Can we chew after Botox in masseters?

I appreciate your concern, but when Botox is injected correctly into the masseter muscle, it should not affect your ability to chew. There are luckily other muscles, such as the pterygoid muscles, responsible for chewing. In addition, chewing should not make the Botox migrate to other areas of the face. Choose a board-certified dermatologist and expert Botox injector for your treatment to ensure your outcome is both safe and successful. 

I do not restrict my patients from chewing after a Botox treatment to the masseters.  In my opinion, chewing should not affect the results from the Botox.  

Yes you can chew after having Botox treatment of the masseters.  Chewing should not cause the product to migrate, nor should your ability to chew be affected by your treatment.

Chewing will not cause Botox migration and will not be a problem after getting Botox in the jaw.   

Masseter muscle is a muscle of mastication and relatively a big muscle. For as long as it is injected properly with enough margin from other structures such as risorius muscle ( involve in smiling), and salivary ducts, it is a very safe injection. Regular chewing during eating should not spread the Botox to other  structures.

I inject a great deal of patients with Botox in the masseter muscle.  It should not effect the way that you chew or spread to a different area.  You don't have to worry about the Botox spread in the same way that you do for other areas of the face.  Best, Dr. Green

Thank you for your question Beautifulonce. 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 where the entire medical history is reviewed. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.Botox can be placed in the masseter muscle in the lower face to contour the lower face and address pain associated with TMJ. In this area 20-40 units of Botox are used per side. Depending on the reason for the enlargement of the muscle, permanent results may be achieved. For example, some people have a habit of grinding, clenching, or biting their teeth subconsciously. Often times this happens in their sleep when they are not aware of it. Botox placed in this muscle will relax the muscle and the grinding, clenching, and/or biting will decrease. This will reduce the size of the muscle. If the brain gets accustomed to this and the person stops grinding, clenching, or biting, then the muscle will not become enlarged or as enlarged again. However, if the habit starts again, the muscle will likely get larger.

To determine if someone is a good candidate for this treatment it is necessary to look at a person’s lower face when biting and comparing it to when the person is not biting. If a bulge is seen on the outer portion of the jawline, then the person is likely a candidate. It can also be felt with the fingers when biting.
If I had a patient with the concern described here I would say that chewing would not affect the results of a Botox treatment in the masseters.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!

Thanks for your question. Chewing is absolutely fine after Botox and will not cause any adverse effects. I hope that answers your question! Best wishes

I usually recommend no exercise for 4 hours after Botox, but their is no restriction on chewing and eating.Best. Dr Brecht Seattle, Wa