Many people’s lower jaws are wider than normal. This may be genetic, or it could be a result of tooth grinding and excess clenching. This wider jaw happens when the masseter muscles, used for chewing, have become engorged, making the person look constantly tense. Larger masseter muscles also create the appearance of a square jaw and face, traditionally thought of as less feminine than an oval shape.
The problem of an enlarged jaw can be corrected with a Botox jaw reduction. Traditionally, surgical jaw reductions have been the norm, but a Botox jaw reduction is much less invasive, more convenient, and less expensive. The Botox jaw reduction procedure is a simple series of Botox injections to the masseter muscles. The area may be numbed beforehand with cream or another numbing agent.
Once Botox jaw reduction has been performed, you’ll be free to go – no recovery time is needed. Over the course of the next several weeks, the Botox will weaken the masseter muscles, causing them to become smaller and smaller. They will stay this way for anywhere from two months to a year and a half. Once the Botox wears off, you can come in for another treatment. Results usually last longer after each treatment, and it’s possible that after several treatments, the reduction will be permanent.
There is a chance that there will be temporary weakness during chewing, along with a bit of tenderness at the injection sites and some small bruising. One of the positive side effects of jaw reduction surgery is that because the muscles have become relaxed, weakened, and less constricted, patients often stop grinding their teeth in their sleep.
So what are you waiting for? Contact our office for a Botox jaw reduction consultation. Dr. M. Bruce Sanderson is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a passion for helping people attain the looks they’ve been dreaming about. Call today!
