Botox and the Forehead: Why It’s a Little… Complicated

If you’ve ever wondered why your forehead lines seem to reappear sooner than, say, your crow’s feet, here’s the scoop—straight from the injection chair.

In most areas we treat with neuromodulators (think Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau), dose is directly tied to duration. More units = longer-lasting results. But the forehead? She plays by her own rules.

Meet the Frontalis

The frontalis is the flat, thin muscle running across your forehead that’s responsible for raising your eyebrows. It’s also the reason you can look surprised, concerned, or like you just smelled something suspicious. Because it creates many small, shallow lines instead of a few deep ones, we have to spread the product out across multiple injection points for an even, natural look.

Why We Can’t Just “Hit It Harder”

Here’s the tricky part: unlike the frown lines between your brows (where we’re relaxing depressor muscles), the frontalis is a lifter muscle. Too high a dose and—poof—your ability to raise your brows is gone. This can leave you looking heavy or “tired,” and no one is booking injectables for the tired look.

Why It Doesn’t Last As Long

Because we can’t go as high with the dose in the forehead, results may fade sooner compared to other areas. A slightly higher dose can buy you a bit more longevity, but it also increases the risk of dropped brows.

The Goldilocks Approach

Finding your perfect forehead dose is often a process. The goal is enough relaxation to smooth the lines, but enough strength left for your brows to do their job. It may take a few sessions to get that balance just right—but once we do, it’s magic.

Bottom line: Forehead Botox is less “set it and forget it” and more “custom-tailored every time.” Done right, it smooths without stealing your expression. And that, my friends, is the sweet spot.