What are Frown Lines?
March 1, 2026
Frown lines, also called glabellar lines or the 11 lines, are the vertical creases that form between the eyebrows. Aging is the main driver. As the skin loses collagen and elasticity, the repeated movement of the brow muscles leaves a crease that no longer smooths out on its own.
Frown lines form in the glabella, the patch of skin between the eyebrows just above the nose.
Why do frown lines affect how a face looks?
Frown lines can make a person look sad or angry even when they feel neither. The creases first appear when you raise your eyebrows or frown, then fade. With age, those temporary lines settle into deep vertical grooves between the eyebrows that stay put even when the face is relaxed.
They are one of the first signs of long-term stress and early facial aging, and they tend to show up after the thirties.
A higher botulinum toxin dose lifts the responder rate for glabellar lines in men, from 25% at 20 units up to 80–90% at 60 units, measured two months after treatment (Carruthers & Carruthers, 2005).
What causes frown lines?
Aging
Aging comes first. As we get older the skin makes less collagen and elastin, so the face loses its elasticity and starts to sag and stretch.
Facial expressions make it worse, especially the tense ones tied to worry and stress. Every repeat of the same brow movement keeps the skin from settling back into place. (1)
Genetics
If early frown lines run in your family, you may get them young. Skin types differ from person to person: some are more prone to fine lines and wrinkles, while others hold these signs off for longer. (2)
Sun exposure
People who spend a lot of time in the sun develop fine lines and wrinkles earlier than others. UV rays break down the collagen and elastin already in the skin and slow the making of new ones. (3)
Repeated facial expressions
Your face is more likely to develop frown lines if you smile, squint, or frown a lot. The temporary lines harden into permanent ones over time. (4)
Stress
Frown lines are sometimes called worry lines for a reason. Stress puts tension in the face, which leads to frown lines over time, and that is part of why stressed people can look worried even at rest. (5)
Smoking
The pursing motion that comes with smoking leads to lines around the mouth. Smoking also worsens frown lines and other wrinkles because it narrows the blood vessels, so less oxygen and fewer nutrients reach the face. (6, 7)
Frown lines deepen from absent to pronounced as repeated frowning etches the glabellar skin, shown on one face with lighting and identity held steady.
How can you prevent frown lines?
A lot of people assume Botox is the only way to get rid of frown lines. There is plenty worth trying first.
A healthy diet and good hydration
A diet high in antioxidants is good for your skin and helps fight inflammation. Staying hydrated eases tension and helps the skin hold up against wrinkles and fine lines.
Try to get more omega-3 fatty acids too, either from foods that contain them or from a supplement. (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Sleep well
Good sleep refreshes your whole body, skin included. Try not to sleep with your face mashed into the pillow, since that position can deepen frown lines over time. (13, 14)
Use sunscreen and wear sunglasses
Put sunscreen on your face every day. The sun's UV rays are always there, even when you cannot feel them.
Sunglasses help too. They keep you from squinting and protect the area between and around your eyes. (15, 16, 17)
Moisturize and exfoliate
People often skip the area between the eyes and eyebrows when they moisturize. It is worth doing a few times a day.
Exfoliating three or four times a week with a good scrub clears away the dead skin cells. (18, 19)
How are frown lines treated?
Silicone pads
Because repeated expressions do so much to create frown lines, silicone pads can help. Just make sure the silicone is medical grade.
The pads stop the area between the eyebrows from making the expressions that cause frown lines, and they hydrate and fill in the creases while they are on. People who use them regularly say their skin looks more youthful over time. You press them onto the aging areas, and they work on forehead creases and other aging lines too.
If your frown lines are hereditary, silicone pads may be your best option. (20, 21)
Retinoids
Retinoids are products made mainly from vitamin A, and they are some of the best topical options for preventing and slowing the signs of aging.
They speed up the turnover of skin cells and prompt the skin to make more collagen. Used regularly, they soften wrinkles and fine lines, frown lines included.
Retinoids suit people looking for a longer-term fix. They take about three to six months to show results, depending on how deep the lines are. Start with a small amount, especially if your skin is sensitive. (22, 23)
Microneedling
Microneedling has caught on with people who want to refresh the face quickly. Ultra-fine needles puncture the skin, which kicks off healing and the growth of new skin cells, and the result is firmer, younger-looking skin. You can do it at home with a dermal roller, but it is better to see a dermatologist who can read your frown lines and other aging signs first.
It can be uncomfortable. If you do use a roller at home, apply a numbing cream first to take the edge off. (24, 25)
Injectables
Botox, Xeomin, and similar injections are used for all kinds of aging signs, frown lines included. The neurotoxin stops the overactive muscles from creasing the skin.
Injectables are the most effective way to clear fine lines and wrinkles. Within about a week, your frown lines can be gone entirely. (26, 27)