V-line Botox in Korea is a botulinum toxin injection into the masseter, the thick chewing muscle at the back of the jaw, used to make a wide, square lower face look narrower and more tapered toward the chin. It does not cut, shave or move bone, so it only changes the part of the width that comes from muscle bulk. The injections take a few minutes after a short numbing step, and most people return to normal plans the same day, with mild soreness or bruising possible. Slimming is gradual: it usually starts to show after two to four weeks, and many faces need more than one session spaced months apart before the outline settles.
Guide
What a V-line shape is made of, and which part toxin reaches
A tapered lower face depends on four things: masseter size, the width and angle of the mandible, fat under the cheeks and jaw, and chin length and projection. Toxin acts only on the first. When a wide jaw is mostly muscle, relaxing it can soften the corners over time; when the width is mostly bone, fullness or a short chin, the change from toxin alone is small.
A quick check helps. Clench your teeth and press over the jaw angle: a firm bulge that pops out on clenching suggests muscle, while a hard corner that feels the same at rest points more toward bone. A consultation should confirm this by touch, sometimes with ultrasound.
- Muscle bulk at the jaw corners: the part V-line Botox targets
- Wide or flared jaw bone: changed only by surgery
- Soft fullness or early jowls: handled by other non-surgical options or not at all
- Short or retruded chin: often addressed with filler or surgery, not toxin
Guide
V-line Botox compared with V-line bone surgery
The two share a name and a goal but little else. Surgery reshapes jaw bone under general anesthesia; the toxin route is temporary and fades if not repeated, so some people try it first to see how a narrower lower face suits them.
| Point | V-line Botox | V-line bone surgery |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | Masseter muscle volume | Mandible angle, width and chin bone |
| Anesthesia | Numbing cream or ice | General anesthesia |
| Time off | Usually back to plans the same day | Weeks of swelling and diet limits |
| How long it lasts | Fades over months unless repeated | Designed to be permanent |
| Can it be undone | Wears off by itself | No |
| Main limits | Cannot narrow bone or lengthen the chin | Surgical risks such as nerve injury and asymmetry |
Guide
How the slimming builds across sessions
Nothing visible happens on the treatment day. The muscle weakens over one to two weeks, then shrinks from lower use, and the outline usually looks narrower between the first and third month before fading as nerve signals recover.
Because the change follows muscle shrinkage, one round rarely gives the full contour a person has in mind. Doctors often plan a second session several months later and adjust the dose by side, since many jaws are uneven. Photos from the same angle at each visit make the change easier to judge.
In a 2024 overview in the Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, Ramadan described masseter toxin as a route to a slimmer, less square jawline, stressing careful patient selection and noting that technique and dosage vary between practitioners.
Guide
Risks, including what research shows about the jaw bone
Common effects are tenderness at the injection points, small bruises and tired chewing on hard food for a few weeks. Less common are an uneven result, a changed smile if toxin spreads to nearby muscles, and a hollow look under the cheekbones in thin faces. Results vary from person to person.
Bone is a newer question. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis by Moussa and colleagues in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation reported that in humans mandibular cortical thickness fell by about 6% after toxin injection, with no clear change in bone volume or density, while animal studies showed marked bone loss near the jaw joint. The authors noted that most studies did not reflect repeated injections or high doses.
This argues for the lowest dose that works, spaced sessions, and mentioning osteoporosis, jaw joint problems or planned bone surgery.
Guide
When toxin is the wrong tool for a V-line goal
V-line Botox suits a face whose width is mostly muscle. It is a poor fit when the width is bone, when a soft jawline comes from sagging skin, or when the cheeks are already thin, and it is not given during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with a neuromuscular disorder, or over an infection on the jaw.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Adverse effect of botulinum toxin‐A injections on mandibular bone: A systematic review and meta‐analysisJournal of Oral Rehabilitation · 2023 · doi:10.1111/joor.13590
Pooled human and animal studies and found about a 6% decrease in human mandibular cortical thickness after toxin injection, with no evident change in bone volume or density, and marked condylar bone loss in animals.
- Lower face contouring through botulinum toxin therapy: an overviewJournal of Aesthetic Nursing · 2024 · doi:10.12968/joan.2024.0013
Reviewed masseter toxin for a slimmer, less square jawline and stressed careful patient selection, noting that injection technique and dosage vary.
FAQ
Questions about Jaw Botox in Gangnam
Can V-line Botox make my chin look pointier?
Not directly, because toxin works on the masseter at the jaw corners and does not lengthen or project the chin. Narrower corners can make the chin look relatively more defined, but a short or receding chin stays the same. People wanting chin shape usually discuss hyaluronic acid filler or surgery as a separate step. Ask the doctor to show on your photos which part of the outline each option would change.
Will V-line Botox lift a jawline that has started to sag?
No, toxin relaxes muscle and does not tighten loose skin or reposition soft tissue that has dropped with age. In someone with early jowls, a smaller masseter can even make sagging look a little more obvious. Lifting devices or other approaches are used for laxity. If both bulk and sagging are present, a doctor may suggest treating them in a planned order rather than together.
Is V-line Botox suitable for men?
Yes, men with a bulky masseter are often treated, though the goal is usually a softer angle rather than a narrow, tapered shape. Stronger chewing muscles can mean a different dose plan. Tell the doctor how much of the square look you want to keep, and start conservatively so it is easier to stop before the jaw loses the outline you like.
Can I have chin filler on the same visit as V-line Botox?
Many clinics can do both in one visit, because they work on different areas. The filler shows its shape right away, while the jaw change appears over the following weeks. Some doctors prefer to wait until the masseter has slimmed so the chin can be matched to the new outline. Ask which order suits your face and trip length. Filler carries its own risks, so ask about those separately.
Could my cheeks look hollow after V-line Botox?
It can happen, mainly in people with thin faces or little fat below the cheekbones. When the masseter shrinks, the area in front of it may look flatter, which reads as hollowness under some light. A lower dose, a slower plan and an honest assessment of facial fat lower this risk. If you already look gaunt in photos, raise it in the consultation before agreeing to a dose.