Botox. It is a household name. We all know about it, we all use it (I mean really….lets be honest), and we all love it. But did you know that Botox can do more than just smooth away the lines in our foreheads and around our eyes? Lets take a few minutes to talk about some other (and lesser known) things that Botox can do.
Upper Lip Lines
They are called Smoker’s Lines. Is there a more awful name for something? Not that I can think of! These little vertical lines in our upper lip actually have nothing to do with smoking – they are caused by the fact that our lips become thinner and smaller as we age, causing the skin of the upper lip to “bunch up” and crease into these hateful little lines. Typically, the best way to treat these is to put filler into the lip, because when the lip is back to its original glory, the lines in the upper lip smooth out, but not everyone is ready for lip filler. If you are one of these people, but you hate the lines in your upper lip, very small doses of Botox can reduce (although not fully remove) them.
Jowls
Another horrible word. Jowling is when the skin of the jawline gets pulled down so that your jawline goes from being an elegant straight line to sagging like an overloaded hammock. Sometimes this is due to gravity and skin laxity alone, but in some people this sagging is caused by a muscle in the neck (the platysma, if you wanted to know…..) pulling down at the skin. Google “Nefertiti Lift images”.
I’ll wait…….
Don’t those pictures look great?!? Botox along the jawline can release the muscle that is pulling your skin down, allowing the skin of the jawline to snap back into place in that straight, Audrey-Hepburn-like line that you used to enjoy.
Marionette Lines
Marionette Lines are the lines that form as the corners of your mouth start to turn downwards. Like many things in the face, this is caused by a combination of factors – some of it is loss of collagen and volume at the corners of the mouth, but it is also partially due to a muscle pulling down at the corners of your mouth like a tiny weight. Try to turn the corners of your mouth down while you look in the mirror.
Again…….I’ll wait. 🙂
That muscle you see bunching along your jawline just under the corner of your mouth? That is called the DAO. Pop some botox into that baby and the corners of the mouth turn back up! Filler (such as Juvederm) is still the better option here – it can lift and support better – but for those not ready for fillers – Botox can be a great option!
Masseters
Put your hands on your cheeks, so that your index fingers are touching your earlobes. Now clench your teeth. Feel thast muscle popping out at the angle of your mandible just in front of your ear? That is your masseter. Do you grind your teeth at night? Does your jaw ache because you hold tension in it? Do you have TMJ pain? Botox in the Masseter muscle can help! When you relax the masseter muscle, you will no longer clench your jaw or grind your teeth at night. In addition to saving you a fortune in dental work (not to mention letting you getting rid of those ridiculously sexy bite gaurds) this injection will slowly, over about 6 months, sculpt your jawline into a more oval and feminine shape.
When you come see us next – ask us what else Botox can do for you!
