Hi! I’m Dr. Peter.

Here's Episode 36 of the Patient Mailbox series, where we collect handpicked questions submitted by patients suffering from various skin diseases and conditions, and personally answer them with our best efforts. I hope to help any one of you who faces challenges from similar situations.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Peter Ch’ng is a Consultant Dermatologist actively involved in numerous talks and workshops. He is also an esteemed contributor to dermatology research and publication internationally. He practices at both Peter Ch'ng Clinic Skin & Laser Specialist in Desa Park City and Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

 

Question:

Hi Dr. Peter,

I’m a 33-year old female who has a very strong jawline. I hate that my jawline is square-looking and I wish for an oval-shaped face. But I am afraid to go under the knife.

I read that Botox could help me achieve a slimmer, V-shape jawline. Is this true? Could you also share more about the procedure and the risk of jawline reshaping with Botox? Thank you.

Answer:

The usage of Botox for jawline reshaping is a very common procedure that delivers desirable results with no downtime.  While strong, square-shaped jawlines are much sought after among men, women shun angular jaws for more feminine facial shapes. With Botox, gone are the days where the only way to achieve an oval shape face is through invasive jaw reduction surgery. In my opinion, Botox has revolutionized facial contouring.

 

What is Botox?

Botox is one of the brands of botulinum toxin A (BTA) approved by the FDA. The first BTA to be approved by the FDA is no other than Botox. This is followed by Dysport and finally Xeomin.

Botox temporarily inhibits muscle movement by blocking the signals from the nerve to the muscle. When muscle contraction is reduced, our muscle size will shrink over time.

Botox is also used to alleviate jaw clenching and teeth grinding, also known as bruxism.

 

Can Botox give me a slimmer jawline?

Yes, you can achieve a slender jawline with Botox face reshaping.

Botox is used to shape the face by weakening the masseter muscles. We use our masseter muscles for chewing. Upon injecting Botox into the masseter muscle, the neurotoxin prevents the muscles from contracting. Over time, the weakened muscle will shrink in size, thus reshaping the face to look more feminine.

 

What makes me a good candidate for jawline re-shaping with Botox?

Botox can be used to slim down a masculine face. If you want to reduce the angle of the jaw caused by bone structure, Botox will not work. But if it’s due to an enlarged masseter muscle or salivary gland (also known as a submandibular gland), your jawline can be reshaped using Botox.

On the other hand, patients who want a more masculine jawline can be treated with fillers to create a stronger jawline.

 

Can you share more about the process to treat a strong jawline with Botox injection?

If your angular jawline is caused by strong masseter muscles, we will first need to locate the muscles. To do so, we will ask the patient to clench their jawline. Once the muscles have “harden”, the visible masseter muscle is marked.

Next, we use a 5-point injection method to create a V-shape jawline, whereby the Botox is injected at two points at the front of the jaw, 2 points at the back and the final one point in the center. Most importantly, the Botox injection must be administered deep where the muscles are located, and not at a superficial level. Injecting Botox at a superficial level will cause an asymmetrical smile. And a lopsided smile is something we want to avoid.

As the masseter muscle is relatively larger compared to other muscles on the face, you can expect to see a slimmer jawline within 4 to 6 weeks after the injection.

 

Is Botox injection painful?

Rest assured that a Botox injection is not painful. To put things into perspective, a Botox injection feels very much like an ant bite. 99% of my patients do not need any numbing cream before treatment. In addition, we use a very fine needle to inject Botox into the treated area. Before you know it, the injection is done and you’re up and about.

 

How long do the effects of Botox last?

Botox lasts between 4 – 6 months. For patients who chew gum frequently or those who grind their teeth during sleep (also known as bruxism), the effects of Botox can be shorter.

After 6 months, you can come back for another round of injections to maintain the V-shape face.

What should I do and not do after Botox treatment?

There are a lot of myths surrounding Botox treatment. The truth is, Botox is a non-invasive procedure with no downtime.

Please be assured that lying down after treatment will not compromise the results of your jawline reshaping. You can resume exercise and normal activity post-treatment.

In terms of food, there are no taboos or dietary restrictions to adhere to.

My only advice is not to wash or scrub the injected area too hard after treatment. This is to prevent the Botox from spreading to other areas. Otherwise, you can have the Botox shots done over lunch and then stroll back into the office without any telltale signs of the lunch-time beauty fix!

How much improvement can I achieve with Botox for sliming the jawline?

It really depends on how big your masseter muscles are before treatment. If your masseter muscles are big, then a larger quantity of Botox is required to shrink the muscles effectively.

If you have small masseter muscles but an obvious mandible bone, you will still see improvement with the Botox jaw reshaping but with less distinct augmentations.

 

How many units of Botox will I need to treat my masculine jawline? From a layman’s perspective, how many injections is that equivalent to?

How much Botox a person needs very much depends on how big the masseter muscles are. The bigger the muscles, the more units are required to shrink it. Nevertheless, regardless of whether your muscles are big or small, you will still receive 5 injection points per side.

 

Is it possible to have difficulty eating up after having Botox injected into my jaw area?

As long as Botox is injected correctly on the muscle, you should not face any complication from the procedure. However, if Botox is wrongly injected, you may face difficulty chewing or eating, may end up with a lopsided smile, or may experience excessive drooling.

The good news is that these setbacks are temporary and will last between 3 to 4 months only.

Having said this, you should only entrust a board-certified dermatologist or aesthetic practitioner to re-contour your face with Botox. Botox’s popularity may have grown tremendously in the past few years, but it is a procedure that should be done only in a medical setting, by medical professionals and not by beauticians in hotel rooms.

 

What types of candidates are deemed not suitable for jaw slimming with Botox?

Patients who present with other facial conditions apart from a large masseter may not see significant results post-treatment. This is because there could be other facial structures that cause the face to look broad.

For example, patients with an obvious mandible bone may not be an ideal candidate. In such cases, surgical jaw reduction is the only treatment route.

Patients who suffer from bruxism tend to come back earlier for follow up injection as their masseter muscles are exercised during sleep.

Patients with a large buccal fat pad or excessive fat in the cheek area will benefit from buccal fat removal surgery.

Besides, patients must be aware that this is a temporary solution to reshape the jawline. The treatment must be repeated every 6 months to maintain its results.

In the same vein, patients who like to chew gum and sugar cane tend to have bigger masseter muscles and should expect to return for follow up injections faster than normal.

 

 

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If you’d like to ask more about your skin condition or have a discussion with Dr Peter, you can contact us at +6011-22882299, Whatsapp us, or book an appointment with Dr Peter here!