Lower Face Botox: What It's Actually For (And Why It's Becoming So Popular)
Lower Face Botox: What It's Actually For (And Why It's Becoming So Popular)
Botox® has a reputation problem. Mention it and most people still picture frozen foreheads and raised eyebrows of the upper face, although that's not what we're about at Gemma Montgomery Aesthetics. I'm proud to have built a solid reputation for delivering the art of natural looking, elegant Botox® treatments.
But some of the most transformative work happening in clinic right now is in treating the lower face and neck. So let's clear up what it's actually for.
What Is Lower Face Botox?
Lower Face Botox® is a targeted treatment for the lower third of the face and the neck, an area that's historically been overlooked, despite holding so much of the visible tension and ageing we actually notice day to day.
It's not one single injection point. It's a considered approach to a handful of specific areas, each with its own purpose.
The Key Indications
Before I begin, using Botox® to treat the face isn't a replacement for volume loss or poor skin due to collagen decline, its indications are for a different entirity, primarily tension in the depressor muscles of the lower face, that begin to drag the face down with age, bringing it out of harmony and balance, while distorting the youthful contours.
Often these issues can appear more obvious on animation, when speaking etc.
The Neck muscle (Platysmal Bands) As we age, or simply through years of habitual muscle use, the platysma muscle in the neck can become more active and more visible, showing up as vertical bands under the chin or sides of the neck, particularly when we clench the jaw, speak or turn the head.
The neck muscle is large and it's upper section wraps around the jaw bone. As tension is created on the neck, it has the ability to alter the contour of the jaw line due to tension.
Treating this muscle softens those bands and can create a subtle lifting effect through the jawline and neck, while also helping those necklace like horizontal lines that can appear on the neck.
Depending on severity we can also recontour the jaw line further with the use of Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. We use juvederm in clinic.
So what other lower facial muscles contribute to this downward pull?
The Chin A dimpled, "orange peel" texture on the chin sometimes called a "pebble chin" is caused by overactivity of the mentalis muscle. It's extremely common and entirely normal, but it's also very treatable. Softening this muscle smooths the chin and can ease the sense of tightness some people feel when they talk or express themselves.
The DAO (Depressor Anguli Oris) The DAO is the muscle that pulls the corners of the mouth downward. Overactivity here can create a "sad" or stern resting expression, even when someone feels perfectly happy. It can also cause creasing to the skin just under the corner of the mouth. It's one of the most common areas people don't realise can be treated.
Here's an example of the indicatin for treatment
Softening the DAO allows the corners of the mouth to sit more neutrally, which can make a subtle but meaningful difference to how approachable and relaxed someone's resting face appears. If volume loss is apparent, it can be combined with subtle lifting of the face with varying dermal fillers of Bio-stimulators such as HArmonyCa.
Why It's Becoming So Popular?
A few things are converging here:
Awareness is catching up with need. For years, the conversation around Botox focused almost entirely on the upper face. As more people understand what's actually causing the tension, bands, or downturned expression they see in the mirror, they're realising the lower face and neck were the missing piece all along.
It photographs and shows on video more than people expect. Between video calls and phone cameras, we see our lower face and neck from angles we never used to and that visibility has driven a lot of the demand.
The results are subtle but noticeable to the person having them. This isn't dramatic transformation. It's the kind of change where you feel more like yourself, and where others notice something's different without being able to say exactly what.
Treatment doesn't alter the way you speak or feel if done correctly. It's very different to the upper face and that's what people love.
This Isn't About Replacing Volume
It's worth saying clearly: this isn't about volume loss, and it isn't a replacement for filler. It's about muscle.
The depressor muscles of the lower face including the DAO and platysma are constantly pulling downward, day in and day out. Over time, that pull contributes to a loss of facial harmony and balance, and to a softening of contour that can look and feel like volume loss, even when it isn't purely that. Treating the muscles that pull is a completely different (and complementary) approach to replacing lost volume.
This is exactly why assessment matters so much. Understanding whether what you're seeing is muscle pull, volume loss, skin laxity, or a combination of all three takes a skilled, experienced injector, someone who can properly assess the underlying cause, not just treat the visible symptom. Tailoring treatment accordingly, rather than taking a generic approach, is what makes the difference between a subtle, harmonious, elegant result and one that misses the mark entirely.
Is It Right for You?
Lower Face Botox isn't a one-size-fits-all treatment which areas are treated, and how, depends entirely on your individual anatomy, muscle activity, and what you're hoping to address. That's why every treatment starts with a proper consultation, so we can talk through what's actually happening in your case and what's realistic to achieve.
If you've noticed neck bands, chin dimpling, or a resting expression that doesn't match how you feel you're weome to come for a conversation.
Get in touch or download our APP to book your consultation.
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