In youth, our facial muscles are strong and engaged, giving the face a lifted, contoured appearance.
With age, these muscles may become overactive or inactive—both of which can lead to aesthetic and functional concerns.
The masseter muscle, located on either side of the jaw, is often over- or under-worked. High muscle tension can cause chronic pain, whereas a weakened masseter muscle structure can pull the surrounding skin down, resulting in a sagging appearance.
For patients battling TMJ or jowls, the skilled injectors at Turkle & Associates often recommend Botox. Read on to find out how you can prepare for your injections, or use our online planning tool to shape your treatment with masseter Botox in Carmel.
Planning Your Masseter Botox
Before beginning your injections, one of our providers invites you to sit down for a consultation. During this conversation, the two of you can discuss your treatment goals and medical history, answering any of your questions along the way. Then, your provider assesses your skin quality, noting details like wrinkle depth and pattern to formulate an effective treatment plan.
These insights help your provider identify whether you could most benefit from the Botox, Daxxify, or Xeomin formula within your treatment plan.
Next, your provider outlines each step in the injection process and describes the care steps you can take to prepare your skin for treatment. Often, these instructions include:
- Limit your use of exfoliating or harsh skincare products within 2 weeks of Botox treatment, as this can irritate the skin.
- Wear SPF 30+ sunscreen on your face in the week leading up to your appointment.
- Avoid consuming alcohol or using tobacco products less than 48 hours before treatment.
- Arrive at your Botox appointment with a clean face free of makeup or products.
Receiving Masseter Botox
In Carmel, our skilled injectors can often complete your Botox injections within just 10 to 20 minutes. With a series of doses delivered in tiny increments, your provider can target the muscle responsible for your discomfort.
Relieve Aesthetic Concerns
Our facial muscles insert directly into the dermis. When weakened masseter muscles fall slack, they may sag below the jawbone, pulling on the skin to create jowls. Often, these jowls disrupt jawline definition, yielding a droopy profile. When we overuse these muscles, they may grow bigger, creating a square jawline that yields a more masculine profile.
When our skilled injectors use Botox to target these concerns, the neurotoxin can relax the masseter muscles’ downward tension on the skin and reveal a slimmer profile.
Ease Painful Tension
Up to 5% of adults face pain stemming from conditions like TMJ. Often, this condition causes:
- Widespread facial, ear, or jaw pain
- Difficulty chewing
- A clicking sound when the jaw moves
- Lock jaw
When we deliver Botox injections precisely to the overactive masseter muscle, the neurotoxins stop the nerve signals that stimulate muscular contractions. By blocking this communication, the hyperactive muscle relaxes, resulting in less pain, clenching, grinding, and discomfort.
For many, this treatment does more than ease pain—it leads to improvements in everyday mood, enabling you to enjoy meals again and focus on the things that matter.
Maintaining Your Refreshed Results
After strategically placing a series of Botox injections according to your treatment plan, your provider will run through the post-care steps you can take to preserve your results. Typically, these guidelines include:
- Avoid touching or rubbing the injection sites.
- Apply a cold compress to manage mild swelling or discomfort if needed.
- Remain upright for the first 4 hours after your appointment to prevent unwanted formula migration.
- Sleep on your back (face-up) with your head elevated for the first 24 hours after your injections.
- Refrain from alcohol consumption and tobacco use for another 48 hours.
- Eat softer foods that require minimal chewing for at least 2 to 3 days.
- Continue to protect the treatment area with sunscreen.
Following your Botox injections, your provider can also schedule subsequent appointments. You can expect your muscle relaxation to last for 2 to 4 months. Many patients living with TMJ return every 3 to 6 months to continue managing their pain.
Plan Your Botox for a Difference You Can See and Feel
Feeling debilitated by chronic pain or dissatisfied with your appearance can steadily deteriorate your quality of life––but relief is possible. Partner with the expert injectors at Turkle & Associates to relax muscular tension with masseter Botox in Carmel.
Dive deeper into your aesthetic treatment options with Botox and learn how your provider’s expertise shapes your Botox experience.
