Neck Botox or Filler: What Are the Differences, and Which One Works Better?
Clenching your jaw, which is something many people do subconsciously without realizing it, can lead to the aforementioned vertical bands as well as sagginess, as the platysma muscle becomes looser over time. “When you clench, you [can] see a vertical band, which represents the contracted edge of the platysma muscle,” explains Dr. Melissa Doft, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City. (These are known as platysmal bands.)This muscle gets weaker and subsequently looser the more it’s used, which results in visible aging of the skin. “Botox interrupts the communication between the nerve and the muscle so that the muscle can no longer contract, relaxing the muscle so it is unable to cause wrinkles,” says Dr. Doft. (Additionally, contraction of the platysma muscle pulls down on the lower face, which can create the look of jowls and a less defined jawline, although it’s important to note that Botox injections will not have the same rejuvenating effect on the lower face as a facelift.)