THE LOWER FACE LOGIC
Shape. Softening. Symmetry.
The lower face doesn't follow the simple rules of the upper face. Here, nothing moves alone — every muscle shares workload, tension, and compensation. It's not a place for heavy-handed "unit recipes." It's where relativity, behaviour, and tension mapping matter most.
While the upper face expresses emotion, the lower face expresses intention — smiling, speaking, reacting, holding, tensing.
ANATOMY TABLE — LOWER FACE & MID-FACE MUSCLES
| Muscle | Action | Injection Notes | Units | Complications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasalis (Transverse) | Bunny lines | Sidewalls + upper scrunch | 1–2 U | Smile restriction if overdone |
| Nasalis (Alar) | Nostril flaring | Lateral to alar cartilage | 1 U | Nasal imbalance |
| Depressor Septi Nasi | Tip drop | Columella base | 1–2 U | Too much: unnatural tip lift |
| Orbicularis Oris | Pursing, smoker's lines | 0.5 cm above vermilion | 1 U × 4 | Speech impairment if overdosed |
| DAO | Pulls mouth corners down | Deep, lateral corner of triangle | 2–4 U | Lip asymmetry if too superficial |
| Mentalis | Chin dimpling | 0.5 cm lateral to midline | 2 U × 2 | Lower lip incompetence if overdosed |
| Platysma (Jawline) | Pulls jaw down | Mandibular border | Micro doses | Dysphagia if too deep/central |
| Platysmal Cords | Vertical bands | Along cords | 2–3 U/point | Weak neck if over-treated |
NASAL DYNAMICS
Small Muscles With Surprisingly Loud Opinions.
The nose expresses more than people realise. Most patients insist they "don't move their nose," but the moment they smile or talk, a whole theatre of activity appears.
1. Nasalis (Transverse) — Bunny Line Creator
Diagonal scrunching lines over nasal sidewalls. 1–2 units per point on each sidewall where lines form.
2. Nasalis (Alar) — The Flarer
Superficial injection lateral to alar cartilage. 1 unit each side. This quiets overly active flaring.
3. Depressor Septi Nasi — The Tip Dropper
1–2 units at the columellar base. A tiny dose with a big reward: tip elevates, smile opens, the whole mid-face looks lighter.
THE SMILE MAP
Softening What Doesn't Belong.
Not every smile is equal. Some are wide, some are tight, some pull up, and some pull back. Botox in the smile zone is about editing the expression, not erasing it.
"A gummy smile isn't a disease. It's just a feature that some patients prefer softened."
ORBICULARIS ORIS
The Most Unforgiving Muscle in Aesthetics
This sphincter muscle wraps the mouth entirely. Treat it with extreme caution — 1 unit at 4 cardinal points above the vermilion. Overdose causes speech impairment, drooling, and eating difficulty.
"If your patient can't whistle after treatment, you've overdone it."
DAO LOGIC
The Quiet Villain of the Lower Face
The DAO pulls mouth corners down. Weakening it allows the levators to win — corners rise, smile brightens. 2–4 units, deep injection at the lateral corner of the marionette triangle.
"DAO treatment is a whisper that changes the whole conversation."
THE MENTALIS
The Chin Dimple Creator
2 units × 2 points, 0.5 cm lateral to midline. Smooths chin dimpling ("peau d'orange") without disturbing lower lip competence.
THE PLATYSMA
The Sheet That Pulls Everything Down
The platysma is a broad, thin sheet covering the entire anterior neck and lower face. When it contracts, it pulls the jawline down, creates vertical neck bands, and drags the mouth corners.
Jawline Platysma
Micro-doses along the mandibular border can sharpen the jawline by reducing downward pull.
Platysmal Cords
2–3 units per point along the visible cord. Ask the patient to clench teeth to make cords visible. Stay superficial.
THE DOUBLE CHIN & BOTOX
Botox cannot dissolve fat. But it can relax the platysma enough to improve the cervicomental angle — creating an illusion of a tighter neck. This works best in thin patients with muscular laxity, not fat accumulation.
THE SMAS — THE QUIET ARCHITECT
Every lower-face muscle is connected through the SMAS — the fascial highway that transmits tension across the face.
When you soften one muscle, the SMAS redistributes tension — this is why:
- DAO treatment lifts mid-face
- Mentalis treatment sharpens jawline
- Platysma treatment improves chin shape
- Nasalis treatment elevates smile dynamics
The SMAS makes every injection an interconnected decision.
FINAL NOTES — THE LOWER FACE IS A NEGOTIATION
Injecting the lower face is not about dosing muscles; it's about adjusting relationships. Every small move — every micro-unit, every subtle release, every decision to treat or not treat — changes how the face behaves in motion.
This is the lower face done properly.
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You're now ready to test your knowledge and earn your AiCE Certificate.
Take Assessment & Download CertificateEarn 5 AiCE Points (equivalent to 5 CPD/CME points)