Lines and wrinkles
Lines that come and go with expression, such as frown lines, forehead lines and crow's feet, usually soften with anti-wrinkle injections: a small dose of a neuromodulator relaxes the muscle that folds the skin, and wears off over three to four months. Lines that stay when your face is still are partly in the skin itself, so they often need skin-quality work as well.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
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- Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva Medical Director
- Dr. Olga Ibrakova Cosmetology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- What may help
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- Anti-wrinkle injections Botulinum toxin
- Volnewmer Radiofrequency tightening
- Skin boosters Hydrating micro-injections
- Polynucleotides and PRP Regenerative injections
The short answer
Lines that appear when you move usually respond to a small dose of a neuromodulator; lines that stay at rest often need skin-quality work as well. A doctor looks first and suggests the smallest amount that does the job.
What it is, and why it happens
A wrinkle starts as a fold. Each time you frown, raise your brows or smile with your eyes, a muscle pleats the skin above it; as the skin thins and loses its spring over the years, the pleat begins to stay. So lines come in two kinds: dynamic lines, which show only when you move, and static lines, which are there when your face is at rest.
Time and movement are not the whole story. Sun ages skin: in a trial that followed adults for four and a half years, skin ageing was 24% less in those who used sunscreen every day than in those who used it when they chose, and the daily group showed no detectable increase at all. When lines appear also differs between people; in lighter skin they tend to show earlier.
For choosing care, three things matter: whether a line is dynamic or static, how deep it is, and whether lost volume is behind it. Movement lines respond to a neuromodulator, and fine lines at rest to work on the skin. Deep folds, such as those from the nose to the corners of the mouth, often reflect lost volume and support, and an expert consensus found that where volume loss is part of a line, filler combined with a neuromodulator does better than a neuromodulator alone.
What may help
Anti-wrinkle injections · Botulinum toxin
Anti-wrinkle injections, the neuromodulators, are the treatment for movement lines: frown lines between the brows, lines across the forehead and crow's feet. A few small injections relax only the muscles treated; the effect builds over about two weeks, and each treatment is a single session, repeated when it wears off if you want to. For fine lines that stay at rest, skin boosters (shallow micro-injections of hyaluronic acid that water the skin) usually come as a course of two or three sessions, refreshed roughly every six months. Downtime is usually little or none; small bruises and a passing headache are common, and less often a brow or an eyelid droops for a few weeks.
Volnewmer · Radiofrequency tightening
Volnewmer is monopolar radiofrequency: gentle deep heat, with water cooling on the surface, that tightens existing collagen and prompts new collagen over the following months. It suits fine lines and crepey skin, around the eyes especially, rather than deep expression lines. Usually one session, repeated every 12 to 18 months; firmness builds from the second to fourth week and peaks around two to three months, and in a small randomised trial of this device one session modestly smoothed fine lines around the mouth. Downtime is usually none; mild redness and warmth for a few hours are common.
What to be careful with
More is not better. A neuromodulator relaxes movement; it does not fill a line etched at rest or a fold from lost volume, and pushing the dose to chase those gives a flat, heavy look. Treating the forehead too strongly can also let the brows drop, so the doctor looks at your brows and eyelids before deciding where to treat, and how much.
Be careful with frequent top-ups at high doses: repeated large doses at short intervals have been linked to antibodies that make the medicine work less well, one more reason to use the smallest dose that does the job. These are prescription medicines, and here a physician leads every injectable plan.
What matters in Dubai
Dubai's sun is strong all year. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, reapplied when you are outdoors, slows the next lines, and sunglasses save you the squinting that deepens crow's feet.
After anti-wrinkle injections there is little to change in your day: leave make-up off and don't touch the area for about six hours, and an expert consensus found no evidence for the old advice to avoid exercise or flying afterwards. Radiofrequency is different: after Volnewmer, avoid saunas and strong heat for a week or two. If you spend the summer away, time treatments so the settled result, and any small adjustment, come before you leave; in Ramadan, an appointment after iftar may simply be easier if you are fasting.
Neuromodulators act on the muscle, not on the skin's colour, and the dose follows the strength and pattern of each person's muscles rather than a set formula. Men's facial muscles are, on average, larger, which the dose takes into account; for everyone, the aim is a face that looks rested and still moves like yours.
When to see a doctor first
Anti-wrinkle injections are prescription medicines, so a doctor decides whether they suit you. The doctor asks about pregnancy and breastfeeding (treatment waits), conditions of the nerves and muscles such as myasthenia gravis, allergies, aminoglycoside antibiotics, blood-thinning medicines (which make bruising more likely), keloid scarring and any treatment you have had before; then watches how your face moves, checks your brows and eyelids, and notes any difference between the two sides at rest.
A brow or eyelid that has dropped on one side without any treatment, or a change in how your face moves, is a medical question before a cosmetic one, and if it came on suddenly it needs urgent care. Anti-wrinkle injections are Dr. Olga Ibrakova's focus; Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva, the Medical Director, leads the clinic's medical work, injectables and energy-based treatments included.
Questions people ask
How long do anti-wrinkle injections last?
Usually three to four months. The effect builds over the first two weeks, then fades gradually as the muscle regains its movement; in an analysis of treatment for frown lines, more than half of the people who responded still had a benefit at four months.
Will I still be able to move my face?
Yes, when the dose is right. The aim is to soften the movement that folds the skin, not to stop expression; experts now speak of modulating muscles rather than paralysing them. If an area feels too still, it wears off, and next time the dose is adjusted.
Do anti-wrinkle injections work on lines that stay at rest?
Partly. Lines visible at rest improve less than lines that show only with movement, because part of the line is in the skin. Fine lines at rest usually need skin work as well, such as skin boosters or radiofrequency, and deeper folds may need filler.
What are the side effects?
Small bruises are common, in roughly one in ten to one in four people, and a headache for a day or two is not unusual. Less often a brow or an eyelid droops: a review found eyelid droop in 2.5% and brow droop in 3.1% of people treated. It is temporary, usually lasting a few weeks, and careful placement makes it less likely.
Can I combine anti-wrinkle injections with Volnewmer?
Yes, with spacing. Recent anti-wrinkle injections or filler simply mean the radiofrequency is planned a little apart, and the doctor sets the order.
When should I book before a wedding or Eid?
At least two weeks before, and a month gives more room: the effect takes about two weeks to develop fully, which leaves time for a small adjustment. Radiofrequency builds over two to three months, so plan that well ahead.
Frown lines vs forehead lines vs crow's feet: which wrinkles are which?
Frown lines are the vertical lines between the brows, sometimes called 11 lines, made by the muscles that pull the brows together. Forehead lines run across the forehead and come from raising your brows. Crow's feet fan out from the outer corners of the eyes when you smile or squint. All three are expression lines, formed as a muscle folds skin that thins over the years, so all three usually soften with anti-wrinkle injections; the forehead needs the lightest touch, because the same muscle holds up the brows.
What helps fine lines and wrinkles in the skin of the face?
Treatment that works on the skin itself, because lines that stay when your face is still are only partly from movement. Skin boosters, shallow micro-injections of hyaluronic acid, usually come as two or three sessions, refreshed about every six months. One Volnewmer radiofrequency session can prompt new collagen that builds over two to three months, and MOXI, a resurfacing laser, can refresh the surface over two to four sessions. Small bruises or redness are common and usually short-lived. Daily sunscreen slows the next lines.
Are laser treatments an option for fine lines, forehead wrinkles or crow's feet?
Yes for fine lines in the skin, but not on its own for lines made by movement. MOXI, our 1927 nm resurfacing laser, suits early fine lines, tone and texture, usually over two to four sessions a few weeks apart. It does not relax the muscles that crease the forehead and the corners of the eyes; anti-wrinkle injections do that. Redness usually fades within hours, and a bronzed, sandpaper-like texture usually sheds by day five to seven. Less often darker patches follow, more likely on deeper or tanned skin.
How do I choose a clinic for wrinkle treatment in Dubai?
Choose one where a licensed doctor examines your face before anything is decided. Anti-wrinkle injections are prescription medicines, and lines from movement, lines in the skin and folds from lost volume each need a different treatment, so the doctor should tell you which you have, and when less is enough. Ask who will treat you, what the risks are and when the result will be checked. Here a physician leads every injectable plan, and anti-wrinkle injections are Dr. Olga Ibrakova's focus.
Do the side effects differ between the forehead, frown lines and crow's feet?
They differ by area, and most wear off as the medicine does. After frown lines are treated, an upper eyelid can uncommonly droop, usually on one side, for two to four weeks. In the forehead, too strong a dose or injections placed too low can let the brows drop, and too little at the sides can leave their outer tips raised. Around crow's feet, bruising is more likely; less often the smile changes, the eye feels dry or vision doubles. Very rarely, swallowing or breathing becomes difficult: get urgent care.
Should crow's feet and frown lines be treated together?
Only if both bother you. In a large trial, treating crow's feet and frown lines together gave more benefit than treating crow's feet alone, but the doctor suggests only the areas your lines call for, at the smallest dose that does the job.
Crow's feet vs under-eye wrinkles and fine lines: are they treated the same way?
Usually not. Crow's feet fan out from the outer corner of the eye when you smile or squint, so they come from muscle and usually soften with anti-wrinkle injections. Fine lines and crepey skin under the eyes sit in some of the thinnest skin of the face and stay at rest, so they usually respond better to work on the skin, such as Volnewmer radiofrequency or skin boosters. For crow's feet that reach down onto the cheek, some experts add a little filler as well.
Can filler be used for frown lines or crow's feet, and what are the side effects?
Sometimes, as a second step. Both lines come mainly from muscle, so anti-wrinkle injections come first; a little hyaluronic-acid filler may then be added for a frown line still etched at rest, or for crow's feet that reach onto the cheek. Swelling, tenderness and bruising are common and usually settle within one to two weeks. Between the brows, filler carries a higher risk of blocking a blood vessel: rare, but it can damage the skin or, very rarely, sight. The enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid is always on our shelf.
What helps lip wrinkles and fine lines on the upper lip?
Mostly work on the skin, because lines around the mouth form in thin skin that moves all day. In a small randomised trial, one Volnewmer session modestly smoothed fine lines around the mouth over eight weeks. In a small study of hyaluronic acid micro-injected into the skin, three monthly sessions softened them gradually over six months, with mild, brief redness, swelling or bruising. Where the lip's border has lost its line, a little hyaluronic-acid filler can redefine it: Dr. Daria Banina's focus. A lip balm with SPF helps too.
What helps lines and wrinkles on the neck?
Hyaluronic acid placed in the skin can soften them, though the evidence is limited. Neck lines form in thin skin that moves a lot, and looking down at screens may bring them on earlier. In a review of 11 small studies, hyaluronic acid injected into the neck's skin improved these lines; about one person in seven had mild, passing bruising, swelling or tenderness, and about half needed another treatment within a year. We use skin boosters on the neck too. Loose skin under the jaw is sagging: a different plan.
Smile lines and marionette lines vs frown lines and crow's feet: what's the difference?
Mainly the cause. Frown lines and crow's feet are made by muscles folding the skin, so relaxing the muscle usually softens them. Smile lines, the folds from the nose to the corners of the mouth, and marionette lines, which run down from the corners of the mouth, often reflect lost volume and support, so a neuromodulator alone does little there. Hyaluronic-acid filler is the usual tool for those folds, and in the lower face, comparative studies found filler and a neuromodulator together worked better than either alone.
Related concerns
Sources
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Updated 27 October 2026