SURGICAL ARTISTRY BOTOX MUSCLES INJECTED

Common Muscles of the Face injected with Botox

Written by Calvin Lee, MD, Providing Botox in Modesto, CA.
Surgeon (Modesto, CA) and Brown University Anatomy Teaching Assistant (Providence, RI)

Website for informational purposes only, not intended as medical advice. Please double check facts.

I was a Brown University Medical School Anatomy teaching assistant in 1995 when I was a second year medical student. Not a big deal, it was something I did to earn some extra money to help with medical school tuition. I was lucky enough to be selected to help out the next year's medical school anatomy class. I think there was about 6 teaching assistants from the previous class that stayed on to teach. I had even obtained an optional certificate to teach at Brown University. I think this made me more "marketable" when finding teaching assistant jobs (I also was a teaching assistant for a neuro-psychology lab - I ran one lab station and graded papers). With the anatomy assistant teaching of medical students, I walked around and helped with cadaver dissections and gave demonstrations of particular parts of the body. I had finished my anatomy class in 1994. But the teaching experience helped me continue my respect for anatomical knowledge in general surgery and acupuncture.

It was always somewhat disturbing to me personally to discuss and demonstrate cadaver muscles of the face because these facial muscles seemed so much more human (and alive) than the rest of the body - perhaps with the exception of the hands which also felt like such a strong human connection. Now, as a botox surgeon-injector, I have no problems discussing these muscles because Botox is not for cadavers - quite the opposite I'd say.

I want to personally say thank you to the anonymous cadaver donor who allowed me to learn anatomy and dissection to a high degree. I hope I have put the knowledge you have imparted to me to good use. The Brown University doctors you have trained besides me are: Dr. Tammy Wu (Surgical Artistry Modesto Plastic Surgeon, my wife, and on the Board of Directors of the Cooperative of American Physicians in Los Angeles, CA), Dr. James Lin (Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at UCLA, Harvard residency and Harvard fellowships, best man at my wedding), and Dr. Serena Wu (Maternal Fetal Medicine, High Risk Obstetrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and tennis superstar). We were given your ultimate gift to study anatomy for several months and the knowledge continues to benefit others.

I made a listing of the muscles on this website as a starting point for those who are interested in studying Cosmetic Botox injections. This list helps me every day in my Botox practice. The whole muscle isn't frequently injected - only parts of these muscles. And many times we are aiming for partial relaxation of the muscle, not complete paralysis.

If you have time, please visit my Main Botox Page which also includes Botox Complications. And consider doing a search and finding my Botox Blog page for latest updates - search "Modesto Botox Blog" - that should find the page.

Cosmetic Botox Muscle Names

Wrinkles between the eye brows: Glabellar Complex definition

This is the smooth area between the eyebrows just above the nose
It is a flat triangular area of bone between the two superciliary ridges of the forehead
It is the area on the frontal bone above the nasion between the eyebrows
It is the most anterior point on the frontal bone

Wrinkles between the eye brows: the muscles of the Glabellar Complex

Corrugator supercilii muscle - draws the eyebrow downward and medialward. For many patients, there is a medial part and a lateral part. The lateral part is located near and above the middle of the eyebrows. It is located below the frontalis muscle and higher than the obicularis oculi muscle. It pulls the eyebrows down to a medial position. It helps to avoid glare from the sun and depicts the expression of suffering, conflicted thought, or anger (just in my opinion).
Procerus muscle - contraction of this muscle makes horizonal lines - like minus "-" signs on the top of the nose. It's presence also can cause a bulge in the middle of the glabellar complex. Allergies in the central valley, California (where Modesto is located) is a main cause of these horizonal wrinkles in the glabellar complex. There is an upper and lower portion to this muscle which I usually like to inject.

Crows Feet

Obicularis Oculi Muscle

Brow Lifting

Superolateral fibers of the Obicularis Oculi Muscle

Forehead Lines

Frontalis Muscle

Bunny Lines

Nasalis Muscle

Gummy Smile (Gingival Smile)

Levator Labii superioris aleque nasi (LLSAN) Muscle. This muscle lifts the upper lip

Perioral Lines (Smokers Lines)

Obicularis Oris Muscle

Square jaw / TMJ

Masseter Muscles

Chin Dimples (pebbled chin, orange peel chin)

Mentalis Muscle

Downturned lips at the sides (upside down smile)

Depressor Anguli Oris (DAO) Muscle

Vertical Neck lines

Platysmal bands of the Platysma Muscle

From an previous webpage that I made: Pictures of Facial Muscles. It doesn't show the muscles that well, but these were public domain pictures that I found on the web. Netter Anatomy Atlas is what I personally use. Below are some newer pictures that I found on the web. The pictures are here for educational purposes only - not meant for any kind of medical advice.

Above is a phenomenal drawing of the muscles of facial expression by Frank Netter. He worked for Ciba-Geigy at the time. It is now the pharmaceutical company known as Norvatis. I had the opportunity to work at Ciba Giegy as well as a computer geek during several summers back in the 1980's.

The Facial Nerve (7th cranial nerve) supplies all the muscles of the face. The sensory part of the facial nerve supplies the anterior 2/3 of the tongue. Bell's palsy affects the facial nerve. As an aside, the motor component of the tongue is mostly supplied by the (not pictured) Hypoglossal nerve (12th cranial nerve). I found this picture on the internet, I am not sure of the source.

RELATED MATERIAL

Modesto Botox | About Dr. Calvin Lee | Picture of Face Muscles

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Surgical Artistry webpage is for information only, not medical advice. Dr. Calvin Lee on Google+
www.surgerytoday.com homemade website by Calvin Lee, MD and Tzuying Tammy Wu, MD, Modesto, CA
Botox Muscles of the face written in Modesto, California Date of edit: 11/17/2013