Wrinkle Botox, 1 AreaGangnam, Seoul
Wrinkle Botox, 1 Area is a treatment in which you choose one of five areas — forehead, between the brows, around the eyes, under the eyes or the bridge of the nose — and a small amount of botulinum toxin is injected into the expression muscle there. You choose from three products: Korean-made, Coretox or imported. Before injecting, QD Clinic asks you to make a few expressions and first checks whether the line is one that forms when the muscle moves. At QD Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea, consultation helps determine which options suit your concerns.
Treatable areas
- Forehead
- Glabella (frown lines)
- Eye area
- Under-eye
- Nose bridge
Who it’s for
- Lines gather in one spot when you smile or frown
- You want to try just one of the five areas first
- You’re new to Botox and want to start with a small change in expression
Wrinkle Botox doesn’t restore lost volume or lift sagging skin. Deeply set lines can be planned together with fillers or skin boosters.
How it works
Wrinkle Botox doesn’t fill lines — it reduces the strength of the muscle that folds them. Botulinum toxin blocks the release of the substance (acetylcholine) that carries the contraction signal from the nerve ending to the muscle. When the injected muscle moves less, the skin above it folds less and expression lines become fainter. The effect appears over several days and wears off gradually as the nerve forms new connections. In the US, Botox Cosmetic is approved for frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines; the under-eye area and the bridge of the nose are areas where doctors use it on their own judgement outside that approval.
THE MECHANISM, STEP BY STEP
01Forehead
Forehead lines are made by the frontalis muscle, which lifts the brows. This muscle also holds the brows up, so injecting too low can make the brows feel heavy; we therefore keep the injection points well above the brows.
02Between the brows
Vertical lines between the brows are made by muscles that pull the brows inward and downward. The stronger the frowning habit, the thicker these muscles, so we choose the injection points while watching you frown.
03Around the eyes
The fan-shaped lines at the outer corners of the eyes when you smile are made by the outer part of the muscle circling the eye. So that your smile doesn’t look unnatural, we don’t inject too far down toward the cheekbone.
04Under the eyes · bridge of the nose
Fine lines under the eyes come from the lower part of the muscle circling the eye, and the slanted lines on either side of the nasal bridge come from the muscle that scrunches the nose. Both muscles are thin, so only a very small amount is used.
Treatment areas
- Discuss at consultation
- Lines that stay deeply etched even when your face is at rest don’t smooth out well with Botox alone, so we first tell whether the line forms with movement.
- Medical assessment
- The forehead muscle is the one that lifts the brows, so if your eyelids feel heavy or your brows already sit low, we consider the dose and placement separately.
- Before treatment
- What looks like a line under the eyes can sometimes come from protruding fat or sagging skin, so an examination tells us whether Botox is right for that spot.
What the procedure is like
- 1Expression check and choosing the area
- 2Cleansing and marking the injection points
- 3Small amounts injected into the muscle with a fine needle
- 4Gentle pressure, then aftercare guidance before you leave
The injections themselves are over quickly. The total time, including the examination and marking, will be explained when you visit.
Recovery & aftercare
- Most people can go about their day right after the injections.
- Don’t rub or press the injection points for a few hours.
- On the day, it’s best to avoid things that heat up the face, such as saunas or strenuous exercise.
What to expect over time
A general guide to how the days and months after treatment usually unfold. Results vary by individual.
Same day Needle marks
Small bumps or redness may remain briefly at the injection points; most people return to their day straight away.
A few days later Movement starts to soften
You begin to notice that the area folds less when you make expressions. The timing differs from person to person.
About 2 weeks Settled
This is when the effect is clearest, so this is when we look at the result.
3–4 months Gradual return
As muscle movement returns, the lines show again. (Results vary from person to person.)
Sessions & results
The effect of one treatment usually lasts 3–4 months, after which muscle movement returns. Rather than fixing a date for the next treatment, we decide once we see the movement has come back. If you’d like three areas done on the same day, there is a separate 3-area option. (Results vary from person to person.)
How it compares
Even for the same line, the right treatment depends on whether the cause is the muscle, a crease that has already formed, or skin texture.
| Comparison | Wrinkle Botox, 1 Area | Wrinkle Filler | Skin Botox 1cc |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it addresses | The strength of the muscle that folds the line | A crease that has already formed | Texture and pores in the shallow layer of the skin |
| Suited lines | Lines that form when you make expressions | Lines that remain even at rest | Fine texture and shine |
| When change shows | Over several days | Right after injection | Over several weeks |
Which option suits you is decided by looking at your face both while making expressions and at rest.
Safety & considerations
Possible reactions
- Small bumps, redness or bruising at the injection points
- Occasionally, headache
- After forehead injections, brows that feel heavy or differ in height from side to side
- Rarely, eyelid drooping
Please tell us first if
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have a condition affecting the junction between nerves and muscles, such as myasthenia gravis
- You are taking muscle relaxants or aminoglycoside antibiotics
- A previous Botox treatment had almost no effect or caused an adverse reaction
Wrinkle Botox reduces expression, and whether you like the reduced movement differs from person to person. We start with a small amount and look at individual differences in effect and duration together.
Your care at QD Clinic
Looking at expressions
We ask you to raise your forehead, frown and smile, and look at where the lines form and how the two sides differ.
Choosing the area and product
We decide on one of the five areas and which product to use: Korean-made, Coretox or imported.
Review after 2 weeks
Around 2 weeks, when the effect has settled, check the left–right balance in the mirror and let us know if you notice a difference.
Frequently asked questions
They are three different botulinum toxin products. We show you the product box before injecting so you can see which product is used. If you’ve had a product before and it worked well for you, please tell us about that experience.
You can start with the line that catches your eye first in the mirror. However, if the forehead is treated without looking at the area between the brows, the brows can feel heavy, so if you want only the forehead, we explain this first. Before choosing, we ask you to raise your brows, frown and smile so we can see together where the lines form and how the two sides differ.
If they are fine crinkly lines that fold under the eyes when you smile, a very small amount can be tried. Shadows caused by puffiness or hollowness under the eyes don’t improve with Botox and can even look more pronounced, so we don’t recommend it. This distinction is made during the examination.
They are slanted lines that form on either side of the nasal bridge when you scrunch your nose or laugh broadly. Some people feel these lines become more noticeable after treatment between the brows, so we sometimes look at them together with that area. These lines are made by the muscle that scrunches the nose, and because it is thin, only a very small amount is used. We also tell you in advance that the nasal bridge is an area treated at the doctor’s discretion, outside the scope of the US approval for Botox Cosmetic.
When movement in one area decreases, some people feel as though they use the surrounding muscles more. Check in the mirror after about 2 weeks, and if anything bothers you, we take it into account when choosing the area at your next treatment. If the balance between several areas concerns you from the start, you can compare the 3-area option, which treats three areas on the same day.
For international patients
Consultation in English / 中文 / 日本語 · WhatsApp · WeChat · KakaoTalk · a 4-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon / Nonhyeon Station (hours in KST).
How many days should I stay?
Surgery and course-based treatments need a check-up. We tell you before you book whether that means staying longer or coming back another time.
For International Patients