Which non surgical procedure would help my facial features appear smaller? (photos)

Question

I feel like my face has features that makes my head look big and quite insecure about it. I’m always teased about my big head and nose. I don’t want to get surgery since I’m unsure if I’ll like the result. But I feel like filler/botox is reversible if I don’t like it. I’m open to Botox and filler. I love my lips but I feel like I look like Ms potato head and a small body lol

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

I completely understand why you feel self-conscious about this. When certain features look more prominent in proportion to the rest of the face or body, it can make you feel like your entire face looks larger than it actually is. The good news is that you do not necessarily need to make every feature smaller. Sometimes the better approach is to create more balance and definition around the face.

One of the few non-surgical treatments that can genuinely make part of the face look smaller is masseter Botox. If your lower face appears broad because your masseter chewing muscles are prominent, Botox can gradually reduce the muscle bulk and make the lower third of the face look narrower. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated measurable reductions in lower-face width and volume after masseter treatment.

However, masseter Botox will not shrink the jawbone, cheeks, forehead, or nose. It is most useful when muscle bulk is actually contributing to the width of the lower face. That distinction is important because I would not want to treat an area simply because it looks large without first identifying what is creating that appearance.

With filler, I would actually be more conservative in your situation. Filler adds volume, so it does not literally make a feature smaller. Instead, it can sometimes improve facial proportions by subtly adding structure to areas such as the chin or cheekbones. The goal would be strategic balancing rather than adding fullness everywhere. FDA-approved fillers include uses for areas such as the cheeks, chin, and lips in appropriate adult patients.

For your nose, filler can occasionally improve proportions by correcting a contour irregularity or creating the appearance of a straighter profile, but it does not make the nose physically smaller. In fact, adding filler to the nose can make it appear larger from certain angles, so I would be particularly cautious about using filler if your main concern is that your nose already looks too prominent.

I also would not recommend automatically adding more volume to your lips since you already like them. Preserving features that you feel good about is part of creating a result that still looks like you.

Your comment about feeling like “Ms. Potato Head” actually gets at an important point: facial harmony is usually more important than making one feature dramatically smaller. Small, carefully chosen changes to the jawline, chin, or surrounding facial contours can sometimes make the nose and other features appear less dominant without directly treating those structures.

And since you mentioned that you are hoping to lose a significant amount of weight, I would be especially conservative with facial volumizing treatments right now. Weight loss can change facial proportions and reduce facial fullness, so your appearance may naturally become more defined as your weight changes.

Overall, I would favor a subtle, proportion-focused approach rather than trying to “shrink” your face with filler. Masseter Botox may be appropriate if your jaw width is largely muscle-related, while filler should be used sparingly and only where adding structure would improve balance rather than add unnecessary volume. The fact that these treatments are temporary can also make them appealing when you are unsure how much change you want.

Lexie Wang, MD · Answer

I see almost nothing wrong with your face. I think you are being too critical of yourself. Furthermore, if you cannot distinctly tell what you like or dislike about your face, I'd be very careful about getting semi-permanent to permanently modifying procedures because you need to be prepared psychologically for your changes and usually if you're not over 100% sure, you're probably not ready

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Don't listen to those comments!  You are beautiful and have beautiful, balanced features.  We do encourage using medical grade skin care products like Transform MD to keep skin healthy and youthful and wearing sunscreen every day.

Which non surgical procedure would help my facial features appear smaller? (photos)

Answers (3)

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