Special-Area Botox

• Your mouth corners look turned down even at rest and people say you look sulky
• It bothers you that your nostrils flare widely when you smile
• You want to reduce only the movement, without surgery

If the downturned corners are due to sagging skin or loss of volume, Botox alone may not be enough. Reducing the actual size of the nostrils is a matter for surgery.

• 01

  Where you are now, and where we start

  The force pulling the mouth corners down, or how much the nostrils flare when you smile, and the surrounding muscles you use to talk and smile

• 02

  The change you want, the impression you keep

  Around the mouth corners, muscles used for speaking, eating and smiling are packed closely together, so we keep the injection area narrow to reach only the muscle that pulls downward.

• 03

  How it differs from similar options

  If wide nostrils are due to their natural shape rather than movement, Botox won’t change them, so we compare your nose at rest and when smiling.

• 04

  Health information and recovery schedule

  The mouth corners and nostrils sometimes move differently on each side to begin with, so before starting we check the left–right difference together with photos.

The smaller the muscle, the more the placement — rather than the amount — determines the result.

When the muscle that pulls the mouth corners down weakens, its balance with the muscles that lift the corners shifts, and the mouth can look less downturned. When the muscle that widens the nostrils weakens, the nostrils flare less when you laugh broadly or breathe in. Both muscles are small and close to the surrounding muscles, so a very small amount is placed precisely to keep the product from spreading sideways.

How it works

• 01

  Mouth corners — the pulling muscle

  A muscle running down from below the outer mouth corner toward the jaw drags the corners down. We locate the edge of this muscle by hand and inject only within it.

• 02

  Mouth corners — the muscle to avoid

  Just inside it is the muscle that lowers the lower lip; if the product reaches it, the shape of the lower lip can change when you speak or smile. That is why we keep the injection point toward the outside.

• 03

  Nostrils — the widening muscle

  A small muscle attached to the side of the nostril widens it sideways. We see how much the nostrils flare when you smile and place a small amount over that muscle.

• 04

  Start low for both

  In both areas, even a slight excess can show in your expression, so we start with a small amount and adjust at the next session after looking at the movement at 2 weeks.

1. 01

   Choosing the area

   After hearing about your expressions and concerns, we decide whether to treat the mouth corners or the nostrils.

2. 02

   Looking at movement

   We compare talking, smiling and resting to see left–right differences and the range of movement.

3. 03

   Start small and check

   A small amount is placed at the chosen points, and after about 2 weeks we look at the change in your expression.

What the procedure is like

• You can go about your day as usual on the same day.
• For a few hours after the injection, don’t rub or press the injection points.
• If talking or smiling feels unnatural within 2 weeks, let us know.

Safety & considerations

The muscles at the mouth corners and nostrils are small, so even slight spread of the product can show in your expression. That is why we start with a small amount; effect and duration vary from person to person.

1. Same day

   Tiny needle marks

   Redness or a small bruise may appear at the injection points.

2. A few days later

   Movement starts to soften

   You begin to feel the mouth corners being pulled less, or the nostrils flaring less.

3. About 2 weeks

   Checking your expression

   Around this time we check that nothing feels unnatural when you talk or smile.

4. 3–4 months

   Gradual return

   Muscle movement returns. (Results vary from person to person.)

Downturned mouth corners can be caused by both muscle and volume, so the two can be looked at together.

• Q. Will mouth corner Botox lift my mouth corners?

  It works by reducing the force that drags the corners down, so the mouth looks less downturned. It is not a treatment that pulls the corners upward, so it’s more accurate to expect a reduction in how downturned they look when your face is relaxed. The effect appears over a few days, and at about 2 weeks we check together that talking and smiling don’t feel awkward.

• Q. Will nostril Botox make my nostrils smaller?

  The size of the nostrils at rest stays the same. What this treatment does is reduce the sideways flaring of the nostrils when you smile or breathe deeply. Making the nostrils themselves smaller is a matter for surgery, so we first compare your nostrils at rest and when smiling to see whether this treatment fits.

• Q. Can I have the mouth corners and nostrils done at once?

  If you want both, we explain during the consultation whether they can be done on the same day and how. The two areas use different muscles, so they are marked separately and each starts with a small amount. Both are spots where even a slight excess shows in your expression, so after about 2 weeks we look at the movement and adjust the amount for the next session.

• Q. Won’t my pronunciation feel awkward afterwards?

  If the product from a mouth corner injection spreads to the lower lip muscle, some sounds or the shape of your smile may feel awkward for a while. This is why we keep the injection point narrow and toward the outside; if pronunciation matters for your work, please tell us in advance. This kind of change is temporary, and if talking or smiling feels awkward within 2 weeks, please let us know.

• Q. For downturned mouth corners, is filler or Botox better?

  If the area beside the mouth corners is hollow and shadowed when your face is relaxed, volume plays a larger part; if the corners are dragged down when you talk or smile, the muscle plays a larger part. During the examination we compare the two and tell you which to start with. Sometimes both play a part, and in that case we plan by looking at muscle and volume together.