Corrugator supercilli muscle produces what kind of wrinkles in forehead
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corrugator supercilii muscle wrinkles forehead type anatomy
The corrugator supercilii produces vertical (glabellar) wrinkles — specifically, the deep vertical creases between the eyebrows known as glabellar frown lines (sometimes called "11 lines").
Here's the breakdown from the textbooks:
Action & wrinkle type:
- The corrugator supercilii is the strongest brow depressor. It pulls the brow medially and downward, creating a scowling/frowning expression.
- This medial traction on the skin produces deep vertical creases in the glabellar region (between the eyebrows), not horizontal forehead lines.
- The procerus and depressor supercilii muscles work alongside it — procerus pulls the brow inferiorly, adding a horizontal component, but the corrugator's primary contribution is the vertical furrows.
Key distinction from other muscles:
- Frontalis → horizontal forehead lines (raises the brow)
- Corrugator supercilii → vertical glabellar furrows ("frown lines" / "11 lines")
- Procerus → transverse lines across the nasal root
Clinical relevance: Botulinum toxin (Botox) is injected into the corrugator supercilii to treat glabellar frown lines — a standard cosmetic indication. The muscle has two heads (transverse and oblique), and it originates over the medial supraorbital rim.
Sources: Cummings Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery; Dermatology 2-Volume Set 5e; Gray's Anatomy for Students
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