Botulinum toxin for chin dimpling proves safe, effective

Key Points

Omaha, Neb. - Treating chin dimpling can be a challenge, but a simple therapeutic approach using botulinum toxin coupled with a change in mimicking habits by the patient proves to relax the musculature in the chin area, resulting in significant, lasting aesthetic improvements.

"'Golf ball' chin is a fairly uncommon but a very treatable condition," says Joel Schlessinger, M.D., F.A.A.D., F.A.A.C.S., president of http://LovelySkin.com/, Omaha, Neb. "A few strategically placed injections of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA, Allergan) or Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA, Medicis) in the chin area can decrease or eliminate chin dimpling. The toxin effects a forced relaxation of the muscles of the chin and can smooth out the dimpling very effectively."

Careful technique

Physicians need to carefully place the botulinum toxin injections, as a potential adverse event that may result is drooping of the lower lip. The relaxation of the muscles of the chin can last approximately three to six months, and in many cases, a one-time treatment suffices.

"I have performed this simple aesthetic procedure in hundreds of patients where necessary or indicated, and have achieved excellent cosmetic results in my patients," Dr. Schlessinger says.

Many physicians do not recognize that this entity exists, and mistakenly try to fill the dimples with hyaluronic acids or other fillers. They mistakenly believe they can impact a positive aesthetic outcome using fillers. Moreover, repeatedly injecting the chin area with fillers can be very costly for the patient, compared to a one- or two-time treatment with botulinum toxin.

"The cosmetic outcomes are very much appreciated by the patient, especially since many dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons either do not understand or do not know how to properly approach this condition. They usually try to fill it, which never works adequately," Dr. Schlessinger says.

Pairing with fillers

Maintenance treatments could be scheduled twice a year; however, the frequency of touch-up treatments depends highly on the patient's degree of success in altering their mimicking habits and actively relaxing the muscles in the chin area.

While botulinum toxin can force a more aesthetically acceptable cosmetic result, a permanent cosmetic benefit will likely result if the patient can concomitantly change the habit of holding the chin in this manner.

"We do not know all that we think we know about Botox and Dysport in terms of their potential indications in the cosmetic arena. There are new and evolving indications for botulinum toxin in the aesthetic field, and its use in relaxing the chin musculature, effectively treating the dimpling of the chin, is just one example of botulinum toxin's therapeutic spectrum," Dr. Schlessinger says.

Disclosures: Dr. Schlessinger is a speaker for Allergan and Medicis.