Am I a good candidate for masseter Botox i.e for a non-surgical jaw reduction?

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  If you have hypertrophy of your masseters, then botox may be used to help slim your jawline.   Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Thank you for the detailed question and corresponding photos. You look like you may benefit from Botox injections to help slim down the lateral face and jaw. Botox relaxes the massetter muscle and causes it to slim down, de-bulking the lower half of your face. It takes at least 25 units per side of the face and lasts 4-6 months. Some people with stronger massetter muscles require higher doses which is why I recommend seeing a board-certified plastic surgeon or expert injector in-person so they can examine your muscles in action and determine the correct dose for you. At our practice we also provide consults via FaceTime or Skype for patients who live outside of NY. For more information, please visit our webpage. 

Honestly, I feel you may give yourself laxity with botox as your jaw is already slim and it can make it more slim causing the skin to sag. you need a formal consultation.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Hi Viewme.I would love to answer this question. Masseter injections require an injector with an eye for fine details of injections. Injections should be done carefully to reduce side effects which could affect your smile. Many physicians start with around 25 units per masseter. Based on your photos, you need around 12 to 15 units to start.It will take time to fully atrophy the muscles and several injection sessions. Additionally, you will need maintenance doses to keep your feminine features. Be sure you're seeing an expert injector/physician.Good luck. Dr. ALDO  

Thank you for your question. It is difficult to give you advice without examining you in person. However, if you are a good candidate for reduction of the masseter muscles than Botox or Dysport can be used to paralyze the muscle. This will eventually cause atrophy and slim the jawline. It can take up to 25 units per side and can be adjusted if one side is stronger than the other and the results lasts about 3-6 months. I recommend having a consultation with an expert injector to determine the best treatment plan for you. Best of Luck!

Botox works great in people with hypertrophied masseter muscles and at first I thought you had just that, however I've noticed in some of the other limited views that you lack structure in the upper face more so than you have hypertrophy in the lower face. This creates poor proportions making you feel like you have a larger or wider lower face. I think you should be evaluated by a plastic surgeon like myself in person and possibly consider having fat grafting to the upper face, including the cheeks and lower eyelid hollows. Good luck from New York City

Hi viewme123, Sometimes it's not really the masseters that are enlarged but the bone structure that makes the jaw look angular. In such a case, injecting Botox is not likely to have a any significant effects. However, if you want to follow the "triangle of youth" standard of beauty, then the upper half of your face can have some fillers to assume more balance.All the best, Justin Harper, M.D.