Botulinum Toxin
Also known as Botox, Dysport, neuromodulator
The most performed cosmetic procedure in the world. Predictable, temporary, and easy to overdo.
US $10–20 per unit. Glabella typically 20–25 units; masseter 40–60 units. Expect $300–800 per session.
How it works
Blocks acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction, temporarily paralysing the injected muscle. Relaxing the muscles that fold the skin softens dynamic lines and prevents them etching into static wrinkles. Placement in the masseter shrinks the muscle through disuse atrophy.
How it's used
Dosed in units by area. Common sites are the forehead, glabella, crow feet, masseter for jaw slimming, and the platysma. Use an injector who understands facial anatomy — a bad forehead treatment drops the brow and makes you look heavier-lidded. Start conservatively; you can always add more at the two-week review.
Trade-offs
In favour
- Reliable and predictable results
- No downtime
- Genuinely preventive against static line formation
- Fully reversible by simply waiting
- Masseter treatment slims a wide lower face
Against
- Requires repeat treatment every 3–4 months, indefinitely
- Cost compounds over a lifetime
- Over-treatment produces a frozen, expressionless look
- Masseter atrophy can cause midface hollowing over years of use
Risks and side effects
- Eyelid or brow ptosis from diffusion into the levator — temporary but lasts weeks
- Asymmetry
- Headache after treatment
- Bruising at injection sites
- Antibody resistance with frequent high-dose use
- Long-term masseter treatment can weaken chewing and alter facial support
Recovery
None. Avoid lying down, exercise and rubbing the area for 4 hours. Bruising, if any, resolves in a few days.
How good is the evidence?
Enormous randomised trial and real-world safety base; one of the best-characterised cosmetic interventions available.
Sources
Sources point to guideline bodies and literature searches rather than single papers, so they stay accurate as the evidence moves.