For some women, a square face or a wide jaw is an undesirable trait often regarded as too masculine. This condition is mostly caused by genetics, but it’s also a result of overactive masseter muscles. Not only do those enlarged jaw muscles cause a lot of self-consciousness, but they can also hide some medical problems, such as bruxism.
Through a simple procedure known as jawline slimming, a prominent or asymmetric jawline caused by genetics or excessive teeth grinding can be fixed. If you want to improve your facial features or control your overactive jaw muscles, this non-surgical treatment would be suitable for you.
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What are the masseters?
Before we discuss the jawline slimming treatment, we must first define the masseters. These two powerful quadrangular muscles are found on each side of your lower jaw. You can easily identify them by the muscle bulges between your cheekbone and the angle of your jaw when you clench your teeth. Due to its strength, size, and location, the masseters serve as the muscles for mastication. These thick muscles are responsible for raising your lower jawbone, which helps you chew solid foods.
What is jawline slimming?
A jawline slimming procedure, also known as masseters reduction, is a simple yet effective non-surgical wide jaw treatment. It reduces the width of the masseter muscles to create a slimmer and more feminine jawline. Compared to a jaw reduction surgery, the jawline slimming procedure provides a more natural and subtle improvement to the area without any potential complications and downtime.
Who can benefit from the jawline slimming treatment?
The jawline slimming procedure is ideal for women and even men who feel that their jaw is overly wide, square, or heavy. It primarily addresses concerns regarding the neck and jawline definition, including disproportion and asymmetry. But aside from the aesthetic reasons behind this treatment, the procedure is also recommended for people suffering from bruxism.
Conventional treatments such as medications, dental night guards, and behavioural strategies help bruxism sufferers protect their teeth at night. However, these don’t address the source of the problem. The use of injectable neurotoxin Botulinum Type A has been proven to target and treat excessive muscle activity and spasticity.
When injected on the masseters or jaw muscle, it can help relieve teeth grinding and clenching by blocking the signals that tell the muscles to contract. Since the jawline slimming treatment targets the masseter muscles, it won’t work for patients with a wide jaw defined by bone structures.
How does jawline slimming work?
The procedure involves small doses of anti-wrinkle injections known as botulinum toxins or BOTOX Jaw Slimming. These shots are injected directly into the large and overdeveloped masseter muscles on both sides of the face. It is spread out into five injection points within the muscles to ensure the whole intended area is covered.
The botulinum toxins won’t paralyse the overactive masseter muscles but relax and weaken them instead. It works by preventing the masseter muscles from contracting, which in turn stops them from bulking up and changing the shape of the face. This procedure results in softer and smaller masseters that will eventually shrink the jawline’s appearance over time and reduce bruxism.
Depending on the treatment recommended, patients can see face slimming and jaw reduction effects at any time between 2 to 8 weeks. People with bruxism also experience an improvement over their symptoms within a week of treatment. Results typically last for 3 to 4 months since botox wears off after a while.
What to expect with the treatment
Here’s what you can expect before, during, and after getting the jawline slimming treatment.
Before the treatment
Before getting a jawline slimming treatment, you must first consult with a medical professional. The clinician will ask you questions about your goals and concerns and examine your jaw and face. After this, they will then determine the injection sites and the number of syringes you may need. The treatment plan will vary depending on whether you’re undergoing jawline slimming for aesthetic purposes or medicinal to reduce your teeth grinding.
During the treatment
Before starting, they will clean your skin to reduce the risk of infection and mark the injection sites. Some may also use topical anaesthesia to numb the area. They will then prepare the micro-needle, syringe, and vial of diluted botulinum toxin. The same practitioner who undertook your consultation will insert the needle into your masseters and slowly withdraw it as they inject the toxin.
After the treatment
You can go back to your usual activities after the jawline slimming treatment is done. However, you’ll need to avoid rubbing or placing pressure on the treated area and exercising. Failing to follow these precautions might spread the toxin to other parts of your face.
Are there side effects and contraindications?
Using botox to relax and weaken the masseter muscles is a safe way to treat wide jaw and bruxism. The injection usually takes about 5 minutes and may feel slightly tingly or prickly. It’s fast and effective with minimal to no side effects. However, some patients may experience pain or swelling on the injection site, bruising, headache, drooling, crooked smile, or flu-like symptoms. But rest assured, these side effects won’t last forever.