What can be done to relax the depressor septi muscle? Droops when I smile (photos)

Hi there! Thanks for the question and great photos. I've heard of Botox being injected within the muscle but I'm not sure it's entirely effective. The benefit of performing at least tip work via a rhinoplasty is the resistance to the movement you're describing long-term. A caudal septal extension graft can be placed and used as an anchor point. This helps with resisting the downward motion of the tip. It is quite powerful and it doesn't necessarily mean that your profile will change significantly. I would seek consultation with a facial plastic surgeon to learn more. Hope this helps!

Hi @Loving120084! Thank you for sending your photos! A non-surgical approach can be achieved with Botox by relaxing the depressor septi nasi muscle. However, this is only a temporary fix. If you are looking for a more permanent fix, I recommend a rhinoplasty. I would not recommend cutting the muscle since this can cause the upper lip to look long and stiff.

You could try neurotoxin (e.g., Botox) to the muscle to prevent this from happening. If this solves your concern, then this could be repeatedly performed. Or, if you like the appearance from this but desire a permanent change, yes, the muscle can be transected.
If further tip elevation is desired despite the injection, then, a rhinoplasty may be in order.

This is a rudimentary muscle and it does not have to be present in every person; sometimes it is present only on one side. To be sure that is the only reason for your smile issue, one can try injection of Botox. This, however, needs to be done by an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon, expert in rhinoplasty, not every "injector". Good luck.

In our experience, when someone has a droopy nasal tip that exacerbates the appearance of a dorsal hump, rhinoplasty surgery may be the best course of action. We do not ever cut the depressor septi muscle, and as an isolated procedure, I doubt this would lead to the results you want. Hope this helps. Dr Joseph