Forehead, frown and crow's feet Botox: when should you start, and how many months apart should you repeat it?

Which wrinkles does Botox smooth, and which does it not?

Wrinkle Botox works on expression lines, which form when a muscle folds the skin. Typical examples are horizontal forehead lines when you raise your brows, vertical lines between the brows when you frown, and lines fanning out from the outer eye when you smile.

The same line responds differently depending on its stage. If it disappears when your face relaxes, wrinkle Botox alone usually smooths it out. If the same spot has been folded for years and the line now shows at rest, relaxing the muscle only partly softens the crease that has already formed.

Fine lines from thinning, less elastic skin, and nasolabial folds caused by sagging cheeks, are not mainly driven by muscle movement, so they are not targets for wrinkle Botox. Treatments that fill the skin or improve its firmness suit them better.

Which muscles are treated in the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes, and what needs care?

Forehead lines come from the frontalis, the muscle that lifts the brows. The frontalis is essentially the only muscle that raises the brows, so relaxing it too much can make the brows drop and the eyelids look heavy. For this reason we avoid the area just above the brows, focus on the upper forehead, and use only as much as needed. If your eyelids already droop and you use your forehead to open your eyes, we keep the dose especially conservative.

Frown lines are made by the corrugator and procerus muscles, which pull the brows inward and down. The area between the brows tends to show a clear response to wrinkle Botox. Once these muscles weaken, many people also frown less out of habit.

Crow's feet form when the orbicularis oculi, the ring of muscle around the eye, contracts as you smile. Around the eyes, we inject only shallowly near the outer corner. If the toxin spreads too far inward or downward, your smile can look unnatural or the under-eye area can look puffy.

The three areas affect each other. Relaxing only the frown muscles can make the outer forehead work harder and lift the tail of the brow, and relaxing only the forehead can add tension between the brows. So during the consultation we ask you to make a few expressions and look at the balance of all three areas together.

At what age should you start wrinkle Botox?

The timing for wrinkle Botox depends on the stage of the lines rather than on age. If you see faint marks on your forehead or between your brows when your face is relaxed, starting before they deepen gives better results. This point differs from person to person: very expressive people with thin skin may reach it in their late 20s, while some people in their 40s still have almost no lines at rest.

If lines appear only with expression and fade quickly when you relax, there is no rush. If you start early, a low dose that slightly reduces movement is enough. There is no reason to freeze your expression completely.

For people in their 40s and 50s with deep, set-in lines, we plan wrinkle Botox to reduce muscle strength so the lines do not deepen further, and treat the remaining creases with other procedures. If your eyelids droop, forehead Botox can make your eyes feel heavier, so we check for this first.

When do results appear, and how long do they last?

Wrinkle Botox usually starts to take effect 2 to 3 days after the injection and is most noticeable at about 2 weeks. That is also when we judge the result and correct any left-right difference.

Results usually last 3 to 4 months. Men with strong muscles, very expressive people and those who had a low dose may find it shorter. The effect does not stop all at once; muscle movement returns gradually.

With regular wrinkle Botox, the same spot is folded less often, which may slow the deepening of lines at rest. If you stop, the muscles return to their original strength, and the treatment period does not make your wrinkles worse.

How many months apart should you repeat it?

Wrinkle Botox is repeated at least 3 months apart. Frequent, high-dose treatments at short intervals are known to raise the chance of antibodies forming against the toxin, which can weaken its effect.

You do not need to wait until the effect has completely worn off. Around 3 to 4 months, when lines start to reappear, is a good time to plan the next session. As treatments are repeated, we watch how the muscles respond, and if a lower dose becomes enough, the interval may be extended to 4 to 6 months.

If after 2 weeks one side has softened less or part of a muscle still moves, a small top-up is possible. This is also decided about 2 weeks after the first treatment, once the full effect has appeared. If you have had many treatments or feel the effect is getting shorter, we can discuss a toxin with fewer complexing proteins during your consultation.

What else can be done for deep, set-in lines besides Botox?

Deep lines that remain at rest are not only caused by muscle movement; the skin in that spot has also thinned and the fold has become fixed. So we combine wrinkle Botox to reduce movement with a separate method to fill the crease.

At Serene Clinic, we use the Gouri fine-line eraser injection for creased fine lines. Gouri, a liquid collagen stimulator, is mixed with a long-lasting hyaluronic acid. Gouri is absorbed quickly, and while the hyaluronic acid remains, collagen forms and skin thickness gradually builds up. The change is gradual, and there is less concern about palpable nodules than with particle-based products.

If fine lines and texture across the whole forehead are the concern, we may consider Dermotoxin, which places toxin shallowly and widely in the dermis. If overall skin firmness has declined, we also plan radiofrequency lifting.

What are the side effects, and who should not have it?

Common reactions after wrinkle Botox are redness at the injection sites, small bruises and a mild headache for a day or two. Most settle within a few days.

Rarely, if the toxin spreads to an unintended muscle, the brows may drop or the eyelids may feel heavy, and around the eyes your smile may look unnatural. These changes are temporary and usually recover within a few weeks, but they can be bothersome in the meantime, so we start with a conservative dose.

We do not treat people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with neuromuscular conditions such as myasthenia gravis, or skin with inflammation at the injection site. If you take medications that affect neuromuscular transmission, such as certain antibiotics, please let us know in advance.

What should you watch out for before and after treatment?

Wrinkle Botox is quick, including the consultation and expression check, and the injections themselves take a few minutes. If you are worried about bruising, it helps to reduce medicines and supplements that may increase bleeding, such as aspirin or omega-3, for a few days beforehand. However, do not stop prescribed medicines on your own; talk to us first.

On the day of treatment, do not rub or press the injection sites, and avoid lying down or lying face down for a few hours. It is best to skip saunas, hot packs, heavy drinking and exercise that makes you sweat a lot on that day. You can wash your face and wear makeup the same day, as long as you do not rub the injection sites hard.

Prices (as of the October 2026 menu)

Korean toxin pricing is based on Hutox. The forehead, frown lines and crow's feet each count as 1 area. The areas and dose you need are decided after consultation.

Frequently asked questions