💡 Please check this first before reading

Q. Is it normal for the corners of the mouth to twist after cheekbone Botox?

A. No. For people whose side cheek muscles stand out when they smile,

if the injection depth and point are chosen incorrectly, the mouth corners can shift.

This is not a side effect, but the result of a poor choice.

Q. Isn't cheekbone Botox just injected into the masseter (jaw muscle)

only?

A. When the problem is the 'side' of the cheekbone,

muscles other than the masseter are involved.

Where and how deeply it is placed completely changes the result.

📌 Key point of this article

For people whose side cheek muscles stand out when they smile,

if cheekbone Botox is injected too superficially, the mouth corners can twist.

For these people, a long

needle that targets deeper layers should be used.

For people whose side cheekbones bulge up when they smile,

this is why it matters

When consulting about cheekbone Botox,

there's a question I get quite often.

"I got it somewhere else and my expression got a bit strange.

Why is that?"

There is something I always ask people like this,

"Does the area beside your cheekbone become firm and bulge when you smile?"

That one question almost narrows down the cause.

Several muscles pass through the side-cheek area in layers.

Among them, the ones that stand out when you smile are

the 'zygomaticus minor' and 'zygomaticus major' muscles,

in simple terms, they pull up the corners of the mouth

and make you smile.

As these muscles pass beside the cheekbone,

they can sometimes lie close to the surface.

But there's one important thing here.

When Botox is injected for cheekbone reduction,

if the needle used is short and inserted superficially,

the medication can spread to these smile muscles.

So what happens?

Because the muscles that lift the corners of the mouth weaken,

one side may rise less when smiling, or the mouth corners may subtly shift.

"My expression got weird" is exactly this case.

To be honest,

people like this should not have the standard cheekbone Botox protocol

applied as is.

For people whose side cheek muscles stand out when they smile,

the tissue layers are often arranged differently.

In these cases, with a longer needle,

you need to precisely target deeper layers.

In the deeper layer, the outer cheekbone

muscles (the upper masseter and the muscles below the cheekbone) must be directly targeted

to minimize the medication spreading to the surface smile muscles.

👨‍⚕️ Director Wi Young-jin's key summary

For people whose side cheekbones bulge when they smile,

the surface smile muscles are often close to the skin.

If cheekbone Botox is injected with a shallow needle in these people,

the mouth corners can shift.

In this case, you need to approach with a needle aimed at deeper layers

to reduce only cheekbone volume without changing facial expression.

Then what type am I,

and how can I tell?

There is a simple way to check.

Smile broadly in front of a mirror.

At that moment, if the side of the cheekbone, toward the area in front of the ear,

the muscle becomes firm, stands out, and bulges

I tell those people, "You need to change the needle."

The tricky part is,

you may think you're simply worried about having 'wide cheekbones,'

but depending on whether the cause is bone structure, muscle volume,

or a structure that stands out only when smiling,

Botox may work, or it may not.

Because Botox works on muscles,

it doesn't have much effect if the bone is large or the skin itself is thick.

It varies by case,

but I usually classify them like this.

① People whose cheekbones look prominent even at rest

→ Bone structure + upper masseter volume

are often involved together.

Reducing the upper masseter with Botox can refine the contour to some extent,

but there are limits for people whose bones protrude outward significantly.

② People who stand out only when smiling or tensing

→ This is exactly the case we've been talking about today.

Because their muscle activity is strong,

they tend to respond well to Botox.

But the point and depth must be set correctly.

③ People with a broad face, where the cheekbone area feels filled with 'flesh' rather than muscle

→ For these people, Botox alone usually has low satisfaction.

You need to consider other approaches as well.

A common misconception is,

cheekbone Botox is not a solution for every cheekbone concern.

It is quite effective for those who fit type 2,

and in such cases, I’ve often seen that after 3 to 4 weeks

the facial width measured at the philtrum

becomes noticeably more refined.

But the premise is 'the correct point, the correct depth.'

There's one thing I must mention

cheekbone Botox isn't always a good thing.

If the masseter or cheek muscles are left relaxed for a long time,

the muscles can shrink and the cheeks may sag.

People in their 40s or older, or those who naturally don't have much cheek volume,

need to consider this carefully.

However, these changes usually

show up mainly in people who have repeated Botox for years,

and it's uncommon for first-time users to sag dramatically

just from 1 or 2 sessions.

Still, you need to check the facial volume in advance

and determine whether it's appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How often should cheekbone Botox be injected?

A. The effect usually lasts about 3 to 6 months,

but if the goal is cheekbone reduction,

at first it's good to repeat it 2 to 3 times at 6-month intervals

to see how the muscles respond.

After that, many people extend the interval for maintenance.

Getting it frequently is not always the answer.

Q2. Do you see results immediately after cheekbone Botox?

A. No. Botox works as the muscles gradually relax,

so the volume decreases over time

and visible results appear about 3 to 4 weeks after the injection.

Quite a few people ask, "Why doesn't it change right away after I got it?",

This isn't like filler, which adds volume immediately,

but rather works by relaxing the muscle, so it takes time.

Q3. I was told Botox doesn't work on me

why is that?

A. There are two major possibilities.

One is that the cause isn't muscle to begin with,

but bone or skin thickness,

The other is when the injection point is wrong.

Some people said they had no effect even after multiple injections elsewhere,

but after getting it with a different point and depth,

they felt a change for the first time.

Before concluding that you're simply someone for whom it doesn't work,

you need to identify the cause first.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via KakaoTalk or phone.

This has been Wi Young-jin from Hongdae Beautystone Clinic.

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