What Causes Frown Lines

Frown lines meaning, the creases between the eyebrows

Frown lines are the creases between the eyebrows, in the area called the glabella. They are the most commonly treated wrinkle in aesthetic practice worldwide because, unlike any other line, they make a relaxed face look angry, tired or worried. Most people who seek frown lines treatment are troubled less by the line itself than by being asked whether something is wrong. The complete guide is at Frown lines.

The area has three patterns. Two vertical creases, one above each inner brow, form the classic 11 lines. A single central crease forms in people whose muscles pull more towards the midline. A horizontal crease across the bridge of the nose, sometimes with a U-shaped fold, forms when the muscle that pulls the brows down is dominant.

Dynamic frown lines

Dynamic frown lines appear only when the glabellar muscles contract. A deliberate frown into a mirror brings the 11 lines out, and relaxation removes them. At this stage the skin is still elastic and the dermis has not been structurally altered. Dynamic lines are the stage at which botulinum toxin produces the cleanest result, because removing the muscle pull removes the line entirely until the toxin wears off.

Many people have dynamic frown lines from their twenties without noticing, because the face cannot be seen while concentrating. Awareness usually comes from photographs taken in bright sunlight or in conversation.

Frown lines between the eyebrows, the 11 lines

The 11 lines are the two parallel vertical creases that make the glabella look like the number 11. They are the most common pattern because the two corrugator muscles pull symmetrically. The lines are usually 1-2 cm long and sit directly above the inner third of each brow. Asymmetry is common, with one line deeper than the other, reflecting a stronger corrugator on that side or a habit of raising one brow.

The 11 pattern responds most predictably to botulinum toxin because the muscles responsible are well defined and sit in a consistent position.

Squinting and frown lines

Squinting is the least noticed cause of frown lines. Bright light, glare off water or buildings, screen glare, uncorrected short-sightedness and reading small text all cause the brows to pull together. Unlike a deliberate frown, squinting is sustained for minutes at a time and is repeated throughout the day, so an hour outdoors without sunglasses may hold the corrugators contracted for most of that hour. Squinting also drives crow’s feet at the same time, which is why the two lines commonly appear together.

How to tell which type of frown lines you have

1. Relaxed face, eyes open, in daylight. No crease between the brows means dynamic lines only. A crease visible at rest is static.
2. Frown hard. Note whether the pattern is two lines, one line, or a horizontal crease across the nose bridge. This determines which muscles are dominant and where toxin is placed.
3. Stretch the skin between two fingertips. A line that disappears when stretched is a resting fold and usually improves with toxin alone over several cycles. A line still visible when stretched is etched into the dermis and is likely to need filler or resurfacing in addition.
4. Check the brow height. If the brows sit low or the upper eyelid skin is heavy, some of the frowning may be compensation, and treating the glabella alone can make the brow feel heavier. See Eyebrows.
5. Grade the severity at full frown. The grades are none, mild (faint lines), moderate (clear lines, none at rest), severe (deep lines, visible at rest) and very severe (deep grooves at rest and on frowning).

What makes frown lines worse and how to prevent frown lines

• Squinting in bright light without sunglasses.
• Screen use with glare, small text or poor posture that brings the brows together.
• Sun exposure without sunscreen to the brow and glabella.
• Smoking, which both damages collagen and provokes squinting.
• Habitual concentration frowning, which many people are unaware of.
• Low brows or heavy upper lids, which recruit the glabellar muscles.
• Thin, dry or photodamaged skin that creases more readily.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I have frown lines when I am not angry?
The corrugator and procerus muscles contract during concentration, squinting and reading as well as in anger. Over years the skin above them creases, so the line is present at rest regardless of mood.

At what age do frown lines appear?
Dynamic frown lines are often present from the mid-twenties. Static lines at rest commonly appear between 35 and 45, earlier in people with strong corrugators, high sun exposure or a habit of squinting.

Can frown lines go away naturally?
Dynamic lines disappear whenever the muscles relax. Static lines rarely reverse on their own, although stopping the muscle with botulinum toxin lets shallow static lines fade over several cycles. Deep etched lines need an additional treatment.

Are frown lines the same as 11 lines?
The 11 lines are the most common pattern of frown lines, two vertical creases between the brows. Frown lines also include a single central crease and the horizontal line across the bridge of the nose.

Which treatment removes frown lines?
Botulinum toxin is the lead treatment and has the strongest evidence. Etched lines may also need hyaluronic acid filler, laser resurfacing or skin boosters. All options are compared with prices at Frown lines treatment Singapore.

General information, not medical advice. A registered medical practitioner should be consulted before any treatment. Dark Eye Circles Singapore does not sell treatments and is not a clinic.