Masseter botox: the ultimate treatment for a slimmer face? Or should you actually avoid it because of getting jowls, or, hamster cheeks? In this article, we explain it all to you!
Masseter botox is a popular treatment in which botulinum toxin (botox) is injected into the masseter muscles. These muscles are called the masseter muscles and are located on the side of your jaw. By injecting botox into these muscles, the muscles relax and can create a slimmer face shape, or V-shape. The treatment is quick and results can be visible after as little as two to four weeks, however, often you may need to wait a little longer for the effect.
An overactive masseter muscle can cause functional complaints, such as teeth grinding (bruxism), jaw tension and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) complaints. Often, botox is an effective treatment to reduce the tension in the masseter muscle and, in doing so, the symptoms. Masseter botox can also be used for cosmetic purposes and is then called face slimming. Here the goal is to achieve a narrower face and more balance in the face. Often the treatment is desirable for both medical and cosmetic aspects.
The masseter muscles are located on the side of the face. When these muscles are very active, they can create a wider, more angular facial contour. You can compare it to someone who goes to the gym intensively to train his biceps: the more often and intensely the muscle is used, the bigger and more muscular it becomes. If you stop training, the muscle mass gradually decreases. Botox works on a similar principle, but without having to stop "chewing. By injecting small amounts of botox into the chewing muscle, the muscle relaxes. This makes it less active and the muscle mass decreases over time, which can create a softer, more refined jawline.
Masseter botox is thus a very suitable treatment to narrow the face, especially in people with overactive masseter muscles. However, the masseter muscles are not the only determining structure for the width and shape of the face. The bone structure, as well as the fat percentage, of course play an important role. These structures are not changed by botox. Therefore, it is always wise to seek advice from your cosmetic doctor as to whether it is a suitable treatment for you.
There was a lot to say about it recently on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram: hamster cheeks, or jowls, due to masseter botox. Although masseter botox refines the jawline and can make the face look slimmer, in some cases an unwanted effect can occur: the appearance or worsening of so-called jowls. This refers to slight sagging of the skin along the jawline. These jowls occur because the masseter helps support the lower part of the face in addition to chewing. When the muscle becomes smaller due to botox, this can lead to visible sagging in people with less firm skin or naturally sagging jawline. Therefore, it is important that the treatment is carefully dosed and performed by an experienced physician, who takes into account facial structure and may employ additional treatments to balance the results.
In the area of the masseter muscle there are several muscles involved in moving the jaw and mouth area. Sometimes one of these muscles may also become unintentionally involved in the botox treatment and therefore may produce an undesirable result. An unpleasant complication can be that the smile becomes blocked in the process. The muscle involved is called the risorius muscle (R in the picture). This is a muscle that overlaps at the front of the masseter with fibers that run superficially.
If these muscle fibers are also co-treated, the smile may be (temporarily) less wide when smiling fully. To prevent this, the doctor will inject more toward the corner of the jaw than the corner of the mouth. When delineating the muscle, this muscle overlap is taken into account, and when injecting, it is desirable to place the botox deep into the muscle belly (so that the superficial fibers are not included). A trained physician has knowledge of this anatomy and will therefore take this into account.
Masseter Botox is an effective treatment that can provide both cosmetic and functional benefits. Whether you want to create a slimmer face, reduce jaw clenching or suffer from teeth grinding, with the right dosage and technique, this treatment can provide subtle but powerful results. Always get treatment from an experienced, BIG-registered doctor who specializes in this area to ensure safe and natural results.
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