Chin muscle bulging after Botox against dimpling. Should I get it corrected? (Photo)

Thank you for your question and photos. Injecting Botox into the chin area requires precision and a gentle touch to ensure a natural, aesthetically pleasing result. That said, I think you need to wait the full two weeks to see how your results look at that time. If you don’t like the result, you can schedule a follow-up with your injector. I have seen cases like this, and they usually need additional Botox to fix this “donut” effect. In other situations, waiting until the Botox wears off (about three or four months) is a better choice. Make sure you are working with a board-certified dermatologist who is also a Botox expert to ensure the most safe and successful procedure possible.

You will want to wait the full two weeks from the day of injection before judging your final results.  If at that time you still are concerned, return to your injector for an evaluation.

I find that in the majority of patients injected with Botox (elsewhere) into the chin result in funnier looking dimples than the patient had prior to the treatment. It is for these reasons that I do not recommend that the patients treat their chins with botox unless it is absolutely necessary. I would let the botox completely stop working and then reassess the situation. This may take three months or so. You can also follow up with your treating physician and see what they recommend. Good luck from New York City

Hi, thank you so much for your question. As suggested, wait at least 2 full weeks before you judge the full result. At rest all looks good, and the dimpling looks as though its resolved. You do, however, have other muscles that are working causing that protrusion. You could let the botox wear off, as a few units will not last more than a couple of months, or you could see a board certified dermatologist in person to potentially inject in the other areas to soften those muscles. 

Thank you for your question and for sharing your photographs Project Artemis. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.
It is difficult to make an assessment without a formal exam in the office where I can view the skin in multiple angles and observe wrinkles formed with facial expression. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.Although Botox is most commonly used in the upper face, it can also be used in various areas in the lower face. Botox can be placed in the mentalis muscle on the chin to address a cobblestone appearance or dimpling on the chin. In this area 2-8 units of Botox are used.If I had a patient with the concern described here I would recommend waiting a full two weeks to assess the final results. If there is still a bulge at that time it can be corrected with additional units placed lower in the chin where the muscle is bulging.With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.

After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.

Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!