Beyond Wrinkles: Discover Surprising Benefits of BOTOX® for Trap Muscles, Facial Slimming, and Chin Dimpling
January 17, 2024
Most people know that BOTOX is the go-to solution for frown lines and crow’s feet. But…
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Mabrie Facial Institute
166 Geary Street
Floor 1300
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 445-9513
Text/SMS: (866) 618-9459
Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
If you have a round face shape, you may be wondering how to slim your face and add definition. Celebrities with round faces may have face slimming surgery—procedures like buccal fat removal—but that’s a drastic step, and one most facial plastic surgeons don’t recommend. That facial fat is precious, and you’re going to want it when you’re older.
At MFI in San Francisco, we use BOTOX and filler to augment the cheekbones and refine the chin and jaw to create a more elongated, angular facial appearance.
We want to slim bottom-heavy cheeks using a neuromodulator, such as BOTOX. This makes the face appear less round and subtly makes the cheekbones pop.
If an enlarged masseter muscle is contributing to your lower face fullness, we inject a neuromodulator (BOTOX, Dysport®, or XEOMIN®) into the muscle to weaken it. The muscle then shrinks, resulting in a more V-shaped face. For many people, this also helps symptoms of TMJ.
We use filler to go in and add volume and definition to the cheekbones. When combined with masseter BOTOX, this ensures the most prominent part of your cheek is your gorgeous, lifted cheekbone, not the bottom of the cheek.
We use filler to build and sculpt the chin and elongate and contour a round face. The chin needs to be evaluated in multiple planes (height, width, projection) and overall shape. Depending on your goals, we either sculpt it to appear more feminine and v-line or stronger and more chiseled and angular.
By creating a well-defined, streamlined jaw, we more clearly separate the face from the neck. This helps frame the face from multiple angles and adds shape to the face, making it less round. It can also improve jowling, which can make the face look rounder and bottom-heavy.
You don’t have to be overweight to have a double chin. This is an area where many people store fat, and that can make your face look even rounder. We use an injectable product called KYBELLA to melt the fat beneath your chin (submental fat) for a sleeker contour. Chin filler for a small or under-projected chin can also improve the appearance of a double chin.
At MFI in San Francisco, BOTOX and filler to contour a round face is priced based on the areas treated and how much product is used. This includes your first appointment and the neuromodulators and fillers used, as well as your second appointment. If additional syringes are needed, those are priced at a discount.
We also offer facial slimming with BOTOX as a standalone treatment. Please visit our dedicated pricing page for the most current cost information.
Once your face contour is exactly how you want it, you’ll enter into the maintenance phase of treatment. This means you only need to come in about every 9 to 12 months for filler touch-ups, which require significantly less filler than your initial treatment. Neuromodulator touch-ups should be scheduled every 3 to 6 months.
Qualified borrowers may be eligible for 0% financing for 6 to 12 months through CareCredit and Alphaeon medical financing.
MFI focuses exclusively on injectables, and has set the bar in the art and science of fillers for more than 15 years. Dr. Mabrie, trained as a facial plastic surgeon, has dedicated thousands of hours to carefully selecting and training our talented Injectors in the most innovative, effective, and safe techniques for injectables. There is no other practice in the Bay Area with the level of experience, education, and passion for injectables you'll find at MFI.
Schedule MeYou may have inherited what some people call a “baby face”—a round face shape with soft features. Some hereditary factors that contribute to a round face include:
In essence, a round face or “baby face” lacks the sleek contour that can create a sophisticated, mature look.
The masseters are the large facial muscles toward the back of each side of the jaw. They are the main muscles used in clenching the jaw. If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw, you may have overdeveloped masseter muscles.
With time, fat breaks down, collagen production slows, and facial ligaments lose their elasticity. This results in volume loss and tissue descent (sagging). As the face ages, a once oval or heart-shaped face may become more round as jowls form and volume shifts to the lower cheek, jaw, and neck.
Contouring a round face shape with BOTOX and/or filler starts with a thorough consultation at our stunning San Francisco office. Your Injector first has a candid discussion with you to establish your aesthetic goals and expectations. Afterward, we take professional-level photographs of your cheeks, chin, and jawline from all angles. We utilize these photos at every visit to identify your concerns and monitor your progress. Using both the photos and an in-person examination we map out a customized treatment plan tailored to your anatomy and goals.
Please plan to spend about 2 to 3 hours in the office for your first visit, which includes consultation, prep, treatment, pre- and post-treatment photography, aftercare education, and scheduling your next appointment. The injections themselves only take a few minutes and cause minimal discomfort.
Neuromodulators like BOTOX are injected using a very fine needle into the masseter muscle. The product blocks nerve signals to the muscle, and over approximately 4 to 10 days, the muscle relaxes. It takes about 30 days for visible results to emerge.
Cheek, chin, and jawline filler is administered using a blunt-tipped microcannula, which improves comfort and reduces bruising. Your Injector eases the flexible cannula under the skin to inject the filler precisely where it’s needed. We carefully select the products we use, choosing different consistencies for different contouring effects.
Our skilled Injectors place cheek fillers along the zygoma (cheekbone) to shape and form the outer cheekbone prominence along the upper midface. If filler is placed too low on the face, it can create a bottom-heavy appearance.
For the chin, the filler is placed in the different areas to build, layer, sculpt, and contour the lower face. The amount, location, type, and depth of filler are modified according to your desired results. We may use a combination of fillers and place them in locations including just under the skin, under the muscle, or on the underlying bone. Sometimes we use neuromodulator injections on the mentalis muscle to relax it and allow for increased projection.
When contouring the anterior jawline, our skilled Injectors place filler just beneath the skin (subcutaneous) to build and sculpt a more youthful jawline. For the mandibular angle, we place the filler just under the skin and directly on the bone to increase the prominence of the angle.
If we’re treating a double chin with KYBELLA, each treatment session typically includes 20 to 30 injections. Your Injector marks a detailed grid on your skin showing the specific injection sites. A topical anesthetic is applied to help maintain your comfort during the treatment.
If your BOTOX for face slimming was combined with fillers, you’ll return in 1 to 3 months for filler refinements. For facial slimming alone, you’ll want to return for a touch-up when results begin to fade in about 6 months.
At your second appointment, we carefully evaluate the new contours of your cheeks, chin, and jawline. Since all swelling has subsided, we can see clearly where we need to layer on more filler for optimal contours. We are careful not to place too much filler at the first appointment because it can tend to pool or spread. The second appointment is our opportunity to build and “stack” more filler onto the foundation laid at the first appointment. This is how we achieve the amazing definition and contours our patients love.
With KYBELLA for a double chin, most patients begin seeing results after 2 to 4 treatment sessions, spaced about a month apart. Up to 6 treatment sessions may be needed to achieve the optimal results. Because KYBELLA destroys the fat cells, they can no longer store or accumulate fat, meaning KYBELLA is considered a permanent treatment.
For more about what to expect, visit Your Treatment Timeline.
For the best experience, follow these tips in advance of your appointment:
Some common injection-related reactions may occur, such as swelling, bruising, pain, itching, discoloration, and tenderness at the injection site. These are normal side effects and are most apparent 24 to 48 hours after treatment. They can last up to 2 weeks but typically subside within 2 to 5 days. Most patients return to their routine activities the same day.
Because we know you have questions about your recovery process, we created an entire page dedicated to BOTOX and dermal filler aftercare.
No! You can have the benefit of slimming the face with or without weight loss. Facial slimming and contouring can give the appearance of a 5 to 10 lb weight loss (no gym required)! As a matter of fact, many patients find that after facial slimming treatments, they are more motivated to achieve their fitness goals. Losing weight won’t have an adverse effect on your filler results, either. So hit the gym all you like!
Neurotoxin results typically last 3 to 6 months. Our preferred fillers are JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC and RADIESSE®. RADIESSE lasts up to 1 year with touch-ups at 6-month intervals, and JUVÉDERM VOLUMA XC results can last up to 2 years. For patients who desire short-term results, Dr. Mabrie offers fillers such as Restylane® Lyft, which last up to 6 months with touch-ups at 3-month intervals. To learn more, read our blog post on the longevity of fillers.
Most of the fillers we use for cheek, chin, and jawline enhancement are hyaluronic acid-based. This means they are reversible with an injectable enzyme called Hylenex®, meaning we can reduce or erase your results if you change your mind. RADIESSE cannot be dissolved, and results from neuromodulators like BOTOX will start to fade in about 3 months.
At Mabrie Facial Institute, we say it only takes a few millimeters to make a huge difference in the face you show to the world. Take a look at our gallery to see more of our patients’ dramatic facial transformations. If you’d like to learn more about how injectables can take your face from baby to bombshell, get in touch! Contact us online or call us at (415) 445-9513.