Botox (botulinum toxin) is a treatment in which botulinum toxin is injected into a muscle to reduce its movement or size, and is used for expression lines, a square jaw and enlarged salivary glands, among others.
Expression lines are creases left in the skin by muscles that move repeatedly. Horizontal forehead lines, vertical frown lines between the brows and crow's feet are typical examples. Botulinum toxin reduces the movement of these muscles, slowing the deepening of lines and softening expression lines that have already formed.
The same substance is also used to reduce muscle size. A square jaw is often the result of an enlarged masseter, the chewing muscle, and injecting the masseter lets the muscle gradually shrink so the jawline softens. When enlarged salivary glands make the area under the jaw look full, injection into the gland reduces its size.
Atelier Plastic Surgery puts preserving expression ahead of erasing wrinkles. Over-relaxing a muscle can make the face look stiff and may cause the brows or eyelids to droop. The director personally watches your expressions in motion to check the strength and direction of each muscle, then sets the dose and injection points for each area.
Small, divided doses are injected into the expression muscles of the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes. The dose is adjusted to reduce rather than eliminate muscle strength so the face does not look stiff. Injection points vary with brow position and forehead width.
Injected into the masseter, the chewing muscle, to reduce its bulk. Because the muscle shrinks gradually, the effect appears over 2–4 weeks, and you can expect the jawline to soften and the lower face to look slimmer. The dose is set after palpating the thickness and position of the masseter.
Injected into the submandibular gland under the jaw or the parotid gland below the ear to reduce the gland's size. If the area under the jaw still looks full after masseter injections, an enlarged salivary gland may be the cause, so the position and size of the gland are checked by palpation before treatment.
The same principle is applied to bunny lines on the nose, drooping mouth corners, chin dimpling, vertical neck bands, the trapezius and more. Each area needs a different dose and injection depth, so treatment is planned around your goals at consultation.
These may vary depending on your condition; we will give you precise details at your consultation.
Over-relaxing a muscle to erase every line makes expressions unnatural. The director personally checks which muscles move, and how much, when you smile, look surprised or frown, and divides the injection between areas where movement should remain and areas where it should be reduced.
Even in the same area, muscle thickness and strength differ from person to person. Rather than injecting a fixed dose across the board, we adjust the dose and injection points to the size of the muscle, your previous treatment history and the degree of change you want.
Reducing the jaw muscle alone can make the cheeks look hollow or make sagging more noticeable. We look at cheek fat, skin elasticity and the shape of the jawbone together and, if needed, plan the sequence with filler or lifting treatments.
Dr. Juyoung Go co-authored the lower-face chapter of a textbook on minimally invasive injectable techniques. The principle of setting injection points by the anatomical position of muscles, fat and ligaments is applied directly in practice.
There may be small red marks or swelling at the injection sites, which mostly settle within a few hours. You can return to daily life right away.
Do not rub or press the treated area. To keep the product from spreading to other muscles, avoid lying down for about 4 hours, and avoid saunas, strenuous exercise and alcohol.
In areas treated for expression lines, you begin to feel muscle movement decrease from this point. Any bruising mostly fades within about a week.
The effect stabilizes. For a square jaw, the muscle shrinks gradually, so changes in the jawline begin to show from this period. If there is asymmetry or an under-treated area, a touch-up injection is considered.
Muscle movement gradually returns. We discuss the timing of re-treatment before lines deepen again, and take care not to repeat at intervals that are too short.
After botulinum toxin treatment, bruising, swelling and pain at the injection sites, headache and temporary muscle weakness may occur. If the product spreads to neighboring muscles, the eyelids or brows may droop, expressions may become unnatural or asymmetry may develop; these mostly resolve over several weeks to months. After masseter treatment, chewing strength may be temporarily weaker or the cheeks may look hollow, and after salivary gland treatment, dry mouth may occur. With repeated treatment, antibodies may rarely form and reduce the effect. Treatment may be restricted if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a neuromuscular disorder or are taking certain antibiotics, so please be sure to tell us at consultation. Results and duration vary by individual.
The content on this page is general medical information provided in accordance with the Medical Service Act. The results of surgery and treatments and the recovery period may vary by individual. All surgeries and treatments carry a risk of side effects, so please decide after a thorough consultation with a specialist.
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Learn moreConsultations are conducted by the Director herself. Schedule one by phone or KakaoTalk, or leave an online consultation request.
