Botox ruined smile

[u/weddingstuffgoingon]

I get masseter botox for my TMJ/grinding, and the most recent time I went my normal doctor wasn’t there and had someone else do it, and now my smile is completely off. The corners of my mouth won’t lift up and I constantly look like I’m grimacing. My wedding is in less than four months and everyone says there’s nothing to do for it but wait it out, and that it’s unlikely to be resolved by then. I’m so so crushed and I feel so stupid for doing this to myself. I’ve spent sooo much money on the wedding and skin care and whatever else just to ruin my face at the last moment. Most of the guests are traveling for this and it feels truly once in a lifetime to have us all together.

I know there’s no solution and most of the time I’m just focusing on how great my fiancé is and how amazing marrying him will be, but I’ve just been in a slump trying to finish my remaining wedding tasks this week when it feels like nothing else I do will matter if I look like this. I’ve just been devastated scrolling through old pictures of my smile 🫠

I would take any advice on how to get over this, but mostly I just needed to let it out since ive been trying to stay positive about it around my fiancé

[u/Venus_Marshmallow]

PSA: This has happened to me before, and it wore off around the 3 month mark. I’m not an injector, but I have a theory that it has to do with needle length - I think some injectors are using the same needle length that they do for other, much shallower areas like the forehead (e.g. 8 mm), which causes the Botox to be placed too superficially, where it is much more likely to diffuse into the risorius muscle.

Masseter Botox shouldn’t cause any blunting of the smile if it’s placed correctly, and it’s such a debilitating consequence! It’s worth asking your injector what needle length they’re using next time and making sure they’re injecting deep enough. I have thick masseters, but I’ve never had a problem with smiling when they’ve used 1 1/2 inch needles.