainly on the surface of the skin, radiofrequency travels a short distance into the skin and takes action a bit deeper down. Radiofrequency also has the added benefit of making the existing collagen contract so it’s sometimes described as having a ‘shrink-wrapping’ effect, tightening up the skin on the face slightly.
Do frownies work?
Frownies are small patches of paper with adhesive backing, which work to reduce the appearance of forehead wrinkles by helping you to train yourself not to frown when you are concentrating. You stick them onto your face when it is relaxed, and then as soon as you start to scrunch up your face or frown, the patch tugs at your skin and you become very aware of your facial movements. Of course, it is possible to replicate this effect with sticky tape but this is a little less kind to your skin when you take it off. Frownies won’t get rid of your wrinkles, but they can help you to stop them from getting (significantly) deeper by not using the muscles.
How can I get rid of eleven lines naturally?
Unfortunately, beyond training yourself not to wrinkle your forehead when concentrating and staying healthy and eating well to strengthen your skin, there’s very little that can be done ‘naturally’ to get rid of or prevent the eleven lines from forming. However, there are plenty of treatments which can do wonders, and many skincare options too for those who prefer a less invasive solution.
Do anti-wrinkle serums stop frown lines?
‘Anti-wrinkle serums’ encompass two things: products which strengthen the skin, which can make frown lines less obvious (including retinoids and moisturising serums, as mentioned previously) and topical ‘Botox’ gels which claim to have the effects of a neurotoxin without needing invasive injection. In my opinion, these are a total waste of money and not your best option.
There is now some evidence from trials that topical gels including 10% argireline can relax fine lines from dynamic muscles. If this is something you’re curious about, it might be worth a shot trying a gel with this concentration of this ingredient.
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