Believe it or not, all of us humans have a muscle in our chins. It is called the mentalis muscle, but it is generally weak and many of us do not use it very often.
However, there are some people who wrinkle the skin over their chins by using this muscle more when they talk, pout, or make animated facial expressions. What results over time is a chin that has grooves rather than remaining flat and smooth, or a dimpled chin as it is better known.
In addition to those that use the mentalis muscle more than most, dimpled chins are also common in the faces of people who have had surgery over that area, such as chin implants, or jaw repair from trauma. As with other areas of the body, collagen and fat overlying the chin bone will thin over time and with age, which can aggravate the appearance of chin dimpling over the years.
As in the case of other muscle induced wrinkles around the face, Botox can help alleviate the problem of the dreaded dimpled chin. For this procedure, we generally have the client contract the mentalis muscle intentionally, and then Botox is injected strategically and symmetrically into the strongest portions of the muscle.
Like all Botox injections, this procedure is relatively painless, and the results of the muscle relaxation become evident within the first week. Since the mentalis muscle is relatively weak compared to other muscle groups in the face, the maximum amount of Botox we have had to use is 10 units, making it a very affordable and cosmetically-pleasing result with a high satisfaction rate among patients.