Requests for forehead treatments are on the rise, with EV Expert Dr Emmaline Ashley revealing that this growing popularity is in part due to "the much-discussed Zoom effect of scrutinising our features through screens. Alongside mask-wearing that has made us more aware of the upper third of our features, and partly because of the rise of social media and influencers sharing these procedures online."

So, what kind of issues have so many of us become more aware of exactly? Well as we age, “every single layer of our forehead is affected ­­– from bone and muscle to our skin. Our forehead is a highly expressive area, but the downside of all that movement are lines and wrinkles, and sagging skin thanks to collagen and elastin loss as we age. While from around our 50’s, we can expect bone resorption around the orbit which causes a lowering and sagging of the brow too,” explains Ashley.

Muscle relaxing injections vs. filler?

Muscle relaxing injections may well be the first thing to spring to mind when you think about treatments that can treat the forehead.

However, Ashley explains that “this form of injectable targets muscle movement and dynamic wrinkles – in other words the lines that appear with facial expressions like raising your eyebrows and furrowing your brows. Muscle relaxing injections help reduce and prevent wrinkling. But, dermal fillers target different aspects of ageing entirely, correcting volume loss or adding structure and support to static lines and wrinkles.”

Dermal fillers can also help reshape the profile of a patient's face, enhancing the forward projection of men’s foreheads, or creating a curved effect on women’s foreheads.

With this in mind, it would seem like a no brainer to combine the two for the ultimate in forehead rejuvenation. But this could in fact be rather risky!

How risky is this treatment?

“Forehead filler can look great, but it is risky and requires a thorough consultation with a medical expert to ensure that it is the right treatment to address your specific concerns. There are two important vessels that cross through the frontalis (forehead) muscle – the supraorbital and supratrochlear arteries. Inadvertent filler placement into these areas can lead to a lack of oxygen to the tissues, causing tissue death if not reversed. These vessels also supply the eye and connect to vessels in the brain, so there is a risk of blindness or even stroke,” shares Ashley.

This makes the forehead one of the higher risk areas for dermal filler, which means it's imperative to see someone with a medical background who is properly trained and very experienced in this procedure.

“You also have to be pretty conservative with injecting, as filler can stretch the skin when over used or placed where it’s not needed. This can then lead to sagging that impacts the brow and eye area in the future,” adds Ashley.

Ultimately filler performed in the right hands when needed and used alongside muscle relaxing injections can truly youth boost your forehead, but if there was ever a time to see an EV approved expert for a treatment it would be when considering this procedure.