You might like a softer jawline, or want the sides of your face to look less broad in photos. You may also catch yourself clenching your teeth while concentrating, without realising how firmly you're doing it.
Masseter Botox treats the chewing muscles at the back of the jaw. When these muscles are enlarged, treatment can gradually reduce their size and give the lower face a slimmer outline.
Dr Alex will ask what you'd like to change, assess your jaw and explain how much difference treatment could make for you.
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Your consultation, treatment and follow-up are with Dr Alex.
What brings you here?
A broader jaw, a tight jaw - or both
The shape of your jaw and the way it feels can be separate reasons for considering treatment. You don't need to want a slimmer face to ask about clenching.
Your lower face looks wider than you'd like
You keep catching yourself clenching
You want to understand what would actually change
Before you book
Masseter Botox at a glance
The visible change develops gradually, so allow time to judge the result.
The change you could see
Less width at the sides of your jaw
When enlarged masseter muscles are adding width, reducing their size can make your lower face look slimmer and less square.
You may prefer a small change to the corners of your jaw, or want a more obvious reduction in muscle bulk. Dr Alex will discuss how much is achievable and how that would look alongside your cheeks and chin.
If clenching is also a concern, treatment can reduce the force of the muscle contraction. Relief from tightness or discomfort is less predictable and is assessed separately from the change in appearance.
The muscle relaxes before it becomes visibly smaller. Give the shape time to develop rather than judging the result after a few days. Photographs taken from the same angle can help you see the gradual change.
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Would it suit your face?
What is giving your jaw its shape?
Your jawline comes from a combination of muscle, bone, fat and skin. Dr Alex checks how much each contributes before recommending treatment.
What treatment can change
Botox reduces muscle, not every kind of jaw width
It won't narrow your jaw bone, remove a double chin or tighten loose skin. If your masseters are already small, treating them is unlikely to produce useful slimming.
Reducing muscle volume can also make existing looseness or hollowing more noticeable. Dr Alex will assess this before you decide, and explain if another approach would suit your face better.
How masseter Botox works
A less active muscle can become a smaller muscle
The masseters help close your jaw when you bite and chew. You have one on each side, near the back of the jaw.
Botulinum toxin temporarily reduces the nerve signals that tell the treated muscle fibres to contract. As the masseter works less strongly, it can gradually lose some of its bulk.
That is why a change in clenching can happen before the visible slimming. The injections haven't removed anything; the muscle changes over time.
Other muscles also help you chew. The aim is to reduce the masseter's activity enough to achieve the intended result while keeping everyday eating comfortable. The effect wears off, so future treatment is considered according to your response and whether you want to maintain the change.
Your appointment
Tell Dr Alex what you'd like to change
Bring your questions about appearance, clenching or both. If you've had dental advice or previous masseter treatment, that is useful to discuss too.
Talk about the result you want
See how your jaw works
Have the injections
Let the result develop
Experience with botulinum toxin
Why choose Dr Alex for masseter Botox?
Dr Alex teaches botulinum toxin treatments to doctors, dentists and nurses. He is an International Key Opinion Leader and Advocate for Evolus, and has presented on toxin in the UK and internationally. His work includes talks at Wigmore Presents and the BCAM Conference, and a poster presentation at AMWC in Monaco.
For masseter treatment, he looks at both the change in shape and the job the muscle does. How much width is coming from muscle? How is each side working? Would reducing it give you the outline you want? Those findings guide his recommendation.
He also uses ultrasound selectively for the masseters when a scan would help assess the anatomy. It gives him another way to examine the area when needed; it isn't something every patient requires.
Your treatment remains with Dr Alex through the consultation, injections and follow-up, so he can assess the result against what you discussed at the start.
GMC-registered doctor · 7072776
Full Member of BCAM
International toxin trainer
Aesthetics Awards winner 2021
Side effects and suitability
What side effects should you know about?
Tenderness, small bruises or swelling can occur where you've been injected. A headache is also possible.
Possible side effects
Your jaw may feel weaker or tire sooner when eating chewy foods. An uneven smile can occur if treatment affects a nearby muscle. Uneven slimming, a bulge when you clench, hollowing or more noticeable jowls are also possible.
Botulinum toxin cannot be dissolved if you dislike the result. Its effects fade with time. Tell Dr Alex about any unexpected change so he can assess it and advise you.
When to get urgent medical help
Very rarely, botulinum toxin can affect muscles away from the treatment area. Seek urgent medical help if you develop difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking, or widespread muscle weakness after treatment.
When treatment needs to wait or isn't suitable
SONÜ does not treat anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding. Treatment should wait if you're unwell or have an infection near the injection area.
Certain nerve or muscle conditions, allergies, medicines, swallowing difficulties, existing jaw weakness or recent toxin treatment can affect suitability. Tell Dr Alex if you're trying to conceive too.
A painful or locking jaw, tooth damage or unexplained swelling may need dental or medical assessment before any aesthetic treatment.
You can have the assessment and take time to decide about treatment.
Treatment costs
How much does masseter Botox cost?
Masseter Botox costs £350 for treatment of both sides of the jaw. It has its own price and isn't included in the usual one-to-four-area facial Botox tariff.
A few more questions
Questions about masseter Botox
Including eating, grinding your teeth and what happens if you stop treatment.
Will masseter Botox slim my face?
When will I see a change?
How long does masseter Botox last?
Can I still eat normally afterwards?
Will it stop me grinding my teeth?
Is this the same as treatment for TMJ problems?
Could my smile change, or my jowls look worse?
How many units will I need?
What happens if I don't keep having it?
How is it different from jawline filler?
Other options
If you want to change a different part of your jawline
For definition or support, Dr Alex may discuss jawline filler. Skin looseness or fullness beneath the chin needs a different assessment, with options such as HIFU or fat-dissolving treatment considered where appropriate. For grinding or jaw pain, dental care may be the more useful next step.
Your next step
Find out what masseter Botox could change for you
Book a consultation with Dr Alex at SONÜ in Hale, Altrincham. Show him the shape you'd like to change and tell him about any clenching. He'll examine your jaw, explain the likely result and help you decide whether treatment suits what you want.
SONÜ Medical Aesthetics
34 Hale Road, Hale, Altrincham, WA14 2EX
Doctor-led treatment in a relaxed, private clinic
Close to Hale station and easy to reach from Altrincham, Manchester and Cheshire