The Upper Face Map

The upper face is where details matter more than doses. A single misplaced unit or a misunderstood millimetre can change an expression more than a facelift ever could — sometimes for better, sometimes not.

Up here, the anatomy is straightforward. It's the behaviour that complicates things. The forehead, the glabella, the crow's feet — they all reveal tiny truths about the patient that they don't even realise they're giving away.

One of the quiet skills in aesthetics is simply watching how a patient speaks. Not the posed movements — the real ones:

• How their brows rise when they're explaining something
• How the corrugators twitch when they're trying to sound composed
• How the DAO fires when they politely disagree
• How their lower face compensates for what the upper face hides

This chapter is here to help you see those micro-behaviours and use them properly — less guessing, more clarity, better results.

ANATOMY TABLE — A Quick Orientation

The names don't matter as much as what they do, how they behave, and what happens if you get them wrong.

THE GLABELLA CODE

The glabella is your first and most straightforward treatment zone. Two corrugators and one procerus — the "frown trio."

Five-Point Injection Pattern

• 1 central (procerus)
• 2 medial corrugator points (over the bony notch)
• 2 lateral corrugator points (mid-pupil line, under the brow)

Depth

• Procerus: superficial — just under the dermis
• Corrugator: deep — aim for the periosteal plane

Doses (Approximate)

• Procerus: 2–4 U
• Each medial corrugator: 3–5 U
• Each lateral corrugator: 2–3 U

FRONTALIS LOGIC

This is where injectors make or break a face. The frontalis is a single, unpaired sheet of muscle covering the entire forehead. It lifts the brow and fights gravity — every day, every expression.

The Rules

• Never treat the frontalis without treating the glabella first
• Always stay at least 2 cm above the orbital rim
• Respect the lateral brow — treat less laterally to preserve lift

Common Patterns

• Strong lifters: 8–12 U, evenly distributed across forehead
• Weak lifters: 4–6 U, limited to upper forehead only
• Central lifters: treat only the medial forehead
• Lateral lifters: treat only the lateral forehead

THE CROW'S FEET PROTOCOL

Crow's feet are the orbicularis oculi's goodbye note. They form from years of smiling, squinting, and expression — and they're one of the easiest areas to treat.

Pattern

• 3–4 points per side in a fan pattern lateral to the orbital rim
• Stay at least 1 cm from the lateral canthus
• Keep superficial — just under the dermis

Doses

• 2–4 U per point
• Total: 8–16 U per side depending on strength

Crow's Feet Complications

• Overdose → under-eye roll, festoons
• Treating too close to rim → smile imbalance
• Under-treating upper-lateral → missed brow-lift potential

THE SYSTEM BEHIND THE UPPER FACE

Upper face work only truly makes sense when viewed as a triangle: Forehead, Glabella, Crow's feet. Each one influences the others.

Balanced Sequence

• Frown first → stabilises the centre
• Forehead second → controls lines & tone
• Crow's feet last → lifts & refines edges

This produces the most natural expression and the fewest complaints.

FINAL THOUGHT — PRECISION THROUGH AWARENESS

Injecting the upper face isn't about following a diagram. It's about understanding how a patient speaks, where their tension hides, how they move unconsciously, and how their muscles negotiate with each other.