Concern
Lines & wrinkles in Reading
Fine lines, forehead creases, crow's feet and the folds that stay put when your face is at rest. Treated at our salon in Caversham, Reading.
What causes it?
Lines form in two stages. First they only appear when you move — squinting, frowning, smiling — and at that point relaxing the muscle with anti-wrinkle treatment can stop them deepening. Later the same lines stay visible when your face is completely still, because the skin has creased along the fold often enough to lose its bounce. Static lines need the skin itself rebuilt, not just the muscle quietened, which means collagen stimulation, resurfacing or hydration alongside. Which stage you are at decides the treatment, and it is the first thing we check.
Every expression folds the skin in the same place. In your twenties it springs back; the collagen and elastin underneath are dense enough to recover. From the mid-thirties collagen production drops by roughly one per cent a year and the fold starts to hold. Sun exposure accelerates it, so does smoking, and so does sleeping on one side of your face for thirty years.
The distinction that matters clinically is dynamic versus static. A dynamic line exists only during movement and responds well to relaxing the muscle. A static line is etched in and will still be there under a fully relaxed muscle. Softening it means treating the skin, usually over a course.
Signs to look out for
Most people who come to us about lines & wrinkles recognise several of these. You do not need all of them, and you do not need to know which treatment you want — that is our job.
- Forehead lines that stay after you raise your eyebrows
- Two vertical lines between the brows that make you look cross at rest
- Crow's feet visible in photographs when you are not smiling
- Fine crinkling on the cheeks that catches the light
- Foundation settling into creases by the afternoon
How we can help
These are the routes we would talk through at consultation, in the order we would usually consider them. Which one is right depends on your skin, your history and your budget.
Stop the movement that is causing them
For dynamic lines across the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes, anti-wrinkle treatment relaxes the specific muscles doing the folding. Results develop over the following days and are not permanent. Your practitioner will explain what to expect. Your practitioner will explain the review arrangements.
Rebuild the skin the line sits in
Static lines need the dermis thickened. Skin boosters and Profhilo hydrate from within and stimulate your own collagen over a course, which softens crinkling that injections alone will not touch.
Resurface the texture on top
Tixel uses a heated tip to create a skin-renewal response and may suit fine lines and crepey-looking skin, including around the eyes. Your practitioner will recommend how many sessions you need.
Not sure which of these is you?
You do not have to decide before you come in. Bring the problem and we will talk you through what could help and what it costs. The consultation is free and there is no obligation to book anything.
What to expect over time
A realistic guide, including the stretch in the middle where it may not look like much is happening. Everyone responds differently, so your practitioner will talk you through your own timeline.
Day one
You look normal. Anti-wrinkle treatment does nothing visible immediately; the change develops over the following days.
Days 3 to 5
Movement starts to soften. It can look slightly uneven for a few days, because muscles settle at different rates.
Day 14
Final result, and your review appointment. If a small area needs topping up, this is when it happens.
Month 3 to 4
Movement returns gradually. Treating before it fully returns keeps the muscle trained and tends to extend the interval over time.
Good to know
Anti-wrinkle treatment will not remove a deep static line in one go. Very heavy forehead lines sometimes need the skin resurfaced over months before the injection result looks clean. If you have significant hooding of the upper lid, relaxing the forehead can make it look heavier rather than better. We will say so at consultation rather than take the booking.
Treatments that can help
Listed strongest match first. All of them are done at our salon on 3 Prospect Street in Caversham, Reading.
Common questions
Will I still be able to move my face?
Yes. We dose to soften movement, not remove it. The frozen look comes from over-treating a forehead, and it is a choice, not a side effect.
How long before I can go back to work?
Straight away. There may be small raised bumps at the injection points for twenty minutes and occasionally a pinprick bruise.
Is it better to start young?
Starting while lines are still dynamic genuinely does stop them etching in. That is prevention, and it works. Starting at twenty-two because of a filter is not the same thing.
Why do I need a two-week review?
Because faces are not symmetrical and neither is muscle strength. The review is where a treatment goes from good to right, and it is included.
Other concerns we treat
Ready to talk it through?
Bring the problem, not the treatment name. Consultations are free and carry no obligation.
