I get this question all the time, in one form or another. Someone points to the lines on their face and asks, “Can I put something in these to get rid of them?” Or they ask for a particular treatment by name for lines it isn’t actually designed for. And the honest answer is: it depends entirely on which type of wrinkle you’re pointing at.
There are two kinds, movement lines and static lines, and they’re treated in completely different ways. Getting them mixed up means asking for the wrong treatment, so let’s sort out the difference.
What are dynamic (movement) wrinkles?
Dynamic wrinkles, I usually just call them movement lines, are the ones that appear when you use your face. Frown, squint, raise your eyebrows, and there they are. Relax your face, and they soften or disappear.
They’re caused by your facial muscles folding the skin, the same way a piece of paper creases when you bend it. Frown lines between the brows, forehead lines and crow’s feet are the classic examples.
What are static (non-movement) wrinkles?
Static lines are there all the time. Sit perfectly still in front of the mirror with a relaxed face; the lines you can still see are your static lines. The muscle isn’t creating them in that moment; they’re now etched into the skin itself.
The easy way to remember it: movement versus non-movement. If it shows up when you move, it’s dynamic. If it’s there at rest, it’s static.
How movement lines become static lines
Here’s the part most people don’t realise: today’s movement line is tomorrow’s static line.
Every time you frown or squint, you crease the same patch of skin. Do that thousands of times over the years and the crease eventually sets in permanently, the paper stays folded. My saying is: if you don’t move it, you don’t lose it, meaning you don’t lose your nice, smooth skin.
It gets worse with age, and for a double-barrelled reason. As we get older, the collagen and elastin in our skin decline while our facial muscles actually get relatively stronger, so the muscle has more effect on the skin than it used to. A small frown in your twenties becomes a deep, skin-folding frown in your fifties, and the lines it leaves are deeper too.
Stress plays into this as well. When we’re worried, we frown and squint far more than we notice. That may well be one of the real reasons stress makes people look older, all that extra frowning is quietly carving lines into the face, day after day.
Why the two types need different treatments
Because the cause is different, the fix is different.
Static lines are a skin problem, so they’re treated at the skin level. Fat transfer can be placed directly into the lines to fill them out from underneath. Resurfacing treatments like erbium laser and CO2 laser rebuild smoother skin. And for more significant ageing, facelifting addresses the deeper structural changes.
Movement lines are a muscle problem, so the treatment targets the over-active muscle rather than the skin. Australian regulations don’t allow me to name the treatment here, but it’s exactly what a consultation is for, our nurses and doctors can take you through it in person.
So when you contact the clinic, it genuinely helps to say which one you’re dealing with: ask for a movement line consult or a static line consult. They’re different assessments leading to different treatment plans.
After surgery or laser, movement lines really show
One thing I see constantly: after a facelift, erbium laser or CO2 resurfacing, the skin becomes clearer and smoother, and suddenly the movement lines stand out. When the static lines are gone, you really notice how much someone’s face is moving. I often stand back and think, golly, let’s make sure we treat this and calm that movement down, or those movement lines will start etching new static lines into the beautiful new skin.
That’s why treating movement is such a good companion to facelifting and laser work. One protects the results of the other.
“But I don’t want to lose my expression”
Fair enough, and you shouldn’t. Nobody wants a frozen face.
But there’s a difference between expression and over-expression. Remember, as we age the muscles overpower the weakening skin, so what used to be a gentle frown becomes an exaggerated one that folds the skin deeply. The goal isn’t to stop you expressing yourself; it’s to dial the over-expression back to where it was when you were younger.
And of course, if your lines don’t bother you, that’s completely fine too. I always have a chuckle, though, because the people who tell me “I don’t mind getting older, I’ve earned this road map” are quite often the same ones who come back a few years later saying “right, I’ve changed my mind, let’s do something about this.”
Frequently asked questions
- How do I tell if my wrinkles are dynamic or static?
Look in the mirror with your face completely relaxed. Lines visible at rest are static. Lines that only appear when you frown, squint or smile are dynamic. - Can the same treatment fix both types?
No. Static lines are treated at the skin level, fat transfer, erbium or CO2 laser, or facelifting. Movement lines are treated by addressing the over-active muscle, which requires a separate consultation. - Do dynamic wrinkles turn into static wrinkles?
Yes. Repeated creasing from movement eventually etches permanent lines into the skin, especially as collagen and elastin decline with age. Treating movement early helps prevent static lines forming. - Does stress cause wrinkles?
Indirectly, yes. Stress makes you frown and squint more, and that repeated muscle movement creases the skin over time, one of the reasons stressed people can look older. - Will treating my movement lines freeze my face?
The aim is to reduce over-expression, not expression. Properly done, you still move naturally, you just stop the exaggerated creasing that deepens lines. - Which consult should I book?
Tell us what you see: lines there all the time, book a static line consult; lines that appear with expression, book a movement line consult. Not sure? Book either and we’ll assess both.
Movement lines, static lines, different causes, different treatments, and knowing which is which puts you a step ahead before you even walk in the door. For more information, head to absolutecosmetic.com.au and take care.
Dr Glenn Murray, Absolute Cosmetic
All procedures carry risk. Individual results vary. Seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner before proceeding.
