📚 Framing Your Face · Series Table of Contents

• 1. Understanding Facial Margin

  • 1.1 Self-Diagnosis for Facial Margin

• 2. Margin Created by Muscles

  • 2.1 Masseter & Temporalis Botox

  • 2.2 Salivary Gland Botox

• 3. Margin Created by Fat

  • 3.1 Sagging Fat & Ultherapy

  • 3.2 Fat Dissolving Injections

• 4. Designing Your Margin

  • 4.1 The Order of Designing Margin (Current Post)

If you've read this far, you might have already guessed. It is rare for facial margin to be caused by just one factor—whether it is solely muscle, skin sagging, or fat. For most people, it's a combination of two or three of these elements.

That is why what actually transforms your impression is often not "what treatment you get," but "the order in which you address them."

In short, facial margin is usually a mix of muscles, sagging, and fat. It is safest to lift the sagging foundation first, reduce muscle volume next, and finally tidy up localized fat.

Why doesn't my impression change if I only address one thing?

When you have multiple overlapping causes for facial margin, addressing only one might improve that specific spot, but your overall impression can still feel somewhat unresolved.

For example, if you have large chewing muscles but also some sagging, and you only reduce the muscle with Botox, your jawline will look slimmer, but your sagging cheeks might stand out even more. Conversely, if you only lift the sagging skin but leave the developed muscles alone, the muscle volume remains in its lifted position, cutting the treatment's effectiveness in half.

That is why in my practice, before deciding on a single procedure, I look at the composition of the margin first: what percentage is muscle, sagging, and fat.

The recommended order starts with sagging

When these factors are mixed, there is a generally recommended sequence of treatments.

* SMAS: This is the fascial layer below the skin that wraps around the muscles. When it becomes lax, facial tissue sags downward. It is the very foundation of framing your face.

* Deoxycholic Acid (DCA): An ingredient that breaks down fat. It is the only component approved by the MFDS (Korean FDA) for fat reduction.

The reason we address sagging first is because it is the foundation. If you try to remove fat while leaving sagging skin untreated, there is nothing left to support the area, which can make it look even more sunken. Lying down a firm foundation with lifting, followed by reducing muscle volume, and finishing by contouring the remaining localized fat is the most reliable approach.

For instance, if someone has both large chewing muscles and double chin fat, we typically reduce the muscle first with Botox to define the contour framework, and then clean up the remaining fat. Conversely, if sagging is deep, we start with a non-surgical facelift first and then layer other treatments on top. Rather than a rigid rule, this order is about recognizing what serves as the foundation and what serves as the finishing touch.

What can be done together and what should be spaced out

Having a proper sequence doesn't mean you have to wait several months between every single treatment.

• Ultherapy (Sagging) + Botox (Muscle) target different layers of the tissue, so they can absolutely be performed on the same day. You can lift the foundation and reduce muscle volume at the same time.

• Fat Dissolving Injections can cause swelling or bruising for a few days, so patients often prefer to schedule these on a separate day.

Of course, every case is unique. We decide whether to combine or separate treatments based on your skin condition and recovery pace. Rather than trying to do everything at once out of eagerness, adjusting the steps progressively delivers the cleanest, most natural results.

The timing of when results appear also plays a role in the sequence. For Ultherapy, changes happen gradually over two to three months as collagen builds up, and Botox also takes a few weeks for the volume to visibly reduce. Therefore, letting the results of one treatment settle slightly before adding the next step allows us to monitor exactly what is working and how much of it is taking effect.

Ultimately, start with what is most prominent

It might seem complex, but the guiding principle is simple: start with the factor that stood out most during your self-diagnosis.

If you clench your teeth and find hard muscle is the most noticeable, start with Botox. If your face looks significantly slimmer when you lie down, prioritize sagging. If pinchable fat concerns you the most, address localized fat first. After that, you can clean up the remaining margin in order.

By identifying the root cause first, you can avoid unnecessary treatments. Even for the same concern, the approach differs depending on the cause, so looking at the composition of your facial margin first is the smartest way to save both time and money, rather than blindly following popular trends. You don't have to do everything all at once.

The starting point is always the same: identifying for yourself where your facial margin is coming from. Once we pinpoint the culprit, the path naturally clears: Botox for muscles, Ultherapy for sagging, and fat-dissolving injections for localized fat. And if they are mixed, we design a step-by-step approach starting with the sagging foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What happens if I don't follow this order? Will it not work?

It's not that there will be absolutely no effect, but if you remove fat while leaving sagging skin as it is, the area can appear more hollow. Lifting the foundation first ensures a much more balanced and stable result.

Q. Do I need to get all three treatments?

No, not at all. If your self-diagnosis points to only one prominent factor, that single treatment is more than enough. We only combine them in sequence when multiple causes are overlapping.

Q. I'm worried it might be too expensive.

There is no need to perform everything at once. You can take it step-by-step, starting with the most prominent factor. Pinpointing the root cause and doing only what is genuinely necessary is actually much more cost-effective.

Further Reading

• Juvelook Trio — Elegance, Volume, & Skin: What’s the Difference?

• Radiesse — A Collagen Booster for Instant, Natural-Looking Volume

• The Price of Ultherapy 600 Shots: 3 Reasons Why a Custom Design Matters More Than a Cheap Deal

• Nasolabial Fillers vs. Fat Dissolving: Why Doing Only One Can Make the Fold Look Deeper