How To Get Rid Of Deep Wrinkles Between Eyebrows

anniepaddington Getty Images

If your forehead wrinkles are becoming eyebrow-raising (literally!) and you'd like to make them go away — or prevent them from appearing in the first place — you've come to the right place.

Despite Internet rumors, you can't just massage your forehead to remove wrinkles — but there are science-backed solutions proven to work. Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty and Nutrition Lab experts, plus a top dermatologist and veteran makeup artist share their secrets for how to get rid of even deep forehead wrinkles, including the best treatments both at the doctor's office and at home naturally (without Botox!).

First, what actually causes forehead wrinkles?

"Horizontal forehead wrinkles are caused by repeated movement of the forehead muscle and can form as early as our 20s and 30s, depending on anatomy and how much we use the muscle," says Deanne Mraz Robinson, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital. "Sun damage will worsen these wrinkles as UV radiation breaks down collagen, the building blocks of the skin."

Can you treat forehead wrinkles at home?

Yes! Here's how to get rid of forehead lines with OTC fixes such as efficacious skincare ingredients and at-home laser treatments:

Collagen-producing skincare. Look for leave-on skincare products like serums and creams with "ingredients like peptides, which help with collagen and elastin formation, and retinol, which boosts skin cell turnover and collagen production to smooth texture," says Aral. She recommends Good Housekeeping Seal star Roc Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Filler, which visually improved testers' forehead wrinkles by nearly 15% over eight weeks of daily use in a clinical test, and GH seal star No7 Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum with peptides, which 70% of users said visibly reduced the look of forehead wrinkles after two weeks. Dr. Mraz Robinson suggests the topical peptide Alastin Restorative Skin Complex "to support collagen and elastin fiber formation." For best benefits, know that "some are made to be used all over the face, while others target the lines themselves," Aral says. "Apply daily for at least four weeks and up to 12 to see results."
Consider a high-tech laser. Some wrinkle-smoothing technologies formerly only available at the dermatologist's office are now available for at-home use, like face lasers. "In our GH Beauty Lab testing, the GH Beauty Award-winning Tria Age Defying Smooth Beauty Laser produced visible improvement in forehead wrinkles and improved skin texture after four weeks of daily use."

Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Facial Filler

Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum

Age Defying Smooth Beauty Laser

Tria Beauty amazon.com

$495.00

Restorative Skin Complex

Alastin Skincare alastin.com

$195.00

What's the fastest way to get rid of forehead wrinkles?

To get both the most dramatic fast-acting forehead wrinkle-smoothing effects, visit a dermatologist for near-immediate results. Here's what you need to know:

Injectables. "A dermatologist can immediately reduce the appearance of forehead lines with botulinum toxin injections like Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau," Dr. Mraz Robinson says. "They stop the forehead muscle from contracting, which allows the overlying skin to relax, making it smoother." How much does it cost? "These injections can be priced from $200 to $600 each depending on the dose and where you live, with results lasting about three to four months," she notes.
Skin-resurfacing lasers. To get rid of forehead wrinkles more permanently, your doctor may recommend skin-resurfacing lasers such as Fraxel and PicoSure, Dr. Mraz Robinson says, which can stimulate collagen production to smooth lines from within. The cost: about $350 to $1,000 or more based on the number of treatments needed.

Can you disguise forehead wrinkles with makeup?

For an instant (but temporary) fix, "avoid foundation that's too thick or luminous, which can enhance forehead lines," suggests Sarah Lucero, global executive director of creative artistry for Stila Cosmetics in Los Angeles. "Dab a clean, damp makeup sponge over your base to make the pigment melt into skin for a blurred effect and to ensure that no excess product is sitting on top, emphasizing texture." Pressing a clear mattifying primer over the area with your fingertips can also temporarily fill lines, she says.

Choosing certain cosmetics colors can help minimize the look of forehead wrinkles, too. "A warm coral or peach cream blush blended on the apples of cheeks and over cheekbones perks up skin so your features look balanced," Lucero explains. "And shimmery eyeshadow draws attention to the eyes rather than your forehead."

+ Olay Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation

Line BlurFector Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer

StriVectin amazon.com

$39.00

Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush in Sonoya

Shiseido nordstrom.com

$29.00

Liquid Eye Shadow in Light Beam

Mary Kay marykay.com

$14.00

How can you prevent forehead wrinkles?

If you're looking to fix the issue before it starts, here're our pros' tips:

Be religious about sunscreen. Daily SPF application is the number one way to prevent forehead wrinkles from forming or becoming worse (other than reducing forehead movements like raising your eyebrows). "The key to preventing lines is applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher face sunscreen every morning to shield skin from UV light, which can break down collagen," explains GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. Store your SPF in your medicine cabinet next to your toothpaste so you remember to use it.
Spice up your diet. Phytonutrients in herbs and spices such as cinnamon, oregano, cloves, ginger, and garlic may help reduce skin's production of compounds that degrade collagen and elastin and can cause lines and wrinkles, according to the GH Nutrition Lab. Aim to add these to your meals daily for a skin-smoothing, flavor-enhancing boost.

April Franzino Beauty Director April Franzino is the Beauty Director at Good Housekeeping, part of the Hearst Women's Lifestyle Beauty Group.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io