A square, strong jawline is a very desirable masculine feature, and while sharp and contoured jawlines are in for women right now as well, sometimes a strong Masseter muscle contributes to a wider jawline and defeminizes the face. If you are a Real Housewives of New York fan, think Bethenny Frankel when she first appeared on the show! Have you noticed how her face has appeared more feminine and softer over the years? While I am not sure what all she has had done (definitely Botox, fillers and probably a plethora of other non-invasive procedures!), she has admitted that she gets Botox injections in her Masseter muscle to help slim her face.
How does this work? Well, in basic terms, Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles, which stops the muscles from contracting. When Botox is injected into the Masseter muscle, it receives fewer signals from the nerves to contract, making the muscle weaker. A weakened muscle, with less force of contraction begins to atrophy or reduce in size over time (think about other muscles in your body and what happens to them when you don’t work out!). It can take up to about 6 weeks from the time of injection to see a slimmer jawline following Masseter Botox, and results typically last 4-6 months. With repeated treatments and continued atrophy though, results tend to last a little longer.
Who is a candidate for Masseter Botox? Pretty much anyone who has a wide jawline due to an enlarged Masseter muscle! People who grind their teeth and clench their jaw a lot, resulting in headaches may also benefit from Masseter Botox. People who are not good candidates for Masseter Botox include those who have severe jowling or loose skin along the jawline and those who have wider necks. As you can imagine, reducing the width of the face in these cases can contribute to the appearance of loose skin along the jawline.
