How Botox works in the entire face. Dr Rafizadeh explains from Morristown NJ
Neuromodulator like Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are all effective and approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in the glabellar area, the area between the eyebrows. These drugs all work by eliminating the function of small muscles that actively create wrinkles. We have been using these products in other areas of the face like the crow’s feet, forehead, bunny line and the neck platisma bands, with great success. There are other muscles that pull the corners of the mouth down (depressor anguli oris). These muscles can be in this action and giving the patient a sad look. Weakening them would improve that situation. In fact these muscles act as opposites to the smile muscles that pull the corner of the mouth up. There are other uses for these toxins that are less common. One is the use in the masseters. These are muscles used for chewing and are enlarged in people who chew gum and grind their teeth all the time. They make the angle of the jaws protrude and produce a square face; this is prevalent in oriental patients who already have a shorter, rounder face. Injection in these areas can produce muscle atrophy after several months and improve the appearance. It obviously weakens the mastication, but there are other muscles that compensate for this. The other use is in the upper lip to improve the vertical lines. Minute amounts of these products could be effectively be used in these areas, but one has to be careful about the upper lip competency. Now there is another use that I don’t approve of and that is when the toxins are used in very dilute amounts under the skin of the face, for example cheeks to improve wrinkle. They give a name of mesoBotox to this procedure. I don’t recommend this because it doesn’t make any sense.