Corner-of-mouth Botox,

how much does it actually lift?

These days, people going around without masks

have noticeably increased.

As the whole face is now visible,

and since no face is perfectly symmetrical,

for various reasons,

the way the corners of the mouth look droopy at rest

suddenly starts to bother you—

this is often that kind of time.

Today, I’ll give you

a complete guide to corner-of-mouth Botox.

I’ll start by bringing up

the questions I get asked most often.

Q. Corner-of-mouth Botox—

is it effective for drooping

mouth corners at rest?

A. Yes, it is.

However, how much they lift

depends on each person’s muscle condition.

I’ll explain this part in detail in the main text.

If done too strongly,

facial expressions can become unnatural.

Q. After the procedure, can it look unnatural,

or make your smile

look strange?

A. If the dose is well controlled, it looks natural.

But if the dose is excessive,

your expression may look awkward.

I’ll definitely cover this point too.

Q. How long does the effect last?

A. In my experience, usually 3–4 months.

With repeated treatments,

it can gradually last a bit longer.

And, don’t overdo it!

Why the corners of the mouth look droopy:

it’s because of muscles

Mouth corners turning downward

generally come from two main causes.

1. The muscle called DAO (Depressor Anguli Oris),

which pulls the mouth corners downward, is overactive

1. As cheek fat sags,

support around the mouth corners decreases

What corner-of-mouth Botox targets

is exactly #1: the DAO muscle.

When Botox is injected into this muscle,

the downward pulling force decreases,

and the muscles that lift the mouth corners

become relatively dominant.

This is a common misunderstanding:

corner-of-mouth Botox is not a procedure

that "forcibly lifts" the mouth corners.

It reduces the downward force

to naturally rebalance things,

so for people whose mouth corners are already quite lifted,

the effect may not feel very dramatic.

On the other hand, for people whose mouth corners

bend downward a lot when expressionless,

and who often hear comments like

"you always look angry" or "you look tired,"

the perceived effect

tends to feel much greater.

As for where and how it is injected,

to explain simply:

the injection point is slightly below the mouth corner,

along the area where the DAO muscle runs.

Injecting about 1–2 points per side

is typical.

If the placement is too superficial, the effect is insufficient,

and if too deep or too broad,

nearby muscles may also be affected, causing

asymmetry when smiling,

or an unnatural

mouth shape.

Especially if it spreads to the orbicularis oris (around the mouth)

or to the zygomatic muscles,

it may lead to side effects where

the smile itself looks awkward.

Dose is important too.

If too much is injected,

overall strength of the mouth-corner muscles can drop,

so one side may not lift when smiling,

and in rare cases pronunciation can become slurred.

I usually start with a small amount first,

then decide whether to add more

after checking the response at 2 weeks.

Director Wi Young-jin’s practical note:

For corner-of-mouth Botox,

it’s no exaggeration to say

dose and placement are everything.

Too little effect is a problem,

but too strong is also problematic.

In my experience, among first-time visitors,

quite a few come in after getting overtreated elsewhere,

and

say that only one mouth corner won’t lift when smiling,

or that their mouth shape while speaking

feels awkward.

In such cases, the only option is to wait

until the Botox wears off,

so the initial dose setting is truly important.

No matter how good the Botox product is,

if placement and dose are wrong,

it’s hard to get the desired result.

To summarize the effect honestly

I’ve rarely seen anyone

say there was absolutely no effect.

But this is also a treatment where people who say

"it changed dramatically" and those who say

"maybe there’s a difference…" coexist.

That difference

depends on whether the cause of drooping mouth corners

is a DAO muscle issue or cheek sagging

.

Judging only from photos without consultation

to decide "Will Botox work?"

has limitations.

You need to observe actual muscle movement

and identify which muscle is the main cause

to suggest an appropriate approach.

Before and after the procedure,

please follow just these

The procedure itself finishes in about 5 minutes.

There are few injection points and shallow skin depth,

so bruising or swelling is usually

less than Botox in other areas.

1. On the day of treatment, do not

rub or massage the area aggressively.

1. After treatment, it’s best not to lie down for 4–6 hours.

Botox can spread.

1. Effects usually begin to appear within 3–7 days,

and settle in by 2 weeks.

1. If there isn’t as much change as desired even after 2 weeks,

that’s the right time to decide on additional injection.

Since the duration is usually 3–4 months,

for those wanting semi-permanent effects,

the downside is that ongoing maintenance is needed.

Still, with repeated treatments,

muscles gradually atrophy,

so the effect duration tends

to increase over time.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. If I get corner-of-mouth Botox,

won’t my smile

look weird?

A. If the dose is properly adjusted, it looks natural.

However, if over-injected or placed incorrectly,

one corner may lift less when smiling,

or the expression may look asymmetric.

For first treatment, start with a small dose,

and checking response after 2 weeks is safest.

Q2. Corner-of-mouth filler vs Botox—

what’s the difference?

A. Botox works by reducing

the force of muscles pulling downward,

while filler adds volume to the mouth-corner area

to lift it physically.

If the cause is a muscle issue, Botox;

if it’s volume loss or deep-set wrinkles,

filler is often more suitable.

Sometimes both are combined.

Q3. Corner-of-mouth Botox,

how much does it cost?

A. It varies by clinic,

and also differs by product used.

As it is a non-covered item, there is no publicly fixed price,

but if you contact us via KakaoTalk first,

we’ll guide you.

If you have any questions,

feel free to message us on KakaoTalk.

You can ask before visiting as well.

This was Wi Young-jin.

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