Glabellar lines are those pesky parallel lines that pop up in between the eyebrows. Also sometimes called “frown lines,” “11 lines,” or “elevens,” these lines tend to be among the first signs of aging on the face.
If your glabellar lines are starting to become more noticeable, you may be wondering: how can you get rid of them? In this post, we’re answering that question by sharing the top treatments for glabellar lines. Before we take an in depth look at these treatments, we’ll also talk a bit about what causes glabellar lines, which will help you understand how each glabellar line treatment works.
What are Glabellar Lines and What Causes Them?
Glabellar lines are parallel wrinkles that rest between the brows. They’re sometimes called “elevens” or “11 lines” because these vertical lines look like an “11.” Glabellar lines are also known as frown lines because they’re connected to the action of frowning.
Glabellar lines are what dermatologists and plastic surgeons call dynamic wrinkles, which means they occur due to dynamic (constant) motion. It’s normal for people to move their facial muscles throughout the day as they eat, drink, and make facial expressions. But certain muscle activity will create temporary lines on the face and, over time, temporary lines can turn into permanent wrinkles.
Glabellar lines are caused by repeatedly furrowing the brow. When you frown, scowl, or furrow your brows for any other reason (like when concentrating), your face creates these “11” lines on your glabella, which is the skin over your forehead and between your eyebrows. When you’re younger, your skin will bounce back after furrowing the brow and look smooth once the brow is relaxed. However, as we age and our skin starts to lose firmness and elasticity, these lines can start to become more permanent. Sun damage can speed up this process, which is why sunscreen is such an important part of one’s skin care routine.
When glabellar lines first start to appear when the face is at rest, they can be faint and hard to notice. But with continued repetitive motion (and continued collagen and elastin loss due to aging and sun exposure), these fine lines will start to deepen and become more noticeable.
The Top Treatments For Glabellar Lines
Whether your glabellar lines are faint or starting to become deep, there are several excellent non-surgical treatment options that can help smooth them away with just a quick visit to the med spa. Next, we’ll talk more about these treatments as we share the top three med spa treatments for glabellar lines.
Dysport
Glabellar lines are caused by repetitively moving certain muscles to furrow your brow. These muscles include the procerus muscle, the corrugator supercilii muscles, and the depressor supercilii muscles. Dysport is an injectable treatment that can help to relax these muscles, stopping glabellar lines from worsening and smoothing your existing glabellar lines.
Dysport is an injectable treatment that is made of botulinum toxin, a neuromodulator. When Dysport is injected into the muscles, it causes them to relax and stops you from moving them. Dysport can prevent the creation or deepening of glabellar lines by stopping the repetitive motions that cause them to pop up in the first place. Additionally, the way that Dysport relaxes the muscles can cause existing glabellar lines to soften. So, Dysport can both help you avoid creating glabellar lines and help treat existing glabellar lines.
Dysport is a quick cosmetic procedure (it takes only around 10 minutes) that requires no downtime. The full results of Dysport will appear between 2 days and 2 weeks after your treatment, and these results last for around 3 to 4 months.
Botox
Botox Cosmetic, another non-invasive injectable made from botulinum toxin, can treat glabellar lines much like Dysport can. Botox can also relax the muscles around the brow, stopping glabellar lines from worsening and smoothing existing glabellar lines. Also like Dysport, a Botox treatment takes only around 10 minutes, requires no downtime, and lasts for around 3 to 4 months.
So, if Botox and Dysport are similar treatments, is one better than the other for glabellar lines? Generally, we would say that there isn’t a better treatment for glabellar lines across the board. However, there may be a better option for you and your unique body. Botox and Dysport work similarly but they have a slightly different makeup that can make one work better over the other for certain individuals.
At the Z Center for Cosmetic Health, Dr. Zadeh personally administers all injectable treatments and has a consultation appointment with each patient before treating them. At your consultation appointment, Dr. Zadeh can examine your glabellar lines, listen to your cosmetic concerns, learn more about your health history, and help you decide whether Botox or Dysport would be the best treatment for your glabellar lines.
Juvederm
Juvederm is a non-invasive injectable dermal filler made of hyaluronic acid. When injected into the skin, Juvederm can add volume, smoothing out wrinkles.
Juvederm is often a good treatment option for those who have deeper glabellar lines that are not fully smoothed by Botox or Dysport. While Botox and Dysport can both relax the muscles, which helps prevent glabellar lines from worsening and smoothes glabellar lines, sometimes deep or stubborn glabellar lines can remain even after a Botox or Dysport treatment. In this case, Dr. Zadeh sometimes recommends that a patient also use Juvederm to fully smooth out the glabellar line area.
It’s important to point out that while Juvederm can fill and smooth glabellar lines, it does not stop them from worsening. Juvederm fills the skin, but does not stop muscle movement like Botox or Dysport would. Because of this, many patients use a combination of Juvederm and either Botox and Dysport. This combination can both stop glabellar lines from worsening and smooth the appearance of deeper glabellar lines.
If you would like to try Juvederm for your glabellar lines, please note that you should only go to a highly skilled and experienced provider for this treatment. It takes a high level of skill to correctly administer Juvederm to the glabellar area, since this area contains several important nerves and arteries. Poorly done Juvederm injections for glabellar lines can lead to infection or skin loss in the area. Dr. Zadeh is an expert provider of Juvederm and has years of experience providing Juvederm for glabellar lines. Dr. Zadeh’s intimate knowledge and understanding of facial anatomy enables him to provide precise injections that give beautiful and natural results, while also avoiding treatment complications.
Ready to try Dysport, Botox, or Juvederm to banish your glabellar lines? Make a consultation appointment at the Z Center for Cosmetic Health today.