34 and forehead wrinkles! What can I do? Photo attached

[BergamotMouse]

I am feeling very down about my wrinkles. I am 34 and not wrinkly anywhere else on my face. But my forehead has deep wrinkles. I am healthy, non smoker, not much of a drinker. Think it's just bad genes!
I'm considering Botox. Would it get rid of these and leave a natural look or would I end up with a shiny forehead?

I don't know about botox but you're a good age to start Tretinoin if you don't already. Use after cleansing before moisturising. It can have a really positive impact on the appearance of skin and boost cell turnover.

You can use skin and me or Dermatica to get it. I like Dermatica as it's stronger doses than skin and me. I'm 32 and started it at 28ish. Good experience but make sure you have a great moisturiser (La Roche Posay I find nice) and you must wear a full Spf with it.

If you want to try here is a refer code. Full disclosure I get a £5 credit if you buy... But as I say, I'm 4 years on and very happy with results, wouldn't recommend it if I didn't love it. I still get I'D for matches haha.

www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/Y2K0NE

I second Tretinoin. Do you use SPF?

Plus it does help to try and train yourself not to keep lifting your forehead when expressing yourself.

Botox is a personal choice. If you go to someone good it will definitely help. But you are young so could try other things first.

As previous posters have pointed out, tretinoin will definitely help, but you'll only see results in the long term. And they look like static lines to me so I doubt tretinoin would remove them completely.

If you want immediate results then consider botox. Find a good doctor and start slow, maybe about 10 units? And then go back for a review 2 weeks later to assess if you need more. Good luck!

Thanks. I did try skin and me but the dose was so small I thought why am I paying so much for this. Perhaps the dermatica is worth a try. What % do I need to see results?

I think Dermatica have stronger percentages (though I’m sure Skin & Me could up it if you asked).

I started on 0.025 and then progressed quite quickly to 0.05%. If you can tolerate it then that’s a good strength.

It takes quite a while to see results though. Definitely playing the long game!

Botox would sort you out.
I've had it for years and love it.
G to someone with a good reputation- worth paying more as it's your face!
X

How often do you need Botox? I've seen some things say every 4 months but that's a lot of money.
When it wears off does it just go back to this or will it improve it long term (I don't mind a mild bit of wrinkling)?

Everyone processes it differently. For many it does wear off after 3-4 months. Some can stretch to 6 or more. The more you get the more time you can stretch out in between I find.

I find the lines improve even when it’s worn off as you are not making the same movements with them. Then you can add tretinoin to improve even further.

But yes it does get expensive.

Frownies are your friends.

Botox would be a good option here - not just to smooth out the lines now but to stop them getting deeper in the long term.

I've had two lots of Botox in the past 18 months. The first lot wore off quite quickly (4 months) but I'm still seeing effects from the second lot, even though it was a long time ago now.
What I wanted was to avoid the frozen/shiny look, but to avoid the creases getting any deeper. It's worked and I'm really happy with the results.

I'll probably get to a cycle of having it done once a year or thereabouts, which minimises the wrinkles and stops them progressing, while not being the full super-smooth look.

What’s your current skin care like? You seem to have quite a lot of blocked pores I’d personally try exfoliation/ microdermabrasion and see if it’s smoother underneath.

Fringe?

I chopped my own thick, blunt fringe during lockdown and knocked a decade off!
When we came out of lockdown people thought I'd been on some crazy health kick 😂

I'm fairly poor at skincare routine. Cleanse and moisturiser (sometimes forget!).

I have various things in the cupboard that I've tried but I'm not great at sticking at things

Any recommendations - I probably have them in the bathroom cabinet. Can dig them out again.

Yep, a fringe has knocked 5 years off my face as only my forehead was wrinkly.

I’m not great at skincare either. If I’m going out the day before I use philosophy microdermabrasion and spend a bit of time on forehead follow it up with a cheap deep moisturising mask from Aldi in a blue tube called relax. Next day my skin is smooth and plump.

Sloughing off that dead skin can make a massive difference.

I do have a sweeping fringe but I'm going to get a full one cut in at the next cut (before Christmas!)

What do PPs mean by "long term" in terms of tretinoin?

If you do start Tret be careful with exfoliation, I can't do both its too much for my skin.

With dermatica I started on 0.025, for 3 months then 0.05 for another 3 months then 0.1

I sometimes use vaseline over my moisturiser as I have dry skin

Well it can take months and even years of consistent use to see a difference. It's not an immediate solution. Same as wearing Spf. Long term value.

Yeah Botox would solve that, I've never looked back.

Doesn't matter how much your spend on fancy creams or how much water you drink. Go for the Botox. I started around your age and have never looked back

Sorry for going off at a bit of a tangent but what's the best way to find someone reputable for Botox if you have no one to ask?

I would get Botox. Im 40 and have had it twice and the effects have lasted nearly a year each time. I'd also try retinol.

Started Botox at two years ago as I was starting with the horizontal forehead lines. At first I got it every 4 months. Now every 9 months. I feel like the muscles have been trained a bit and I need it less regularly. It won’t be over the top of you ask for baby Botox. I used to pay for 1 area spread over two ( between eyes and forehead lines). Now pay for two areas spread over three. Have added the crows feet now I am braver.
honestly I like the Botox look best about 3-4 months in when it is wearing off a touch.
No amount of trentonoin with stop dynamic lines settling in. Botox and spf are the way forward for me.

How much for a spot of botox?