Face areas
Where tox works.
Botox, Xeomin, and Letybo are precise tools. Each area of the face is a small set of muscles with its own job, and each responds in its own way. Here is what we work on and what each appointment accomplishes, in plain terms. New to all this? The Basics covers how lines form and what tox can and cannot do.
Area 01
The 11s · Glabella
The 11s are the two vertical lines between your eyebrows, named for the parallel “11” they form when you frown. They show up when you concentrate, squint into the sun, or read a difficult email. Over time they can settle in and stay visible even when your face is at rest.
Two small muscles are responsible: the corrugators, which pull the brows together, and the procerus, which pulls them down. A few precise injections relax those muscles so the area rests instead of pinching. The lines soften over the following days, and the tense, stern look between the brows eases.
You keep your expressions. You can still raise your brows, frown when you mean it, and look like yourself. The glabella is the most common area people start with, and it pairs naturally with the forehead.
- Muscles
- Corrugator and procerus
- Shows as
- Vertical frown lines between the brows
- The visit
- A few small injections, minutes
Area 02
Forehead lines · Frontalis
The forehead lines are the horizontal creases that appear when you raise your eyebrows, whether in surprise, attention, or just to lift a heavy brow. They run across the width of the forehead and deepen with the same expressions repeated over years.
One broad muscle, the frontalis, lifts the brows. It is the only muscle that does so, which is why we dose the forehead with care. Relaxing it softens the lines while leaving you enough movement to look natural and avoid a heavy or dropped brow.
The forehead is almost always balanced with the 11s. Treated together, the upper face settles evenly, rather than quieting one muscle while its neighbor keeps pulling.
- Muscle
- Frontalis
- Shows as
- Horizontal lines across the forehead
- The visit
- Dosed light to keep natural movement
Area 03
Crow's feet · Orbicularis oculi
Crow’s feet are the fine lines that fan out from the outer corners of your eyes when you smile or squint. They are one of the first areas people notice, and because they come from a genuine, happy expression, the goal here is softening rather than erasing.
The muscle is the orbicularis oculi, the ring of muscle that circles the eye and closes it. A small amount placed along the outer edge relaxes just that part, so the skin creases less when you smile while your eyes still move and light up the way they should.
This is a delicate area and a light hand matters. The aim is a smoother corner, not a frozen one.
- Muscle
- Orbicularis oculi
- Shows as
- Fine lines fanning from the outer eye
- The visit
- A light touch on each side
Area 04
Lip flip · Orbicularis oris
A lip flip is a small, subtle change rather than a filler. A tiny amount placed along the border of the upper lip relaxes its edge, so the lip rolls slightly outward and shows a little more when you talk and smile.
The muscle is the orbicularis oris, the ring of muscle around the mouth. There is no added volume here and nothing injected into the lip itself. It simply changes how the upper lip sits, which can also ease a lip that disappears when you smile.
Because the dose is so small, the effect is gentle and tends to wear off sooner than the other areas. It is an easy thing to try.
- Muscle
- Orbicularis oris
- Does
- Rolls the upper lip gently outward
- The visit
- A tiny dose, wears off sooner
Area 05
Mouth corners · Depressor anguli oris
The DAOs are a pair of small muscles that pull the corners of the mouth downward. When they are active, they can give the face a subtle downturned or unhappy look at rest, even when your mood is nothing of the kind.
Relaxing them releases that downward pull, so the corners of the mouth settle in a more neutral, rested position. The change is quiet but it can make a real difference to a resting expression.
The mouth corners are often treated alongside the chin, since the muscles in the lower face work together. We keep the doses small and balanced.
- Muscles
- Depressor anguli oris (DAOs)
- Shows as
- Corners of the mouth pulled down
- The visit
- Small doses, often paired with chin
Area 06
Chin · Mentalis
The chin can take on a dimpled, pebbled texture, sometimes described as an orange-peel look, when the muscle underneath is active. It tends to show when you speak or press your lips together.
The mentalis is a small muscle that pushes the chin pad upward. A little placed in the right spot relaxes it, so the surface of the chin smooths out and the dimpling settles.
It is a small, quick area on its own, and it pairs naturally with the mouth corners for a balanced lower face.
- Muscle
- Mentalis
- Shows as
- A dimpled, pebbled chin
- The visit
- One small area, quick
Area 07
Jaw · Masseter
The masseter is the large, powerful muscle at the back angle of the jaw that closes your mouth and does the work of chewing. In some people it is naturally strong or overworked, which can widen the look of the lower face and is often associated with jaw tension and grinding the teeth.
Relaxing the muscle eases that tension over time and can soften the line of the jaw. This is a larger muscle than the others on this page, so it uses more product and the effect builds gradually rather than appearing in a few days.
Whether the jaw is a good fit depends on your anatomy and what you are noticing. We will talk it through honestly at your appointment before doing anything.
- Muscle
- Masseter
- Associated with
- Jaw tension and teeth grinding
- The visit
- More product, built over visits
Area 08
Neck bands · Platysma
The platysma is a broad, thin sheet of muscle that runs across the front of the neck. As it tightens with age or tension, two vertical cords can begin to stand out down the neck, most visible when you talk or hold your jaw firm.
Placing small amounts along the bands relaxes the muscle, so the cords soften and the neck and jawline read a little smoother. It is an area we approach conservatively, building gradually rather than all at once.
The neck is usually a later step, once you are comfortable with how your face areas have gone. There is no rush to it.
- Muscle
- Platysma
- Shows as
- Vertical cords down the neck
- The visit
- Spread along the bands, conservative
Ready when you are
Come in for an appointment.
By appointment in San Rafael. Plain options, conservative dosing, no pressure.