Botox for bulging temporalis muscle or excision of muscle?

Botox can be injected directly into the muscle and with time will cause muscle thinning. If this is truly the cause of your forehead widening then Botox injected a couple time a year should yield a good result. I would not recommend muscle excision in this area. It will be no better than Botox with much higher risk of complication

Hi and thank you for your question! In theory Botox can reduce the bulk of any muscles it is injected into and the same goes for using Botox to reduce bulkiness of temporalis muscle. However, I also suggest that you do a full-face evaluation with an experienced cosmetic doctor. Sometime the problem with an area might appear to be related to bulging muscle, while the root cause is volume loss in adjacent areas that contributed to that effect. Regardless, I don't recommend any surgical procedure for this. I hope it helps and good luck! 

Yes, Botox in combination with radiofrequency treatments can help improve this. Botox results last 3-4 months. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a facial sculpting expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  Botox has been used to help atrophy the undesired enlargement of certain facial muscles including the masseter and temporalis.  This enlargement may be patient genetics but can also be the result of teeth grinding and excessive gum chewing. Botox allows for weakening of the muscle with subsequent atrophy to make a noticeable improvement without the risk of surgery, possible muscle dysfunction, and scarring associated with muscle excision. Be sure to see an ASPS board certified plastic surgeon in consultation for an appropriate diagnosis and discussion of treatment plans. Hope this helps.

 Thank you for your question. The function of the temporalis muscle is to help in chewing. Excision of portions of the muscle while cosmetically appealing, may cause some dysfunction. Not only might you have some limitation of chewing, but you may also have a risk of injuring the nerve that controls the muscles of the forehead. You have to make care when performing this type of procedure. With regards to Botox, Botox can be very effective for relaxing  The muscle components that may be in spasm. Make sure that you were seeing an experienced specialist in the face. Thank you

I would suggest trying Botox to cause atrophy (shrinking) of the temporalis muscle.  This seems like an easier and less invasive way to accomplish your goals.  Sometimes you may require volume in the temples rather than shrinking of the muscle as the temples tend to hollow out with age, so make sure you get evaluated for that too.

Dear RS friend, 
Botox for treatment of the Temporalis muscle works very much like Masseter Botox.   The Botulinum works to relax the muscle and over time reduce the size of the muscle.   We find that we get longer term results injecting these chewing muscles vs. other facial muscles that cause wrinkles around the eyes. Most patients return every 5-6 months for treatment of these muscles and these injections help tremendously not only reduce the size of these muscles resulting in a narrower tapered look,  but also helping reduce TMJ problems and headaches.   Hope this helps! 
Dr. Onir

I would not consider surgery for this issue. Botox can do this just fine. 25-50 units on each side is needed about every 6 months. I'm not sure you will correct the issue you are trying to fix but Botox will atrophy these muscles. 

Hi.  Botox can cause muscle atrophy and we use it on the jaw line to shrink the Masseter muscle as well as other muscles.  I think IF your diagnosis is correct then Botox injected 3 times a year is a safer approach than muscle excision which can leave a scar and depressions.  

Botox injection can be used to reduce masseter and temporalis muscle bulk and in experienced hands is a very effective treatment with minimal risk. While the enlarged temporalis muscle may be just the way your face is structured, it may also be the result of bruxism (teeth grinding).