The 11s

You look in the mirror and staring back at you is 2 vertical lines between your eyebrows...the dreaded 11s. Your son or daughter says you look more angry than normal lately. These expression lines on our forehead happen to all of us at some point. Don’t fear...there is help available to get rid of these forehead wrinkles.

First, we will discuss why these wrinkles occur and what we can do to minimize their development. Then we will discuss their treatment.

Aging is the main cause of frown lines developing. As our birthdays pile up, our skin gradually loses some of its elasticity. This affects how the skin on our face returns to its resting position after various facial expressions.

Sun damage also contributes to the development of frown lines. Proteins such as collagen and elastin are broken down from UV damage. These proteins are responsible for our skin maintaining its youthful appearance. This emphasizes the importance of sunscreen and limiting our sun exposure.

Smoking is another factor. Smoking contributes to all types of wrinkles from frown lines to lines that develop around our lips. This is just another reason not to smoke or to stop if you are currently a smoker.

Maintaining proper skin hydration with you favorite moisturizer can be helpful. Omega-3 fatty acids can also aid in skin moisturization. Properly hydrated skin allows for a firmer and youthful appearance to your skin.

Exfoliation of dead skin cells from the surface of your skin allows younger, healthier, firmer skin cells from underneath be more prominent. This results in a firmer facial appearance.

You may ask is there anything else that you can do to not only minimize the development of wrinkles, but also to possibly reverse the appearance of forehead wrinkles. Neurotoxins such as Botox and Xeomin are great options in this situation.

Botox and Xeomin are non-surgical facial treatments that can slow the aging process and hide effects that are already present. They work by inhibiting the contraction of muscle fibers in areas where they are injected. They reach their peak effect in 1-2 weeks and provide an effect that lasts about 3-4 months in the average patient.

By preventing the muscles responsible for wrinkling our skin from contracting, the result is a smoother appearance to the skin. They can also slow the development of lines and wrinkles as we age.

Whether you want to smooth out some aging lines that have developed or slow the development of them in the first place, Summit Eye Center is available to help. Call 816-246-2111 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to schedule your evaluation and treatment.