Botox Jaw Reduction
Conveniently located to serve Dallas and Plano, TX
One treatment that is oftentimes unknown by the general public is Botox used to reduce or slim one’s face, which at the same time can be used to improve TMJ pain, clicking, or locking. Dr. Lam specializes in this type of treatment and has multiple patients fly in every week for this procedure. He wrote a textbook on this subject in 2004 along with multiple shorter manuscripts and has been featured in the New York Times and various news programs regarding his technique. Many patients who have been elsewhere experience a vast difference with Dr. Lam’s method in terms of safety, results, and painlessness.
There are two principal reasons to perform Botox in the lower outer face: to slim the face and to improve TMJ pain. In many cases, individuals seek both benefits, and the procedure will improve both problems simultaneously. Why address the width of the face? Dr. Lam uses this technique in individuals with wide faces to make them look slimmer. In addition, as we age, our lower face starts to become increasingly wider and heavier, taking away from our youth and attractiveness. Botox in the masseter muscle (lower outer face) can help to bring attention back to the eyes and away from the jawline. Even though the results are very powerful, almost no one will detect that you had it done because the slimming effect occurs slowly over 6 weeks. Dr. Lam encourages his in-town patients to return at 6 weeks for photographic review and to show you the benefits of your treatment. Also, a very heavy jawline can masculinize a face, so many women seek not only to look slimmer but also more attractive, as Botox can be used to soften facial features. Interestingly, about 30% of Dr. Lam’s patients are men who suffer from TMJ and also who have a heavy and wide lower face that they would like improved.
Dr. Lam’s technique is truly unique in its accuracy and painlessness. Because this is a higher dose of Botox, it is important that the treatment be performed with absolute precision. When you undergo treatment with Dr. Lam you will experience how elaborate and precise his marking procedure is to ensure an accurate result. His first two years of practice he encountered results that were far from excellent but in the past 13 years has not seen these kind of aberrant outcomes due to significant clinical experience and precise application of Botox. In addition, when people have received treatment elsewhere they are usually quite surprised that Dr. Lam’s vibratory technique is absolutely painless. You should not be able to feel any needles injected even with no numbing cream of any kind. It also takes a few seconds to perform and typically has no discernible recovery period.
Temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) pain can lead to headaches, clicking, popping, pain, and facial widening. Many patients’ symptoms are so severe that their daily quality of life is greatly impacted. Although facial slimming takes a few weeks to be evident, many TMJ sufferers feel relief very quickly within days to a week or so. Obviously, the treatment could also benefit dental health since the strain from clenching and grinding can be offset by weakening the muscle. However, it is important to seek counsel from a dentist for such concerns, as Dr. Lam is not a dental specialist.
It is extremely important to inject Botox accurately at the right level. Going too far forward can affect one’s speech, as a recent Korean paper has reported. In addition, placing Botox in the precise level and distribution is critical for optimal results. Dr. Lam injects Botox at the maximal curvature of the muscle, where there is an interface of three sleeves of the masseter muscle. This area has the maximal pull on the bone that causes both muscle hypertrophy (excessive muscle growth) and related bone hypertrophy (excessive bone growth). Why bone hypertrophy? When the muscle pulls on the bone, the bone also enlarges as a consequence making the entire complex enlarged.
The parotid gland is also adjacent and overlies these structures and can also be contoured with Botox. The parotid gland produces saliva but Dr. Lam has never observed any dry mouth in individuals who undergo this procedure. The parotid gland can also account for facial widening and Dr. Lam at times targets elements of facial width by reducing the corresponding area of parotid excess. He can do so safely and effectively and can discuss with you how this part of the procedure applies to you.
A question has arisen whether bone reduction surgery is a viable alternative. In Dr. Lam’s opinion, the problem with this surgery, which he trained to do in Korea, is too invasive, having increased risk and prolonged recovery. In addition, cutting the jawbone can lead to a jaw shape that looks like an animal, i.e., unnatural in appearance. In addition, it fails to address the parotid and the masseter muscle sufficiently in Dr. Lam’s opinion. Dr. Lam has injected patients with Botox who already had undergone bony reduction elsewhere because their face did not achieve what they desired.
The natural question is how safe is this procedure? In Dr. Lam’s hands, it is very safe. He has been performing this procedure for over 15 years and has not had any long-term problems with it, only long-term successes where TMJ and facial slimming have progressively improved over time. That then prompts the question of how long it lasts. Typically, the first treatment lasts approximately 6 months. If one is grinding and clenching then it may not last longer than that period unless the habit is broken (which Botox can assist in), but if there is no TMJ component, the result can oftentimes last a year or longer. Dr. Lam encourages everyone to return in 6 months for an additional treatment followed by 9 months after the second treatment, then progressively less frequently. In even chronic TMJ sufferers, Dr. Lam has observed progressive lengthening in the time interval required for Botox jaw reduction but he cannot promise you how long it will last. Some reports suggest that this treatment can be permanent after a few rounds but Dr. Lam cannot make this promise. However, he does believe that multiple treatments can lead to increasing longevity in most individuals.
For more information on Botox jaw slimming, please watch Dr. Lam’s virtual consultation
Your Botox Jaw Reduction will be performed by Dr. Lam' surgery center located in Plano, TX.
His technique is great and i never have pain when he does my fillers and botox.
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For a consultation with Dr. Lam regarding whether Botox jaw slimming would work for you, please email us at [email protected] or call 972.312.8188.
