Temporalis botox and cheekbone botox in Suwon: how do they affect facial contour?
If your square jaw has slimmed down but the temples bulge and the upper part of your face looks wide, it helps to first check the temporalis. Temporalis botox is a treatment that places botulinum toxin in the temporalis, a chewing muscle that covers a wide area from the temples to the side of the head, to reduce contraction signals and, by making it less used, gradually reduce its volume.
Cheekbone botox does not reduce the cheekbone itself; it addresses the volume of muscles that stand out around the cheekbones. Prominent cheekbones are mostly due to bone structure, so both treatments are planned after first identifying whether the face looks wide because of bone, muscle, or fat. At the Suwon clinic, during consultation we first check the extent of the muscle that rises when you clench your teeth and the influence of bone and fat, then decide the area and method.
In this article, we go through how the temporalis and the muscles around the cheekbones affect facial contour, how to identify what makes the face look wide, when results appear and what is checked in consultation, aftercare, and side effects in order.
Temporalis botox key points
- The temporalis is a chewing muscle along with the masseter, so if you habitually clench your teeth, the temples may bulge.
- Cheekbone botox addresses the volume of muscles around the cheekbones, not the bone, so if the cause is bone, the change is small.
- Temporalis botox is a treatment for a large muscle, so a feeling of weakened strength comes first, and volume changes appear over several weeks.
- For faces where the temples are naturally hollow, reducing the temporalis can make the hollowness more noticeable, so this is considered carefully.
How do the temporalis and the muscles around the cheekbones affect facial contour?
The temporalis, together with the masseter beside the jaw, is a muscle used to chew food and close the mouth. If you have a habit of clenching your teeth or grinding them, the temporalis grows along with the masseter, so even after reducing the lower jaw with square jaw Botox, the bulge at the temples can remain and make the face look peanut-shaped.
The upper part of the masseter attaches below the side cheekbones, and the lower part of the temporalis attaches to the temple area above them. When these muscles are developed, the cheekbone line looks more prominent than the actual bone, and cheekbone Botox is injected into these muscles to reduce the prominence. Muscles that lift the corners of the mouth when smiling run near the front cheekbones, so the injection position and amount there are adjusted separately.
How do you tell whether a wide-looking face is caused by muscle or bone?
Even with the same wide contour, how much temporalis botox can change it differs greatly depending on the cause. The table below shows the criteria checked by touch in consultation.
| Cause | How it feels and looks | Methods reviewed alongside |
|---|---|---|
| Developed temporalis | The temples swell firmly when you clench your teeth | Temporalis botox |
| Developed masseter | The sides of the jaw stick out firmly when you bite down on your molars | Masseter botulinum toxin |
| Bone structure | The cheekbones remain firmly angular even when relaxed | Little change from botox |
| Fat | There is a lot of soft volume when pinched | Treatments that address fat |
For faces where the temples are naturally hollow, reducing the temporalis can make the hollowness more noticeable, and if the muscle thickness differs between left and right, the dose is also divided differently. The causes are often mixed, so muscle, bone, and fat are looked at together before deciding on a single treatment.
When do temporalis botox results show, and what is checked in consultation?
How results appear
The temporalis and masseter are large, thick muscles, so a feeling of weakened strength comes first and volume changes come later. Usually at around 1 to 2 weeks, you feel less force going into the temples when chewing, and as the period of reduced muscle use accumulates, changes in the temple and cheekbone lines are checked over several weeks. If the habit of clenching your teeth continues or you often chew tough foods, the muscle is used again quickly and the effect may last a shorter time.
What is checked in consultation at the Suwon clinic
While you repeatedly clench and relax your teeth, we check by hand where the muscle rises thickest, its extent, and the difference between left and right, and also look at whether your temples are naturally hollow and whether your cheekbones stand out because of bone. If your face also looks wide at the square jaw, we decide at this point whether to address the masseter as well, and if you get injections in several areas often, whether to consider a low-resistance formulation. Taking front and side photos, as well as photos while clenching, before treatment makes it easier to compare a few weeks later.
View special-area Botox treatment information
View masseter Botox treatment information
Aftercare for temporalis botox
- On the day of treatment, do not rub or press the injection sites hard.
- For a few days, avoid heavy drinking, smoking, saunas and jjimjilbang, hot baths, and intense exercise.
- For a while, avoid massage or meridian massage that presses hard on the temples and cheekbones.
- Cut back on chewy or hard foods and the habit of chewing gum for long periods.
After temporalis botox, the muscle needs to be used less for the volume change to continue, so if you habitually clench your teeth, it may help to get into the habit of keeping your lips closed and your teeth slightly apart during the day. The timing of the next treatment is decided in consultation by feeling how much the muscle has returned when you clench.
Side effects and precautions of temporalis botox
Common reactions after temporalis botox are small raised bumps at the injection sites, needle marks, and mild bruising and swelling, and most settle soon. For a few days, the temples or jaw may feel stiff or you may feel less force when chewing, and the degree of reaction varies from person to person.
Rarely, as the temporalis shrinks, the temples may look hollow, or medication placed around the cheekbones may spread to the smiling muscles and make your smile look asymmetrical. The risk is greater if your temples are naturally hollow or the muscle is thin, and these changes return as the effect wears off. Please tell us before treatment if you have a neuromuscular disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have ever had a hypersensitivity reaction to botulinum toxin, or are taking antibiotics that affect muscle signals.
If swallowing or speaking becomes uncomfortable, your eyelids droop, or the injection sites keep getting more swollen and painful, please contact the clinic right away.
What is checked before temporalis botox?
In these cases, start by checking the cause of your facial contour
- Your temples rise firmly when you clench your teeth.
- The upper part of your face still looks wide even after square jaw botox.
- You tend to clench your teeth during the day or grind them in your sleep.
- Your cheekbones look prominent, but you do not know whether it is because of bone or muscle.
If two or more apply, it is best to first check whether the cause of the wide appearance is muscle, bone, or fat before deciding on botox. Whether to treat, the method, and the area are decided together in consultation after a physician's examination.
In short, temporalis botox and cheekbone botox address muscle volume, not bone, so the key is to first identify whether the cause is muscle and to manage it together with your chewing habits.
FAQ
Q. Are temporalis Botox and temple Botox the same procedure?
A. The muscle at the temples is the temporalis, so the terms are used to refer to the same area. However, the extent of change differs depending on whether the bulge at the temples is due to muscle or to the natural shape of bone or fat, so this is checked first in consultation.
Q. Will cheekbone Botox make my cheekbones smaller?
A. The bone does not shrink. This treatment reduces the volume of muscles that stand out around the cheekbones, so if the cause of prominent cheekbones is bone structure, the change from botox is small, and other methods are reviewed together in consultation.
Q. Where is side cheekbone Botox injected?
A. Injections go into muscle sites that stand out when you clench, such as the upper part of the masseter below the side cheekbones or the temporalis at the upper temples. The exact position and amount are decided by directly feeling the muscle while you repeatedly clench and relax, and if there is a difference between left and right, the amounts are divided differently.
Q. When do the effects of temporalis Botox appear?
A. With temporalis botox, a feeling of less force going into the temples when chewing comes first at around 1 to 2 weeks, and changes in the temple line are checked over several weeks as the period of reduced muscle use accumulates. The timing and degree vary from person to person.
Q. Can I get square jaw botox and temporalis botox together?
A. Yes, you can have them on the same day, and if you habitually clench your teeth, both the masseter and the temporalis are checked. In that case, the total dose given at once and the interval to the next treatment are planned together, and the time to check for change in each area is also decided together.
Q. How can I find out the cost of temporalis botox?
A. The cost depends on the area, formulation, and dose. We confirm in consultation whether you want only the temples or also the area around the cheekbones or the square jaw before giving you details, and items by area can also be found on the treatment information page.
This content is provided as general treatment information and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a medical professional to decide whether and how to proceed with a treatment.