Mouth-corner Botox in Suwon: how drooping mouth corners are lifted and how it differs from filler

If people say you look angry or tired even when you are just resting and your mouth line bothers you, it is worth first checking whether the drooping of your mouth corners is caused by muscle or by volume. Mouth-corner Botox is a treatment that injects a small amount of botulinum toxin into the depressor anguli oris, the muscle that pulls the corners of the mouth down, to reduce that downward pull.

It does not forcibly lift the corners of the mouth; instead, it adjusts muscle strength so that the balance between the muscles that raise and lower the mouth corners shifts upward. It addresses a different cause from filler, which fills hollow areas, so when both are present, we sometimes plan them together. At our Suwon clinic, during consultation we first look at the movement of your mouth corners at rest, when smiling, and when speaking, then decide on the area and method.

In this article, we outline in order why the corners of the mouth droop, the difference between mouth-corner Botox and filler, how Botox works and the process, recovery care, and side effects.

Mouth-corner Botox: key points

• The corners of the mouth look droopy when the muscle that lowers them is strong, elasticity around the mouth decreases, or volume is lost.
• Mouth-corner Botox is a treatment that reduces the strength of the depressor anguli oris to shift the muscle balance upward.
• For a mouth line that droops because muscle pulls it down, we focus on Botox; for one shadowed by hollowing, we focus on filler.
• Changes appear over several days and settle around 2 weeks, lasting 2 to 3 months on average, like wrinkle Botox.

Why do the corners of the mouth droop?

There is more than one reason mouth corners droop. If the muscle that lowers the mouth corners is especially strong, or if you use it often because of a habit of pressing your lips tightly together, the corners point downward even at a young age.

With age, the skin around the mouth loses elasticity and cheek fat descends, placing weight beside the corners of the mouth. When volume around the mouth is lost, marionette lines form from the corners of the mouth toward the chin, making the shadow look deeper.

That is why we look in turn at the height of the mouth corners at rest, how much each side rises when you smile, and whether the shadow disappears when the area beside the mouth corner is supported by hand. Looking at these three helps estimate which of Botox, filler, and lifting to focus on.

What is the difference between mouth-corner Botox and mouth-corner filler?

Both treatments address the mouth line, but they act on different targets. The table below compares the two treatments by principle and timing.

If only filler is placed in mouth corners that droop because muscle pulls them, the angle remains unchanged, and if only Botox is given for shadows caused by lost volume, the hollow remains visible. When both causes are present, we sometimes plan them together on the same day, reducing the pulling force with Botox and filling the hollow with filler, and if cheek flesh has descended and made the area around the mouth heavy, we also discuss lifting.

How does mouth-corner Botox work, and how is it performed?

How mouth-corner Botox works and where it is injected

Around the mouth, the muscles that raise the corners and the muscles that lower them pull in opposite directions. When Botox blocks the nerve signal to the lowering muscle, that muscle's strength decreases, and as the strength of the raising muscle becomes relatively more apparent, the tips of the mouth corners drop less.

Right next to the depressor anguli oris is the muscle that lowers the lower lip, so if the drug spreads inward, the movement of the lower lip may feel awkward when you smile. That is why we inject small doses in divided amounts at a spot below and outside the mouth corners, close to the jawline, and adjust the amount to match the difference in muscle strength between the left and right sides. When the chin wrinkles into a bumpy texture, we sometimes also inject small divided amounts into the chin muscle.

Treatment steps at our Suwon clinic

1. Personalized Consultation
2. Numbing Cream
3. Design
4. Disinfection
5. Treatment

Mouth-corner Botox is performed as wrinkle Botox; the treatment takes about 10 minutes, and you can return to daily life right away. The effect lasts 2 to 3 months on average depending on how much you use your facial expressions and your lifestyle, and if you want to maintain it, we consult based on a schedule of receiving it again at 3- to 4-month intervals. Whether to treat the mouth corners alone or plan them with other wrinkle areas, lip volume filler, or mouth-corner filler is decided after looking at the mouth area as a whole.

View Wrinkle Botox Procedure Information

Recovery and care after mouth-corner Botox

• You can wash your face and wear makeup from 2 to 3 hours after the treatment.
• For 3–7 days after treatment, avoid heavy drinking, smoking, saunas and jjimjilbang, hot baths, and strenuous exercise to prevent inflammation.
• Do not rub the injected area hard, and avoid intense massage or meridian massage for a month.
• The bumpy swelling at the injection points subsides within 2 to 3 hours, though depending on the skin it may last 1 to 2 days.

Around 2 weeks, when the effect settles, we look at your mouth line again and check whether any left-right difference remains. If the habit of pressing your lips tightly together continues, the effect may feel shorter, so it is good to also build the habit of being aware of your mouth and relaxing it in daily life.

Mouth-corner Botox side effects and precautions

Mild bruising, swelling, and redness at the injection site may occur depending on skin condition, but they are usually slight and soon fade. The degree and duration of reactions and how much the mouth line changes vary from person to person.

Rarely, if the drug spreads to neighboring muscles, your mouth may look awkward or uneven when you smile, or the lower lip may weaken so that your speech slurs or you dribble when drinking water. These changes return as the drug wears off, but it can take several weeks to several months, and rubbing the injection site hard right after the treatment increases the risk of the drug spreading. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a neuromuscular disease, or are taking certain antibiotics, please let us know before the treatment.

If you have difficulty closing your lips, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath, or slurred speech, please contact the clinic right away.

What should I check before mouth-corner Botox?

If these apply to you, start by checking the muscles at the corners of your mouth

• I am often told I look angry or tired when my face is at rest.
• I have a habit of pressing my lips tightly together, and the tips of my mouth corners point downward.
• When I smile, one corner of my mouth rises less than the other.
• Even when I support the area beside my mouth corners by hand, the angle bothers me more than the shadow.

If two or more apply, before choosing filler or lifting, it is best to first check the strength of the muscle that lowers the mouth corners. Whether to proceed, the method, and the scope are decided together in consultation after the medical team examines you.

In short, the key with mouth-corner Botox is to first determine whether the cause of drooping is muscle, inject a small dose in the precise spot, and look at both sides again around 2 weeks.

FAQ

Q. When will I see the effect of mouth-corner Botox?

A. Over several days, the change in which the mouth corners drop less appears, and it often settles around 2 weeks. Even if a slight left-right difference is visible before then, we wait until 2 weeks, then examine again to judge whether any difference remains.

Q. How long does mouth-corner Botox last?

A. It lasts about 2 to 3 months on average and may be shorter if you have a habit of pressing your lips tightly together or have strong muscles. If you want to maintain it, we consult based on a schedule of receiving it again at 3- to 4-month intervals, and the interval is decided based on how much the effect has worn off.

Q. Will my expression look awkward when I smile?

A. We inject small doses in divided amounts below and outside the mouth corners so they do not reach the muscles used for smiling. However, if the drug spreads inward, it may feel awkward, so at first we set the injection points and dose conservatively and watch the progress.

Q. Can I get mouth-corner Botox and filler on the same day?

A. When drooping from muscle pull and hollow shadows are both present, they are sometimes done on the same day. However, because the two areas are close, swelling and bruising may overlap, so we check whether you have an important event coming up soon and decide the order and dates together in consultation.

Q. Do men get mouth-corner Botox too?

A. The concern that one's resting face looks stiff arises regardless of gender. Men tend to have thicker muscles around the mouth, so we first check muscle strength and left-right differences at rest and when smiling, and set the dose and injection points separately to match.

Q. How can I find out the cost of mouth-corner Botox?

A. The cost depends on the product, number of areas, and whether you also receive filler. We guide you after deciding in consultation whether to treat only the mouth corners or combine them with other wrinkle areas, and you can also check the package for each item on the treatment information page.