Can a Masseter Muscle Go Down on Its Own Without the Use of Botox if Hypertrophy Was Due to Clenching?

When
you do not use your muscles, they begin to relax and become smaller, a term
called atrophy. It is likely that your masseter muscles may reduce in size if
you were to decrease excessive chewing, like with gum. However, as you require
your masseter muscles for chewing food, it is not possible to completely reduce
the size on your own without Botox.



Botox
injections for Masseter reduction is extremely effective, in that it relaxes
the muscles so that they decrease in size, but still allows you to chew.

It probably won't slim down significantly. When you're sleeping, there is no way to know if you've stopped clenching unless you're wearing a guard to prevent this.

The masseter muscle will get smaller if you can stop clenching, but usually it's not something voluntary - especially clenching and teeth grinding during sleep.  For this reason many patients find Botox for masseter reduction a very effective way to eliminate these habits.  

Masseter muscles are like any other muscle, if not used will atrophy and get smaller. Usually clenching of the masseter muscles and grinding d teeth during sleep is not a voluntary act. If you can stop clenching the muscle, you masseter muscles will eventually become smaller and if you cannot, the there is Botox to weaken the muscle and also atrophy the muscle. 

The masseter muscle like any muscle will atrophy or weaken if not used. So yes, if you stop clenching, the muscle will become smaller. Botox can be helpful for this if you're not able to do it yourself. ~ Dr. Benjamin Barankin, Toronto Dermatology Centre.

If you can consciously stop clenching, then the masseter muscle could go down in size.  It is like body building - if you keep pumping, the muscle gets larger and if you stop pumping, the muscle gets smaller.  For most people, clenching is involuntary, in which case, Botox would help. 

(This answer is posted for patients’ general education only and not intended nor implied to be a substitute for medical advice.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider for further evaluation of your individual case.)

It is possible that the masseter will slim on its own but it's very difficult to completely stop jaw clenching. As long as you have any continued jaw clenching the muscle is unlikely to shrink on its own. You might want to give this 3-6 months. If you haven't seen the slimming that you desire at that point, Botox is typically a very safe and reliable option. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS
Lone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon

The less that you use muscle the less that you have-use it or lose it. It is hard to break grinding habit when sleeping but if you chew gum for ten hours a day you can consciously stop. The muscle will shrink with less use.

The jaw muscle is like any muscle in the body. Stopping clenching and overworking the muscle will allow it to go down, but it will take time. You don't lose muscle mass at all once.