Getting rid of forehead wrinkles might seem like an uphill battle—especially if you already have fine lines. Luckily, there are a number of options for you to try. From at-home skin care creams, such as topical retinols, to in-office treatments like Botox injections and prescription options, there’s something for just about every budget—and every crease—on this list. Read on for everything you need to know about getting rid of wrinkles on your forehead.
Though we might think of wrinkles as a natural part of the aging process, there are a few reasons you may see them creeping up earlier than you’d like. “Wrinkles are dynamic, so the more expressive we are the more lines we're likely to have,” says Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU Langone in New York City. You read that right: Your own facial expressions are working against you. But wrinkles can also be caused by “overexposure to ultraviolet light,” Dr. Hale says, as well as other things in the environment that get into our skin and break down collagen and elastin. In addition to aging and sun exposure, studies have also shown that wrinkles can be made worse by certain lifestyle factors, like smoking and drinking.
All of the experts we spoke with acknowledged that prevention is your best weapon. One easy way to fight wrinkles? You guessed it: avoiding sun damage. “Hands down the best way to minimize wrinkles is preventing them from forming in the first place,” says Kim Eickhorst, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Connecticut. “If we can minimize our skin’s exposure to the sun, we can minimize collagen breakdown, and thus the arrival of dreaded wrinkles. While facial sunscreen has come a long way in recent years, don't forget the advantage of just plain covering up with clothing, hats, and sunglasses.”
One large study also demonstrated an association between a healthy diet and fewer facial wrinkles, and other lifestyle factors like getting adequate sleep and keeping stress to a minimum may also help keep wrinkles at bay.
“Elta has long been high on the dermatologist leader board due to its ease of use and patient tolerability,” Dr. Eickhorst says. “Elta’s formula is smooth and silky, and it’s one of the few combo chemical and mineral sunscreens that gives great sun protection (SPF 46) but doesn’t pill upon reapplication, burn my eyes, or make me look like a relative of Casper the Ghost.” The SPF comes from a combination of zinc oxide (mineral protection) and octinoxate (chemical sunscreen), plus niacinamide and hyaluronic acid calm and hydrate skin.
Even if you’ve already started to see forehead lines, our experts emphasize that it’s never too late—really!—to start using an SPF to prevent more sun damage. But what about the wrinkles you’ve already got? There are a number of products you can try at home to help get rid of forehead wrinkles.
Retinols are by far the top recommended ingredient from the dermatologists we spoke with. But like most at-home treatments, they do have their limitations. “It’s important to have realistic expectations when utilizing creams to target wrinkles,” says board-certified dermatologist Jeaneen A. Chappell, MD, FAAD, founder and CEO of Chappell Dermatology in Dallas. “Generally speaking, wrinkle creams work best on fine lines versus deeper wrinkles.” There are tons of different creams and skin care products available, so it may take a little trial and error to find one you like.
