How to Get Rid of Wrinkles: Which Med Spa Treatment Works for Which Lines

Wrinkles form from two things working together, according to a 2014 review in American Family Physician: the layer of skin that holds its structure thins, and the muscles of facial expression repeatedly contract against it.

That combination splits wrinkles into two kinds, and the split decides which treatment category fits.

Dynamic wrinkles are the ones you see when muscles contract — frown lines when you knit your brows, crow's feet when you smile.

Static wrinkles are visible at rest, whether or not a muscle is moving.

The same review draws the practical line between them: dynamic wrinkles yield more dramatic results from botulinum toxin than static wrinkles, which are visible at rest.

That is why the first question about any line is when you see it.

A line that smooths out when the face relaxes behaves differently under treatment than one that never quite leaves, and the rest of this guide follows that logic category by category.

Fine lines and deep folds are different problems, and the FDA approvals reflect the difference.

Fine lines sit at the surface, and the treatments that name them target the skin itself: the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) lists fine lines among what chemical peels treat, alongside sun-damaged skin, age spots, freckles, uneven tone and some acne.

Red and near-infrared LED therapy aims at the same shallow end — AAD says it may give subtle to noticeable results for fine lines, while noting more research is needed.

Deep folds are a volume problem.

When FDA describes dermal fillers, it describes medical device implants approved to create a smoother or fuller appearance in the face — including the nasolabial folds, the smile lines that run from the nose toward the mouth.

Sculptra's approval is written in the same language: correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles, in immune-competent people. Juvéderm Voluma XC's approval names age-related midface volume loss — volume, not a crease.

The distinction matters, because the categories are aimed at different problems: peels and resurfacing work on the skin itself, while fillers and biostimulators work on the volume beneath a fold.

Knowing which of the two you are looking at is half the consultation.

Botulinum toxin treats the dynamic end of the map.

Botox Cosmetic is FDA-approved for the temporary improvement of moderate to severe frown lines (glabellar lines), crow's feet, forehead lines and platysma bands — the vertical bands in the neck — in adults; the platysma indication was added in October 2024.

If the line you are thinking about is one of those four, it is on the label.

The other uses you will see marketed — a lip flip, masseter slimming for the jawline — are off-label, meaning they are not on any current US label for the product; masseter toxin is off-label for every US toxin.

The label's tested doses are product- and area-specific: 20 units for glabellar lines, 24 units for crow's feet, 40 units for forehead lines treated together with glabellar lines, and 26, 31 or 36 units for platysma bands depending on how many bands are treated.

Effect begins 1 to 2 days after injection and builds over the first week, the label's duration for glabellar lines is 3 to 4 months, and treatment more often than every 3 months has not been evaluated.

For a sense of scale: in ASPS's 2025 statistics, neuromodulator injections made up roughly half of all minimally invasive procedures reported by ASPS member surgeons, with hyaluronic acid fillers another 30% — member-surgeon figures, not med spa industry totals.

Fillers address the volume end of the map.

That split is the core of the Botox or filler for wrinkles question.

FDA approves dermal fillers for adults 22 and older, for specific areas only — each product is approved for particular areas, and use elsewhere may not have been reviewed.

Juvéderm Voluma XC, for example, is approved for cheek augmentation for age-related midface volume loss and for chin augmentation (June 2020), plus moderate to severe temple hollowing in adults over 21 (October 2023).

Sculptra works differently — it is a poly-L-lactic acid biostimulator rather than a gel — and its approvals, written for immune-competent people, cover shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles (2009) and fine lines and wrinkles in the cheek region (April 2023).

Its use in the buttocks, the body or "crepey skin" on the body is off-label.

Our sculptra guide covers how the collagen-stimulation process works and what it costs.

Duration depends on the material, and the two major sources disagree a little.

AAD's table gives hyaluronic acid 4 to 12 months, calcium hydroxylapatite 6 months to 1 year, poly-L-lactic acid 1 to 3 years, your own fat 1 to 3 years and PMMA permanent; FDA's filler page gives hyaluronic acid 6 to 12 months, calcium hydroxylapatite 18 months and poly-L-lactic acid up to 2 years — approximate figures, per FDA.

Duration varies by product and area, which is why the honest answer to "how long will mine last?" starts with which product goes where.

Timing differs too: most fillers show results immediately, while poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra) shows results in 2 to 3 weeks and builds over time.

Filler redness, swelling, tenderness and bruising usually clear within 7 to 14 days, per AAD.

One more framing rule before you compare products: FDA's general filler page still lists the periorbital area, forehead, neck and nose among unapproved filler uses, and that page predates some product-specific approvals — so the product's own label is the one to check, and filler use in an area where that product lacks an approval is off-label.

The third category works on the skin itself.

AAD calls laser resurfacing the most effective non-surgical procedure for tightening loose skin, and the tradeoff is downtime and risk: 5 to 7 days at home and a higher risk of side effects such as scarring.

The CO2 laser is one version, and our laser resurfacing guide covers the wider family.

Chemical peels occupy the shallow-to-middle ground.

AAD lists fine lines among what peels treat, and its downtime table runs from light peels — healing in 1 to 7 days, often done as a series of 3 to 5 peels every 2 to 5 weeks — to medium peels, which take 7 to 14 days to heal.

A deep peel is a different event: it is done under general anesthesia in a surgical setting, and a person can have only one.

FDA advises using chemical peels only under the supervision of a licensed, trained provider, because some at-home peels have caused serious injuries; our chemical peel guide covers the types.

Microneedling and the radiofrequency family work on the collagen side.

In its guidance on acne scars — not wrinkles — AAD describes microneedling, radiofrequency and RF microneedling as safe across all skin tones, and says RF microneedling may give laser-like results with less downtime, while noting those studies included few participants with darker skin.

A 2016 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found traditional resurfacing (dermabrasion, peels, lasers) carries a higher risk of pigment change and scarring in darker skin (Fitzpatrick types IV-VI), where microneedling may offer a more favorable safety profile.

Our microneedling guide covers the procedure and its limits.

Energy-based tightening sits alongside.

Sofwave's 510(k) clearance (K250146, April 2025) lists facial lines and wrinkles among its cleared uses. Thermage FLX is cleared (K170758, September 2017) for non-invasive treatment of wrinkles and rhytids, including periorbital wrinkles and the upper and lower eyelids.

These are FDA-cleared devices, not approved drugs — and clearance is indication-specific, so it is worth asking which clearance a specific device holds.

Red and near-infrared LED may give subtle to noticeable results for fine lines per AAD, which says more research is needed; FDA has cleared some at-home red-light devices for skin aging, and "FDA cleared" indicates low risk, not proven effectiveness.

Here is the map from area to category, using the approvals and clearances above.

Each item is the short version; the treatment guides linked through this page go deeper on the tools.

• Forehead and frown lines. Both are on the Botox Cosmetic label, at tested doses of 20 units for glabellar lines and 40 units for forehead lines treated together with glabellar lines; the label's duration for glabellar lines is 3 to 4 months.
• Crow's feet. On the label as well, at a tested dose of 24 units. Thermage FLX is also cleared for periorbital wrinkles, including the upper and lower eyelids.
• Under-eye lines and hollows. Only specific products carry an infraorbital (under-eye hollow) approval: Juvéderm Volbella XC (2021) and Restylane Eyelight (May 2023; since December 2023 it has been distributed only to providers who completed its device-specific training). Other fillers used under the eyes are off-label, and no filler is approved for the tear trough as an area. Our under-eye filler guide covers candidacy.
• Smile lines (nasolabial folds). FDA's filler descriptions name the nasolabial folds directly, and Sculptra is approved, in immune-competent people, to correct shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles.
• Lips and lip lines. The vertical perioral lines have their own approvals: Juvéderm Volbella XC for lip augmentation and correction of perioral lines (2016), and Restylane Kysse for lip augmentation and correction of upper perioral lines (March 2020). Our lip filler guide covers the lip products.
• Neck. Botox Cosmetic's platysma-band indication was added in October 2024, with labeled doses of 26, 31 or 36 units depending on the number of bands treated. Skinvive by Juvéderm — approved in May 2023 to improve cheek skin smoothness — had its indication expanded to reducing neck lines in adults over 21 in June 2026. On the device side, Ultherapy is cleared to lift lax submental and neck tissue and to improve décolleté lines and wrinkles, with a cleared purpose of temporary changes in the appearance of the skin. Radiesse, diluted 1:2 with saline, is approved for décolleté wrinkles in patients 22 and older (March 2026); hyperdilute Radiesse on the neck remains off-label.

Each category runs on its own maintenance schedule, and each figure below comes from its own source.

For neurotoxin, the Botox Cosmetic label gives 3 to 4 months for glabellar lines, and treatment more often than every 3 months has not been evaluated.

Filler runs on the material: AAD's table gives hyaluronic acid 4 to 12 months, calcium hydroxylapatite 6 months to 1 year and poly-L-lactic acid 1 to 3 years, while FDA's page gives hyaluronic acid about 6 to 12 months, calcium hydroxylapatite about 18 months and poly-L-lactic acid up to 2 years.

Sculptra builds gradually — results appear in 2 to 3 weeks and build over time.

Peels come in series: a light peel heals in 1 to 7 days and is often done as 3 to 5 peels every 2 to 5 weeks.

On money, two sourced notes.

AAD says insurance does not cover chemical peels.

And device clearances are indication-specific — Sofwave's lists facial lines and wrinkles, Thermage FLX's lists wrinkles and rhytids — so ask which cleared use a quoted treatment falls under.

This page quotes no prices on purpose: national figures vary by treatment and source, and the treatment guides own the numbers we could confirm — start with the botox and dermal fillers guides, each of which has a cost section.

When you collect quotes, ask what the price is based on — units, syringes, areas, sessions or a package — and how many of each the plan assumes.

Get it in writing before you start.

Whatever the treatment, AAD treats injectables as medical care: never get Botox or filler injections at a non-medical spa, a party, a salon or someone's home — and note that toxin bought online without a medical license differs from what dermatologists use.

AAD's wording is about settings without medical oversight; a med spa operating under a licensed provider's medical direction is a medical setting, which makes the first vetting question simple: who directs the medical care here?

AAD's question list for any cosmetic procedure doubles as the rest of the script: Are you board-certified?

How many times have you done this exact procedure?

How often do you treat patients with my skin tone and type?

What results can I realistically expect — with before-and-after photos of patients with similar skin tones?

And what are the risks, recovery time, number of treatments and cost?

One referral rule comes before any of it: AAD says a spot that is new, changing, bleeding or itching should be seen by a dermatologist first, not treated cosmetically.

MedSpaStandard's med spa directory and its treatment-by-city listings are not live yet, so we cannot point you to a specific spa here.

What we can point you to is the rest of the research: our skin and body concerns index, and the treatment guides this page routes to.