It’s natural for people to want to get cosmetic treatments to maintain their youthful beauty. Among all the non-surgical aesthetic procedures that are offered today, Botox is the go-to anti-aging treatment that can effectively reduce unwanted wrinkles and fine lines in almost any area of the face.
So how many Botox units do you need when treating the upper lip and bottom chin? The number of Botox units varies depending on the skin concern that is being addressed. For upper lip wrinkles, an average of 4 to 6 units may be injected. For lip enhancement or lip flip, it may require about 10 Botox units. Eliminating chin wrinkles may need around 2 to 6 Botox units.
Learn More: How Many Units Of Botox Does It Take To Do The Upper Lip?
Aesthetica can assist you with all your beauty needs, helping you achieve your maximum beauty and aesthetic potential. Call or contact us today to learn more about our cosmetic services.
Every year, over a million Botox cosmetic injections are being administered. Approved by the US FDA, this injectable is widely used for correcting crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead lines. However, many experienced cosmetic practitioners are also offering Botox for several off-label uses such as smoothing lip lines, adding lip volume, and minimizing dimpled chin.
Upper lip wrinkles or vertical lip lines are the ones that appear etched on the skin of your lips. You may notice them when you wear lipstick since the color can make the lines appear deeper and more pronounced. These lines can be caused by different factors such as natural aging and sun damage. Additionally, people who often smoke can have premature lip wrinkles or the so-called smoker’s lines.
Botox injections to the upper lip are intended to relax the muscles that cause the formation of unwanted wrinkles. Likewise, the Botox effect can temporarily prevent new lip lines from developing so you can enjoy smoother and softer-looking lips.
With aging naturally comes a decrease of collagen production, which contributes to loss of skin elasticity. As a result, the lips also lose their plumpness and become thinner over time. Thankfully, Botox is a non-surgical alternative that can help achieve natural fuller-looking lips with just a few injections. This cosmetic neurotoxin is strategically placed to the injection sites that will cause the upper lip to curl outward to create a plumper appearance.
Botox injections to the area between the upper lip and nose can also help correct a gummy smile which is a condition where there’s an excessive display of the gum line when a person smiles. The neurotoxin can lessen the contraction of the upper lip muscles so that it won’t elevate too much and expose your gum tissue when you move and smile.
Many people also complain about having dimples or wrinkles on their bottom chin. This is usually caused by the overactivity of the chin muscles due to repeated facial expressions or mouth movements. Botox can inhibit the activity of the chin muscles and lead to the improved appearance of wrinkles on the lower part of the face.
Platysmal or neck bands are the visible parallel strips of muscle that appear on the sides of your neck skin. They’re usually caused by the contraction of the platysma or the superficial muscles in the face and neck. It can sometimes lead to the appearance of sagging skin on the bottom of your chin or create wrinkles on the neck (also known as turkey neck).
Botox injections can help restore your neck and chin contour by eliminating the contractions of the platysma muscles. By inhibiting the muscle activity, the horizontal bands will release and improve the overall appearance of the skin below the chin and neck.
Read More: How Many Units Of Botox Is Needed For Smoker’s Lip Lines?
In general, the number of Botox units that you’ll receive will depend on your specific skin concern as well as your personal cosmetic goals. Moreover, different parts of the face have varying muscle characteristics which can also affect the amount of Botox that will be injected. Usually, the injection sites that have larger or stronger facial muscles such as the forehead will require more Botox to be effective.
That said, the treatment areas in the upper lip and bottom chin commonly receive smaller doses of Botox. Since the lips and mouth are said to be delicate and sensitive areas, cosmetic practitioners are trained to be cautious in injecting Botox so as not to affect normal lip functions. Here’s an overview of the recommended Botox units for every treatment area in the upper lip and bottom chin:
| Botox Procedure | Number of units | Where is it injected |
| For upper lip wrinkles or vertical lip lines | 4 to 6 Botox units | When treating upper lip wrinkles or lines, Botox is usually injected to the orbicularis oris muscles in the upper lip. The lower lip area can also be injected if there are visible lines. |
| For lip plumping | Around 10 Botox units | To achieve fuller lips, your Botox injector will place the neurotoxin to the middle of the upper lip and the corners of the mouth. |
| For treating a gummy smile | 2 to 3 Botox units | Botox for a gummy smile is injected into the lip elevator muscles which can be found on the sides of the nose and extending to the upper lips. |
| For wrinkled chin | 2 to 6 Botox units | The injections are placed directly to the mentalis muscle located on the chin. Once these muscles are relaxed, the dimpled or wrinkly appearance of the chin is minimized. |
| For platysmal bands | Around 25 to 50 Botox units | The botulinum toxin injections are placed directly to the platysma muscles on the neck, with at least 1.5 cm distance between each injection site. |
Botox is a completely non-invasive cosmetic procedure so there’s usually no need for so much downtime. Most patients who undergo the treatment can expect to return to their normal activities shortly after. However, there are still some side effects that you may temporarily experience after getting the injections. These post-Botox side effects can include:
These side effects are usually short-lived and will go away on their own within a few days or weeks. To help manage some of these reactions, your cosmetic provider will also advise you on some aftercare tips such as:
Botox is a convenient cosmetic procedure but its effects may not be immediately noticeable. Once the neurotoxin is injected to the desired sites, it can take at least 3 to 4 days to work on the facial nerve and block the chemicals that cause muscle movement. You can expect to see the full results of the injections within 10 to 14 days.
The wrinkle-relaxing effects of Botox are not permanent since the body can continuously produce new signals to restore muscle contraction. However, you can still enjoy the results of the injections for 3 to 6 months. If you want to maintain its effects, you can consult with your provider for additional treatments.
Several clinical studies have already confirmed the safety and efficacy of Botox for cosmetic treatments. Some people even get repeated injections of Botox since it’s said to provide better anti-aging and wrinkle-erasing results. Long-term use of Botox may help train your facial muscles to limit their contraction to prevent forming new lines.
As long as you’re receiving the injections from a trusted cosmetician or experienced injector, you don’t have to worry about experiencing any adverse reactions. Most unwanted side effects from Botox can come from wrong dosage or improper injection placements.
Some negative side effects of Botox injections to the upper lip and bottom chin can include dry mouth, drooling, and uneven crooked smile. Those who receive Botox in other areas such as the forehead and eyebrows may also experience brow ptosis, upper eyelid droop, or minor headache. To avoid this, you should make sure that your provider is trained in the best injection techniques so you will get the best treatment outcome with minimal risks.
Botox treatments are highly customizable and incredibly versatile that it can be used to treat a wide variety of facial concerns. In addition to using them for lip enhancement and chin rejuvenation, here are other conditions that Botox can address:
These are fine lines that develop on the outer corners of the eye. They are classified as dynamic wrinkles since they usually become more prominent when a person smiles or laughs. Around 12 Botox units on each side of the eye can help reduce the appearance of crow’s feet.
Also known as the “11” lines, these bothersome wrinkles commonly appear between the eyebrows and run down the nose whenever you frown or make a furrowing expression. Depending on the severity of these lines, an average of 10 to 25 Botox units may be injected to the brows and glabella area.
Deep lines and wrinkles on the forehead are normally caused by the contraction of the frontalis muscle from excessive facial expressions. When these muscles move, the skin is stretched upward and causes wrinkles to form across the forehead. Botox for forehead lines typically need 10 to 20 units.
These are facial lines that form along the corners of the mouth and spread vertically down to the chin. This can sometimes also cause sagging skin on the lower part of the face. The treatment of marionette lines with Botox may require 2 to 4 units.
These are facial creases that develop on the edges of the nose and extend to the outer corners of the mouth. You can usually see these indented lines when you smile or grin. Cosmetic providers can recommend around 5 to 10 Botox units to remove these folds.
Botox injections can also help enhance facial shape and improve jawline definition. For this treatment, the injectable is placed to the masseter muscle which connects the cheek bone to the lower jaw bone. Around 25 to 30 Botox units per side are usually injected to achieve a slimmer face and well-contoured jawline.
Although it’s safe and widely done, injecting Botox to the upper lips and bottom chin is still considered off-label use and it can have some risks when administered by an inexperienced injector. Some of the other acceptable treatment options that you can explore for chin wrinkles and lip augmentation are:
If you want to restore volume to your lips or fill in your facial wrinkles, hyaluronic acid filler products can be a great treatment choice. Unlike a Botox lip flip that provides subtle enhancements, lip fillers are made of soft gel materials that literally add fullness and improve the overall shape of the lips.
Dermal filler products can also be injected to the bottom chin to smoothen wrinkles and enhance contour. Most cosmetic surgeons can use the Restylane or Juvederm families of fillers for upper lips and chin.
Also known as a lip thread lift, this cosmetic procedure inserts dissolvable sutures to the borders of the upper lip to raise the skin. This will give a lifting effect to achieve the natural pout or fuller lip look. Likewise, when the threads are inserted to the skin, they will increase collagen production and make the wrinkles and lip lines disappear.
While Botox can help reduce wrinkles on the skin below the chin and neck, it may not be as effective in treating double chin. Kybella is an ideal treatment alternative if you want to get rid of submental fat. This cosmetic injectable contains a deoxycholic acid solution that dissolves excess fat.
There are many reasons why Botox continues to grow in popularity as a cosmetic treatment. You can discover more of its amazing benefits by consulting with one of our cosmetic doctors at Aesthetica. Our team of experienced practitioners and injectors will guide you throughout your Botox procedure and assure that you get the best possible results.
As a premier medical spa, we at Aesthetica are committed to providing the latest cosmetic services and beauty treatments. We can also provide customized solutions to help you meet your aesthetic goals. Contact us today and book your Botox consultation with one of our specialists.
Learn More: How Many Botox Units Are Needed For Forehead Lines And Lip Lines?
Aesthetica can assist you with all your beauty needs, helping you achieve your maximum beauty and aesthetic potential. Call or contact us today to learn more about our cosmetic services.
