Would you like fewer forehead wrinkles but worry that your eyebrows might feel heavy or your expression might look stiff?
Did your eyes feel very heavy or become hard to open after previous Botox treatment? Tell us so that we can consider this when explaining the optimal dose and injection areas. A feeling of heaviness around your eyes does not mean you have to give up forehead or frown-line Botox. There are various ways to smooth forehead wrinkles without making your eyes feel heavy.
Botulinum toxin temporarily reduces movement in the muscles involved in wrinkles. Tell us how much you want to reduce the wrinkles and which movements you would like to keep.
YJ Central Clinic is on Yeongjong Island in Incheon, near Incheon Airport. Here is what to know when consulting about forehead or frown-line Botox for the first time. “Botox” is used here as a common treatment term; please confirm the actual botulinum toxin product during consultation.
What do we assess first for a natural expression?
We examine your face both at rest and when you raise your eyebrows or frown. We check where lines appear, differences in movement between the two sides, and whether your eyebrows or eyelids already droop.
When receiving forehead or frown-line Botox, be sure to tell us your preferred eyebrow shape. We can raise the ends of your eyebrows or make them flatter. We can also preserve your current eyebrow curve.
What feels natural differs from person to person. Tell us whether you want to retain forehead movement or keep your usual expression even if some wrinkles remain. We will discuss the injection areas and dose based on your desired appearance and facial movement. You do not need to match another person's injection sites or dose.
Before treatment, we ask you to frown, observe where wrinkles form and identify the position of your muscles. We inject the areas where treatment will be most effective.
Whether to treat the forehead and frown area together depends on where wrinkles form and how your eyebrows move. Tell us both the areas you want treated and changes you want to avoid.
Can Botox remove wrinkles that remain when my face is relaxed?
“Why can I still see wrinkles after Botox?” We hear this question often. The reason is simple: Botox is not an eraser that removes wrinkles. It reduces muscle movement. When we concentrate, become angry or look closely at something, facial muscles repeatedly fold the skin. Botox reduces that movement, so frowning and strong movements around the eyes decrease, helping prevent new wrinkles. There is, however, an important difference.
Wrinkles that appear only with expression differ from wrinkles already visible at rest. If there are no wrinkles when your face is relaxed but they appear when you frown, it is a good time to start Botox. If wrinkles remain clearly visible even when you are relaxed and making no expression, repeated folding may already have created deep wrinkles in the skin itself.
In that case, it is difficult to remove the wrinkles completely with Botox alone. Depending on your needs, filler or skin regeneration treatments may be considered together. Does that mean Botox is unnecessary once wrinkles are visible at rest? No. Rather than completely erasing existing deep wrinkles, Botox can play an important role in reducing further deepening and thickening.
Put simply, Botox is more of a preventive treatment to keep wrinkles from deepening than a treatment to erase them. The best timing is when wrinkles are barely present at rest but begin appearing with expression. Botox lasts about 4 months on average, so, when needed, several treatments a year can help prevent wrinkles from deepening. Managing wrinkles before they deepen is much easier than trying to remove them afterward.
When booking for forehead wrinkles, tell us whether lines are visible at rest or only with expression. Even if you want no wrinkles left, let us first discuss how your expression may change and which lines may remain after treatment.
Could my eyebrows feel heavy or my eyelids droop?
Eyebrow or eyelid drooping can occur after botulinum toxin treatment. Be sure to tell us if your eyes already feel heavy or if your eyebrows dropped after previous treatment.
When Botox gently relaxes the forehead muscles, your eyes may feel heavy. But do not worry: this does not mean you need to give up Botox. There are various injection methods and techniques to avoid heaviness. Before forehead Botox, be sure to explain your previous experience to the doctor.
Ask in advance about injection-site reactions such as bruising, swelling and pain, and about changes in expression. If you feel discomfort afterward, tell us which area changed and when. Although rare, difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking requires immediate emergency care.
How should I plan follow-up during a short trip to Korea?
For smaller muscles such as those in the forehead, frown area, around the eyes and mouth, effects usually begin about 1 week after Botox and last about 4 months. For larger muscles and treatment areas such as the jaw muscles, trapezius, calves and salivary glands, effects usually appear around 1 month and last about 6 months.
Rather than deciding on additional treatment from how you look on the treatment day, first monitor your progress. Ask when to assess the results for your product and treated area, and tell us whether you will still be in Korea or already home by then.
If you are staying on Yeongjong Island before departing from Incheon Airport, send your preferred treatment date and return date together. If you recently received botulinum toxin overseas, tell us the product name, date and area. We will review additional treatment plans using that record. Also confirm how to contact us if problems arise after returning home and when local medical care is needed.
Which products should I confirm during consultation?
The clinic's product photos show Dysport, Botulax, Allergan Botox, Xeomin and HITox. Confirm the product to be used and the treatment area during consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Botox if wrinkles are visible even at rest?
The best time for Botox is when wrinkles appear as you frown but disappear as you relax your expression. If wrinkles remain even with a relaxed expression, Botox cannot smooth them completely, because it relaxes your face during frowning as if you were at rest. What should you do about wrinkles visible at rest? Filler or skin boosters may be needed in addition. Does this mean Botox is unnecessary for those wrinkles? Botox can prevent them from becoming deeper and more numerous.
How should I discuss product units and effects lasting less time than before?
Are you worried about Botox resistance? When resistance develops, our body begins to break down the injected Botox. If the effects last less time than before, you should consider the possibility of resistance. If your wrinkles seem to return unusually soon after Botox, please visit YJ Central Clinic and discuss this with me. I will explain Botox resistance in detail.
Should I book a touch-up before returning home?
We decide whether additional injections are needed after assessing your progress. Do not finalize them in advance just to fit your departure date. Confirm follow-up arrangements and additional consultation costs during your first consultation.
For your first consultation, send your areas of concern, expression changes you want to avoid, previous botulinum toxin records and dates of your stay in Korea through WhatsApp or LINE. You can also check consultation topics in YJ Central Clinic's Botox and anti-aging care guide.
References: American Academy of Dermatology guidance on botulinum toxin, expression and adverse reactions, DailyMed BOTOX Cosmetic prescribing information: eyelid drooping, precautions and differences in product units.
Minjung Choi, M.D.
Medical Director · Board-certified Dermatologist
- Medical Director, YJ Central
- Internship and dermatology residency, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital
- Author or co-author of five peer-reviewed dermatology papers