Early treatment of the face with Botox was concentrated on the removal of the forehead wrinkles, the frown lines and the crows feet.

Now researchers are increasingly looking at the use of botox in the lower face.  One such usage is the injection of botox to improve the look of the jaw line, by playing on the opposing muscular forces on the muscles that drape the lower jaw.  This is known as the Nefertiti lift, after Nefertiti, an Egyptian queen of eons ago famed for her beauty and in this instance, her well defined jaw line.  With age, the platysma muscle complex which runs over the jaw drags down over the jaw line, causing a loss of the definition of the line and the formation of jowls.

The principle of the procedure is this: if you give a certain number of units of Botox into the muscle under each mandible, and to the upper part of the platysmal band, there is an immediate and visible release of the downward pull of the platysma muscle.  When followed 2 to 3 weeks after this procedure, one can notice an obvious re-contouring and elevation of the skin at the jaw line.

jawline before botox

As usual, the number of units used and the position and depth of injection of the toxin need to be carefully controlled, as excess or inappropriate placement of Botox can lead to side effects.  Known side effects are minor such as some difficulty swallowing, or some difficulty smiling normally.

jawline after botox