A square or wide lower face can come from muscle, fat, bone or the parotid gland. At IN Eternity Clinic, Dr Sin Yong works out which before any injection is planned.
WhatsApp to Enquire →Key facts ↓A wide lower face is not always muscle. Fullness can sit in the jowl fat pads, the jaw bone can be naturally broad, and the parotid salivary gland in front of the ear can be enlarged. Each looks similar in a photograph and responds to different things.
At consultation Dr Sin Yong examines the face at rest and while you clench your teeth. A firm bulge at the angle of the jaw that hardens on clenching suggests the masseter. Softness that does not change points elsewhere. Where the picture is unclear, ultrasound can show the muscle’s thickness.
Where the masseter is the cause, a prescription muscle relaxant is injected into specific points of the muscle, avoiding nearby structures that control the smile. Over several weeks the muscle works less and slims.
It does not remove fat, reshape bone or treat the parotid gland. For lower-face fat, energy-based options such as the clinic’s Time Freeze Laser LCLR® protocol may be discussed instead; for bone width, the honest answer may be that injections will not help.
“A square jaw from muscle and a square jaw from bone look alike in a photo. Only one of them changes with an injection.”
Some people come because of jaw ache, worn teeth or morning tension from clenching. Masseter injections can reduce muscle activity, but grinding has several causes, including stress and bite problems. A dentist’s opinion, and a night guard where appropriate, may be part of the plan.
Only if a large masseter muscle is the main cause of width. Fat, bone or the parotid gland are not changed by muscle injections, so the cause is checked first.
The muscle slims gradually over several weeks. The result is reviewed at follow-up rather than judged in the first days.
It can reduce the force of clenching, but grinding has several causes. A dental assessment may also be recommended.
Injection points are chosen to avoid the muscles that control the smile. Chewing hard foods can feel weaker for a while; this is explained beforehand.
People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those with certain neuromuscular conditions, or with infection at the injection site. Your medical history is reviewed first.
The same group of prescription medicines is used, but for a different muscle and purpose. Forehead and frown lines are covered on the <a href="/wrinkles-prevention-btx/">anti-wrinkle page</a>.
IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, Singapore. By appointment with Medical Director Dr Sin Yong. WhatsApp or call +65 8815 3008.
These sources describe mechanisms and general evidence. They are not a promise of any individual result; suitability is decided at an in-person assessment.