By Olympia Morris, PA-C · Medically reviewed by Dr. Oliver Morris, Medical Director
Those little lines that fan out from the corners of your eyes when you smile? Patients ask us about them almost every day. Same with the horizontal creases across the forehead and the “11s” between the brows. They’re some of the first signs of aging most people notice, and they show up earlier than a lot of folks expect.
The good news is that the lines around your eyes and forehead are also some of the most treatable. This guide from Olympia Aesthetics & Wellness walks through what actually causes crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, and frown lines, how each area responds to treatment, and what to realistically expect. If you want the deeper science on how these injectables work, our overview of wrinkles and neurotoxins is a good companion piece.
What causes crow’s feet
Crow’s feet, or lateral canthal lines, are the wrinkles that spread out from the outer corners of the eyes. They come from a few things happening at once.
The main driver is muscle movement. Every time you smile, laugh, or squint, a ring-shaped muscle around your eye called the orbicularis oculi contracts. Do that a few hundred thousand times over the years and the skin above it starts to fold in the same spots. Early on, those folds only appear when you move your face. These are called dynamic lines.
Sun exposure speeds the whole thing up. UV damage breaks down collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep skin springy and able to bounce back. Squinting in bright Florida sun does double duty here, adding muscle repetition on top of the UV. If sun damage is a big part of your picture, our page on pigmentation and sun damage covers that side in more detail.
And then there’s time. Collagen production naturally drops off as we get older, roughly one percent per year starting in our mid-twenties. Thinner, less resilient skin holds a crease more easily. Eventually dynamic lines can become static lines, meaning they’re visible even when your face is completely at rest.
What causes forehead and frown lines
The forehead tells a similar story with different muscles.
The horizontal lines that run across your forehead come from the frontalis muscle, the one that lifts your eyebrows. If you raise your brows a lot when you talk or react, you’re training those creases in.
The vertical lines between your eyebrows, the ones people call frown lines or “the 11s,” are glabellar lines. They come from the corrugator and procerus muscles that pull your brows together when you concentrate, frown, or squint. Because we make that expression without thinking, glabellar lines can etch in surprisingly early.
Same underlying factors apply. Sun and collagen loss make forehead wrinkles and glabellar lines settle in faster and deeper.
How neurotoxin relaxes dynamic lines
Neurotoxin is the first-line treatment for all three of these areas, and it’s the most common cosmetic treatment we do. Botulinum toxin type A works by temporarily blocking the nerve signal that tells a specific muscle to contract. Relax the muscle, and the skin over it stops folding. The dynamic lines soften, and over time the static component can improve too because the skin gets a break from constant creasing.
At Olympia we offer Botox, Xeomin, and Daxxify. Dysport is another well-known option we include here for general education. They’re all botulinum toxin type A products with slightly different formulations, and our comparison of Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Daxxify breaks down how they differ.
The evidence behind this is strong. A meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving nearly 1,500 patients found a single 20-unit dose of botulinum toxin type A “remarkably effective and safe” for glabellar lines.[^1] For crow’s feet, two large multicenter randomized controlled trials with over 1,300 subjects showed clear improvement in line severity.[^2]
Aesthetic procedures at Olympia are performed by Olympia Morris, PA-C, under medical oversight by Dr. Oliver Morris, Medical Director.
Onset and duration
Neurotoxin doesn’t work instantly. You’ll usually start seeing softening in a few days, with the full effect at around two weeks. In clinical trials of abobotulinumtoxinA for glabellar lines, improvement showed up as early as 24 hours in some patients, with a median time to onset of about two to four days.[^3]
Results typically last three to four months. In the crow’s feet trials, median response duration ran roughly four months for both dynamic and static lines.[^2] Everyone metabolizes it a little differently, so your own timing may vary. Most patients settle into a rhythm of treatments a few times a year.
When lines need more than neurotoxin
Neurotoxin handles the movement part of the equation. But once a line has etched in deeply enough to show at rest, relaxing the muscle may not fully erase it. That’s when we layer in other treatments.
A little filler. For deep static glabellar folds or a persistent crease, a small amount of hyaluronic acid filler placed carefully can smooth what’s left after the muscle is relaxed. This is a “less is more” situation, and the glabella specifically requires an experienced injector because of the blood vessels in that area. You can read more about how these work on our dermal filler page.
Laser resurfacing. For crow’s feet with real texture and sun damage baked in, resurfacing helps rebuild collagen and refine the skin itself. Our Sciton HALO hybrid laser and MOXI are both good options for the delicate skin around the eyes, and they treat the sun-damage component that neurotoxin can’t touch.
The skin around the eyes is thin and needs a gentler approach than the cheeks, so the plan is always tailored during a consultation.
Comparison: three areas, three approaches
| Area | Muscle / cause | Best treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Crow’s feet (lateral canthal lines) | Orbicularis oculi from smiling and squinting, plus sun damage | Neurotoxin first; laser resurfacing (HALO, MOXI) for etched-in texture |
| Forehead lines (horizontal) | Frontalis muscle from raising the brows | Neurotoxin; a touch of filler for deep static creases |
| Frown lines / glabellar (“11s”) | Corrugator and procerus from frowning and concentrating | Neurotoxin first; small amount of HA filler for stubborn static folds |
Prevention and starting early
You don’t have to wait until lines are set in to do something about them. A lot of patients in their late twenties and thirties start neurotoxin as a preventive measure, sometimes called “prejuvenation.” The idea is simple: if the muscle folds the skin less often, the deep static line takes much longer to form in the first place.
Preventive treatment usually means smaller doses placed strategically, not freezing everything. And it pairs with the basics that protect collagen: daily SPF, not smoking, and a solid skincare routine. Sunscreen genuinely is the most effective anti-aging step you can take, and it’s free once you own the bottle.
What to expect at your appointment
Neurotoxin appointments are quick, usually 15 to 20 minutes. There’s no downtime to speak of. You might have tiny bumps at the injection sites that fade within an hour, and some people get minor redness or a small bruise. You can go back to your day right after.
A few aftercare notes: stay upright and skip strenuous exercise for the rest of the day, and don’t rub or massage the treated areas so the product stays where it was placed.
If you’re combining neurotoxin with filler or laser, we’ll sequence the treatments and talk through timing. Every plan starts with a consultation, including our complimentary virtual consultation option if you’d rather start from home.
Avoiding the frozen look
This is the concern we hear most, and it’s a fair one. Nobody wants to look surprised or expressionless. The frozen look comes from too much product, or product placed without regard for how your face actually moves.
Natural results come from a conservative, tailored dose. The goal is to soften the lines while you keep enough movement to look like yourself, to still raise your brows and smile normally. That’s why dosing isn’t one-size-fits-all. A petite patient with light lines needs far less than someone with strong, deep-set muscles. We’d rather start conservative and add a touch more at a two-week follow-up than overdo it on day one. You can always add. You can’t easily take away.
Ready to smooth things out?
If crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, or those “11s” are bothering you, the fix is usually straightforward and the results look natural when it’s done well. Book a consultation and we’ll build a plan around your face and your goals.
Book your consultation or learn more on our consultation page. You can see current treatment pricing on our pricing page, and if you’re coming from the north end of the county, we’re an easy drive from our med spa serving Clearwater.
Frequently asked questions
How much neurotoxin will I need for crow’s feet and forehead lines?
It depends on your muscle strength, how deep the lines are, and your goals. Crow’s feet, forehead, and frown lines each use different amounts because they involve different muscles. We assess this in person and dose conservatively, then fine-tune at a follow-up if needed. See our pricing page for current rates.
How long until I see results, and how long do they last?
You’ll usually notice softening within a few days, with full results around two weeks. Effects typically last three to four months. In clinical trials, some patients saw improvement as early as 24 hours, and response duration averaged roughly four months.[^2][^3]
Will neurotoxin get rid of lines I have even when my face is at rest?
Neurotoxin works best on dynamic lines, the ones that appear when you move. Deeply etched static lines that show at rest may need a small amount of filler or laser resurfacing in addition to relaxing the muscle. We’ll tell you honestly at your consult which category your lines fall into.
Can I really prevent wrinkles by starting early?
Starting neurotoxin before lines are deeply set can slow how fast static lines form, because the skin folds less often. Combined with daily sunscreen and good skincare, early treatment is a reasonable preventive strategy for a lot of patients.
Is there any downtime?
Practically none for neurotoxin. You might have small bumps that fade within an hour, and occasionally minor redness or a bruise. Most people return to normal activity right away, just staying upright and avoiding heavy exercise for the rest of the day.
How do I avoid looking frozen?
Natural results come from conservative dosing tailored to how your face moves, not from freezing every muscle. The aim is softer lines with your normal expressions intact. Choosing an experienced injector who dials the dose to your anatomy is the most important factor.
References
- Sun Y, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Treatment of Glabellar Lines: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trials. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;136(3):310e-318e. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26313835/
- Baumann L, et al. Duration of Clinical Efficacy of OnabotulinumtoxinA in Crow’s Feet Lines: Results from Two Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trials. Dermatol Surg. 2016;42(5):598-607. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27110893/
- Cohen JL, et al. Time to onset of response of abobotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of glabellar lines: a subset analysis of phase 3 clinical trials of a new botulinum toxin type A. Dermatol Surg. 2011;37(10):1434-1442. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21745254/
[^1]: Sun Y, et al. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015. PMID 26313835.
[^2]: Baumann L, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2016. PMID 27110893.
[^3]: Cohen JL, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2011. PMID 21745254.
