Dynamic Wrinkles vs Static Wrinkles: What’s the Difference?

It’s perfectly normal to notice lines forming on your face as time passes. Some appear when you smile or raise your eyebrows, while others seem to linger even when your face is at rest. These lines are a natural part of the ageing process and are often described as dynamic wrinkles and static wrinkles.

Understanding the difference between these two types of lines is the first step in learning how your skin changes over time, and how various wrinkle treatment options may help address your specific concerns.

What Is the Difference Between Static and Dynamic Wrinkles?

The main difference lies in when and how these two types of wrinkles appear.

Dynamic wrinkles are linked to facial expressions. They appear when you smile, laugh, squint, or frown. Over years of repeated movement, these lines can gradually become etched into the skin.

Static wrinkles, on the other hand, remain visible even when your face is completely relaxed. They tend to develop as the skin’s collagen, elastin, and volume naturally decrease over time.

Think of dynamic wrinkles as the lines of expression, and static wrinkles as the lines of time. Although they may look similar on the surface, the causes and treatment approaches are quite different.

The Connection Between Dynamic and Static Wrinkles

While dynamic and static wrinkles are often discussed separately, they’re closely connected.

Dynamic wrinkles can eventually become static wrinkles as the skin’s structure changes. For example, smile lines or crow’s feet may begin as faint creases that appear only during movement but become visible at rest as collagen and elasticity decline.

In other words, the movements that create expression lines over time can contribute to the formation of deeper, more permanent lines later on. This natural progression is influenced by many factors, such as genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle habits.

Dynamic Wrinkles

What Are Dynamic Wrinkles?

Dynamic wrinkles are lines that appear as a result of repeated facial expressions. Every time you raise your eyebrows, squint, or smile, your facial muscles contract. Over time, these muscle contractions cause the overlying skin to fold and crease in the same areas repeatedly.

When you’re young, the skin quickly bounces back into place. As you age and your skin becomes less elastic, those temporary creases can begin to leave a visible trace.

Causes of Dynamic Wrinkles

Several factors contribute to the development of dynamic wrinkles:

• Facial muscle activity: Continuous movement from smiling, frowning, or squinting is the primary cause.
• Loss of elasticity: With age, collagen and elastin levels decline, making it harder for the skin to recover after each movement.
• Sun exposure: Ultraviolet (UV) light breaks down collagen fibres, accelerating the loss of elasticity.
• Lifestyle factors: Smoking, dehydration, and repeated facial movements can also speed up wrinkle formation.

While you can’t (and shouldn’t!) stop expressing yourself, being mindful of how external factors affect your skin may help slow the progression of dynamic wrinkles.

How Dynamic Wrinkles Appear

Dynamic wrinkles appear only when the underlying muscles contract. For example, you may notice faint lines around your eyes when you smile or across your forehead when you raise your eyebrows.

When your face relaxes, these lines disappear – at least in the early stages. As collagen levels decrease with age, the skin doesn’t smooth out as easily, and these once temporary lines can begin to show even at rest.

Examples of Dynamic Wrinkles

Common examples include:

• Forehead wrinkles: appear when raising the eyebrows.
• Frown lines (glabellar lines): vertical lines between the eyebrows caused by frowning or concentrating.
• Crow’s feet: fine lines at the outer corners of the eyes formed by squinting or smiling.

Treatment Options for Dynamic Wrinkles

Treatment for dynamic wrinkles typically focuses on relaxing or softening the muscle activity that causes the skin to crease.

Options may include:

• Energy-based treatment: such as Exion Face radiofrequency (RF) or ultrasound (like Ultherapy Prime), work by gently heating the deeper layers of the skin to support collagen production and improve firmness. While these treatments do not stop dynamic wrinkles from forming, they may help delay the development of static wrinkles by maintaining skin strength and elasticity.
• Cosmetic injectables: prescription-only medicines (which can only be discussed in consultation) are sometimes used to temporarily relax facial muscles that contribute to movement lines.

A consultation with a qualified medical practitioner is the best way to understand which combination of wrinkle treatment approaches is most appropriate for your skin type, lifestyle, and goals.

Static Wrinkles

What Are Static Wrinkles?

Static wrinkles are lines that remain visible even when your facial muscles are relaxed. They develop when the skin’s supportive structures such as collagen, elastin, and fat gradually thin out or shift with age.

These changes mean the skin can’t return to its original smooth state as easily, so lines that were once dynamic eventually “settle in.”

Causes of Static Wrinkles

Static wrinkles develop through a combination of internal and external factors:

• Collagen and elastin loss: These natural proteins give skin its firmness and flexibility. With time, their production slows down.
• Volume loss: A decrease in underlying fat and structural support contributes to deeper folds.
• Sun exposure: UV damage weakens collagen fibres and accelerates visible ageing.
• Repetitive muscle movement: Lines that began as dynamic wrinkles can evolve into static ones.
• Lifestyle and environment: Stress, poor nutrition, and exposure to pollutants can further impact skin quality.

How Static Wrinkles Appear

Static wrinkles can look like fine creases, folds, or deeper lines that remain on the face regardless of expression. They’re often most visible around the mouth, on the cheeks, and under the eyes.

Unlike dynamic wrinkles, they don’t disappear when the face relaxes. Over time, they can become more pronounced as the skin continues to lose elasticity and volume.

Examples of Static Wrinkles

Common examples  include:

• Nasolabial folds: lines that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth.
• Marionette lines: lines that extend downward from the mouth corners.
• Forehead lines: etched in horizontal lines that appear across the forehead.
• Lip lines: lines around the mouth which may appear more pronounced when pursing the lips
• Cheek and neck lines: from skin thinning and gravity over time.

Treatment Options for Static Wrinkles

Addressing static wrinkles often involves a combination of approaches that focus on supporting the skin’s structure and encouraging collagen renewal.

Options may include:

• Laser resurfacing treatments: such as fractional or Co2 lasers, which remove small areas of the outer skin to stimulate new cell growth and stimulate collagen production.
• Rejuran and Co2 laser: performed together, Rejuran provides a supportive environment and accelerates skin healing following controlled micro-ablations from the Co2 laser – particually beneficial for treating crepey under eye skin.
• Microneedling and RF needling: use controlled micro-injuries to trigger collagen and elastin synthesis.
• Skin injectables: certain biocompatible prescription-only medicines may help improve hydration and elasticity.
• Skincare formulations: ingredients such as peptides, vitamin C, and retinol can help support collagen production, while hyaluronic acid may help with decreasing the appearance of fine facial lines caused by dry skin.

As with dynamic wrinkles, the most effective approach depends on the patient’s skin condition, goals, and tolerance for downtime. A skin consultation with a medical practitioner ensures the treatment plan is tailored to your needs.

Get a Personalised Skin Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

No two faces age the same way. That’s why understanding whether your wrinkles are primarily dynamic vs static wrinkles, or a combination of both is essential before deciding on a treatment path.

At Victorian Cosmetic Institute, our practitioners begin with a comprehensive consultation that includes a VISIA Skin Analysis – an advanced imaging system that examines both the surface and deeper layers of your skin. This allows for a detailed understanding of your skin’s structure, texture, and overall health.

From there, a tailored treatment plan can be developed to address your concerns, goals, and preferences.

Call 1300 863 824 or book online to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced medical practitioners to discuss wrinkle treatments and explore the most suitable approach for you.