Frontal fat compartment: anatomy of the forehead
Quick facts
- Definition
- Pockets of superficial fat in the forehead, separated by septa: central and lateral.
- Location
- Superficial layer, between the skin and the frontalis muscle.
- Relationship
- Brow, temple and frontalis muscle.
- Relevance in HOF
- Explains the contour and volume of the forehead and the descent of the brow with age.
Facial fat is not a single mass: it is organized into compartments, separated by connective tissue septa, so each area ages in its own way. In the forehead, the superficial layer has one central and two lateral compartments, located between the skin and the frontalis muscle. This is the division described in the map of the superficial facial compartments.
What does each one do?
The central compartment gives the forehead its soft convexity, and the lateral ones make the transition to the temple. The fat beneath the frontalis muscle and the brow, the ROOF, is a different layer and relates to the position of the eyebrow. When volume is lost, the forehead can look flatter or have an irregular contour, and the brow can lose support. This process adds to the descent of tissue (brow position).
Why is it relevant in HOF?
A flat forehead or one with depressions may have a volume component, not just wrinkles. That is why, when assessing forehead lines, it is worth separating:
| What you see | Possible origin |
|---|---|
| Horizontal lines on movement | Action of the frontalis muscle (dynamic wrinkles) |
| Flattened forehead at rest | Loss of volume and projection |
| Low brow | Laxity, loss of support and toxin use in the forehead |
How do you talk to the patient?
Many ask to "remove the wrinkle" when the complaint has a mixed origin. Explaining the difference between movement, volume and laxity avoids the expectation that a single technique will solve everything, and also the mistake of weighing down the forehead with toxin in someone who already has a low brow.
In Harmy
Harmy has the Glabella point, between the eyebrows, but no point for the whole forehead. The anatomy of the compartments is left to the clinical assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What are the forehead fat compartments?
They are areas of superficial fat separated by thin septa. In the forehead there is one central compartment and two lateral ones.
Why does the forehead lose volume with age?
There is loss and redistribution of fat, bone reduction and laxity. The result can be a flatter forehead and a lower brow.