Frownies: Has anyone used this to reduce frown lines?

[scugger]

I feel like I have pretty deep forehead wrinkles/frown lines for my age. I probably have them because I squint at a computer all day and have an "expressive" face, haha.

Anyway, I came across this product called Frownies that is supposed to be a pad/bandage type thing that put on your forehead at night to stretch out your wrinkles. I think it is also supposed to train your facial muscles to not contract because the sticky pad pulls your skin down.

Does anyone have any experience with this? The Amazon reviews seem pretty good. Apparently a lot of celebrities use it too.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Frownies-Piece.../dp/B0002MSGTS

Official link:
http://www.frownies.com/products/frownies/

 

[youdee]

They work but it's pretty much a life commitment, once you stop the lines'll come back. They immobilse the area much like botox would and during the night it stops you from frowning in your sleep so that the muscles are 'ironed out'. If you're looking for a more long-term solution I would use retinol instead or forwnies w/retinol underneath.

 

[scugger]

Is it possible to somehow train yourself not to frown all the time? I remember some PHD in an old psychology textbook trained himself to have complete control of all of the muscles in his face.

If someone had frown lines and was never to frown again for the rest of his life, would all the wrinkles regenerate to normal skin?

 

[needler]

Originally Posted by scugger

If someone had frown lines and was never to frown again for the rest of his life, would all the wrinkles regenerate to normal skin?

Probably not, you would need some kind of positive force to contract the skin. Young people might because their skin tends to contract naturally, older people much less so.

 

[youdee]

Originally Posted by scugger

Is it possible to somehow train yourself not to frown all the time? I remember some PHD in an old psychology textbook trained himself to have complete control of all of the muscles in his face.

If someone had frown lines and was never to frown again for the rest of his life, would all the wrinkles regenerate to normal skin?

I agree with needler, in order to regenerate the skin you need a reactive force such as electro-stimulation, injections or topicals like retinol.

With things like Frownies you become conscious of how much you frown during the day/night because you feel pressure every time you frown as the adhesive plaster holds the muscles in place. After a while of wearing these you'll probably unconsciously start to frown less, whether you wear them or not.

 

[scugger]

Thanks for the replies guys; much appreciated. I think I might give retinol/frownie combination a try. I have very acne prone skin (I'm oily as hell, was on accutane 3x, retin-a, the whole nine yards) and right now I use massive quantities of benzoyl peroxide to keep it under control. I buy the 16oz 2.5% BP from acne.org. How is it mixing benzoyl peroxide and retinol?

Also do you have any recommendations for a economical source of retinol (i'm thinking something along the lines of acne.org)?

Youdee: nice blog BTW!

 

[kaiimac]

Originally Posted by scugger

Thanks for the replies guys; much appreciated. I think I might give retinol/frownie combination a try. I have very acne prone skin (I'm oily as hell, was on accutane 3x, retin-a, the whole nine yards) and right now I use massive quantities of benzoyl peroxide to keep it under control. I buy the 16oz 2.5% BP from acne.org. How is it mixing benzoyl peroxide and retinol?

Also do you have any recommendations for a economical source of retinol (i'm thinking something along the lines of acne.org)?

Youdee: nice blog BTW!

Hey man..I saw this and thought I'd reply. Large amounts of benzoyl peroxide can actually make your wrinkles look worse. It dries you out a lot and makes skin more way more sensitive to sunlight. I am 23, and when I did the acne.org regime for 6 months, I noticed I was getting frown lines! It really freaked me out, so once your acne clears up a little from the regime, try to taper off the benzoyl peroxide...and always use a good moisturizer! Moisturize with an spf 15 or higher moisturizer will help keep the wrinkles at bay and help to "fill them in." It will help your breakouts, too!

I'm not sure about mixing retinol and BP, but I would think it would be a bad idea. Retinol is a pretty strong chemical exfoliant, and usually combining BP with anything (especially massive amounts), such as salicylic acid, is a bad idea. Retinol can also help with the acne, btw.

Basically, my advice for you would be to clear up the acne with the acne.org regime while using a good SPF-15 acne-friendly moisturizer, then taper off the BP, then incorporate retinol instead of BP. Do this over a period of a few months or your skin will freak out. Good luck!

 

[scugger]

^ kaiimac: thanks for the reply. I'm aware that benzoyl peroxide makes you more sensitive to the sun and try to use the SPF-15 moisturizer (although I should prob be more diligent about it). I hear about a lot of people getting crazy dry skin form BP, but I've never seen to have a problem with it (especially with the 2.5%). I could completely coat my face in the stuff, my skin would still never flake! I think i'm just an oily beast!

Do you think that the BP would make wrinkles worse even if my skin isn't be dried out by the BP?

Also, what SPF moisturizer do you use?

I think I might try to experiment to taper off the BP, but in my experience, if I miss a few days, the acne creeps back up.

Thanks!

 

[8bpc]

To those that mentioned retinol - what retinol products?

 

[Nexus6]

I have the lines too.
They show you have lived life, struggled and prevailed.
Consider it 'patina' and wear with pride.

 

[scugger]

This is pretty inspirational! Def a good outlook to have!

Originally Posted by Nexus6

I have the lines too.
They show you have lived life, struggled and prevailed.
Consider it 'patina' and wear with pride.

 

[Supertarheel]

Originally Posted by Nexus6

I have the lines too.
They show you have lived life, struggled and prevailed.
Consider it 'patina' and wear with pride.

I'm pretty young, and don't suffer from oldness yet, but i agree with this statement.

 

[kaiimac]

Originally Posted by scugger

Do you think that the BP would make wrinkles worse even if my skin isn't be dried out by the BP?

Also, what SPF moisturizer do you use?

I think I might try to experiment to taper off the BP, but in my experience, if I miss a few days, the acne creeps back up.

Thanks!

Probably not if it doesn't dry your skin out, and you are using sunscreen. It just made my skin so red and dry that every possible detail of my face looked like it was etched out in stone. My skin isn't oily though, it is dry acne-prone.

I wouldn't try to taper off the BP until your acne has been cleared up for a few months first. I was on the regime about a year and a half...when I noticed consistently clear skin, I thought I would slowly try tapering off. It worked for me, but I don't know how your skin is, and it's possible some people use it for a long time. To me, it just scared me to be on such high dosage of a chemical with relatively unknown long-term effects for such an extended period of time.

Plus, my hyperpigmentation from breakouts was horrible with the BP. I didn't have any zits, but I had tons of blackheads and red marks. I credit the acne.org regime and Dan's BP for getting rid of the bad acne I had for years and once it was cleared up, I now try to keep it that way without having to go back.

I actually use an all-natural moisturizer without SPF and use sunscreen over top of it. My entire skin care routine is from a company called Lush, www.lush.com , and I use their Imperialis and Gorgeous moisturizers. I follow-up with Neutrogena Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 55. I find a good moisturizer with sunscreen in it to be Aveeno's Ultra Calming Moisturizer with SPF 15. That is what I used for a long time. Good luck!

 

[kaiimac]

Here is a quote from the acne.org message board that I agree with 100%.

"BP is drying and that does cause aging. Oily skin actually ages slower because it has that lipid barrier to protect and hydrate the skin. So since BP sucks up that oil and leaves skin feeling tight, I can see why BP would be linked to aging. Moisturizing should help (if you don't do so already). But of course I recommend moisturizing ALWAYS, even when you're not on a drying product. And a lot of people get confused and think that oily skin doesn't need a moisturizer. It most definitely does. Not only does a good moisturizer with a proper pH balance protect the skin from free radicals which damage skin cells and cause aging, but it will also sort of "trick" the skin into thinking it has oil on there already, thus actually helping to create a good balance and prevent that midday oil-slick. Just remember, oil-free and noncomedogenic!"

 

[scugger]

kai, thanks for the reccommendations.

as for that quote ^ I kind of agree with it, but I am not totally convinced that moisturizing tricks your body into producing less oil. how long do you think you have to moisturize in order for the oil decreasing process to occur?

i probably moisturize half the time and either way I gotta use those clean and clear oil sheets to soak up the excess throughout the day